There several significant events in the life of a Balinese person. Each is accompanied by a ceremony. The first ceremony happens after three months when a baby is first set down on the ground. Prior to that, babies are carried everywhere and always held by someone. Another major event is tooth filing, where the canine teeth are filed so that they no longer have a point. This is done to reduce animal instincts in people. Sounds rather painful. Marriage is another big event with a major village ceremony, but the most important event happens upon someone's death. Hindus believe in reincarnation, where the spirit returns in another physical form depending on the quality of the previous life. Before a spirit can return, the elements of the previous body need to be purified. Purification happens through cremation. A funeral and cremation ceremony is attended by the entire village. Building a funeral pyre and entertaining everyone costs about $5000. During our bike trip, we saw preparations for a funeral and captured these images.
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| The pyre |
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| The body is laid at the top. |
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| As many as 100 men carry the pyre on their shoulders. |
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| Odd character |
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