Bali Island is an island who rich in customs and culture, as well as festivals. One of the famous tradition is cremation ceremony (Ngaben), the Balinese people in general do a cremation ceremony if there are people who died. However, In the contrary to the traditions and beliefs prevailing in Trunyan village. Trunyan Village or better known as Kemenyan village is one of the oldest villages in Bali which is located on the east shore of Lake Batur, Kintamani, Bangli Regency, Bali Province. It was said that the named of Trunyan village was associated with Taru incense tree that is in this village. This tree was very unique because it can remove the smell quite fragrant. Eve in the village is also very cool. People in Trunyan village still adhere to the values of the local customs, including one of which is the burial custom layout. People in this village has its own cemetery ordinance for their citizens. In this area there are three tombs or Sema which is divided into three different types of death, are as follows :
- The first burial site called Sema Wayah, which is a cemetery location reserved for citizens who died in natural death, his body will be covered with a white shroud and a ceremonial procession, their bodies will be placed on the ground with no buried under a large tree Taru incense and surrounded by woven from bamboo trees called Ancak Saji. The way they burial was commonly referred as Mepasah.
- The second burial site called Sema Bantas. The location of this cemetery reserved for bodies that unnatural death such as accidents, suicide or was killed by someone else. The body is in this cemetery will usually buried in the ground.
- While the third burial site called Sema Nguda. The burial site was devoted into two types of funeral and burial Mepasah well on condition that the bodies will be placed in this location has not yet reached puberty or adulthood, including adult but not yet married can also buried at this location.
Interestingly each of the bodies are put under the huge Taru Menyan tree is not going to cause odor as Taru Menyan tree at the site of the cemetery was able to smell the fragrant scent and neutralize foul odors exist. According to the Trunyan villagers, every deceased person’s body to be returned to earth and according to their beliefs in a way such that the bodies could be returned to the earth .
How to Get There
To go to Trunyan village, you can go directly to Mount Batur at Kintamani by using private vehicle or lease from the city of Denpasar with a journey time of about 2 hours drive. From Mount Batur, you can go down to the edge of Lake Batur. On the shores of Lake Batur You can rent a boat to cross over to Trunyan Village.