Traditional Balinese cremation. Photo by iffocus.
According to the photographer, this photo was taken at Ubud, Bali, at the The Royal Cremation and Mass Cremation Ceremony, July 28, 2012. The ceremony is fascinatingly loaded with electric imagery and fire, linking together the divine, the king, and men.
The author says:
At Ngaben ceremony there are two main paraphernalia (equipment ceremony), namely Bade (cremation tower) and Lembu (giant bull, cremation sarcophagus), all is made of paper and wood. The body of the deceased is placed inside a coffin This coffin is placed inside a sarcophagus. For the royal cremation (Pelebon ceremony), there are also a Naga Banda (a mythical dragon-like creature with a long tail). The Naga Banda is reserved for only the elders of the royal family and is seldom seen in cremation ceremonies.
