Bali - Cremation Ritual form 1996 / cremation December 1996

When the procession has reached the cremation place a priest pours holy water over the coffins and recites Sanskrit Mantras (the most important part of the ceremony) After that the wood and tree branches that have been placed under and around the coffins, and also the cremation towers themselves are set on fire.

In this case, they used a blow torch to aid and abet the burn. It took more than four hours as it was to burn the body. The Balinese kept trying to push me closer to take a photo, but as it was my camera was practically melting.

The ashes are collected by the relatives in coconut shells and on the next morning ceremonially handed over to the sea or a river.