In Bali there was a place around Batur lake area which is located in Kintamani. Is recommended to visit one of the villages which are famous for their mystique and unique things that are contained in it, namely Trunyan Village. This village is one of the oldest traditional villages in Bali.
To get to this village we have to take a boat down the slopes of Abang hill, on the shores of Lake Batur. Along the way we will see beautiful panoramas of Mount Batur, Mount Abang, and Batur lake. Trunyan Village has a unique funeral tradition and several other unique things that other villages in Bali don’t have.
This tradition is called ‘Mepasah’ (the body is only placed on the ground or in the open), and this tradition is only designated by people or people who die naturally. Of course this is very different from the traditions of the Balinese people in general, where the body is usually burned through the Ngaben ritual, in this village the body is only left to rot.
What is no less unique is that the corpses that are placed on the ground do not smell bad at all, because they are near the Taru Menyan tree, a sacred tree that is trusted by the people of Trunyan village through folklore or the Folklore Legend of the Ruler of Mount Batur and has been standing for thousands of years. It is said that the name of the village of Trunyan comes from the name of the tree.
This tree gives off a fragrant aroma, so that the corpse does not smell bad. Before placing the body, a cleaning ceremony is first carried out. Then, proceed with bathing the body in rain water. After that, the new body is placed on the surface of the ground.
The body will be placed in a hole 10-20 cm deep, which aims to prevent the body from moving due to the contours of the ground. To avoid wild animals that can damage corpses, around the grave, a barrier from a bamboo caterpillar called ‘Ancak Saji’ is provided, which is triangular and made elongated according to the body size of the corpse. The tomb that is located between Taru Menyan’s tree can only be filled with 11 bodies.
This has been determined by local customary beliefs. If there is a new body, the oldest body will be moved. If it is only bones, new corpses will be moved. The bones of the body, hands and feet were piled beside the gate.
As for the head, it will be placed on a stone foundation and arranged in a row with the others. Although this village has a unique burial tradition, the people of Trunyan village know burials by burying them or burying the ground (inhumation). In this location we can find three types of burials, namely :
Sema Wayah
This type of burial is considered to be the most sacred burial. The burial place in Sema Wayah only consists of seven plots.
Which means, if a Trunyan resident dies and is to be buried by Mepasah, then the plot where the body has been placed there the longest will be chosen.
After praying to ask permission from the old occupant, and all the bones of the old occupant have been removed to the side outside the plot, then the new body will be placed in the empty plot.
Sema Mudi / Nguda
This place is a special burial place for people who are not married and the children of Meketus (children and babies with milk teeth that have not been knocked out).
They all buried Mepasah. But here it is also a burial place for babies who have not yet entered the Meketus phase and are buried by burying the ground.
The location of the burial complex is difficult to reach because the coast is steep, between the main village of Belongan Trunyan and the location of the Sema Wayah grave complex.
Sema Bantas
This place is used for people whose burial is done by burying the ground. Just like Sema Nguda, the corpse here will also be buried.
The difference is that Sema Bantas is specifically for those who died because their death was unnatural, such as an accident, murder, suicide, or part of their body was not intact.
Initially the Sema Bantas location was on the border of Belongan Cimelandung and Abang Village. However, in later developments the burial complex was expanded to Tempek Puseh, to be precise in the southeast of the main village of Trunyan. There also made a new Sema Bantas.
The place must be reach by boat, there are boat services at the local harbour. Below is the fee for rent a boat to reach Trunyan village. The price is for person or group, the count is for renting 1 boat from harbour to Trunyan and back to the harbour.
Remember to use life jacket for your safety. Life jacket is available there, if not you can ask the boat or officer on duty at the harbour.
Trunyan village on map :