Anak Agung Niang Rai is the mother of Tjokorda Gde Putra Sukawati (Tjok Putra), Tjokorda Gde Oka AA Sukawati (Tjok Ace), and Tjokorda Gde Raka Sukawati (Tjok De), which currently serves as Vice Bendesa Adat (vice of village head) of Ubud and among the community known as the undagi of Lembu and Bade. Anak Agung Niang Rai also has five grandsons from her three sons.

Anak Agung Niang Rai was born in Bungbungan village, a village located In Klungkung regency of Bali around 1930. She married Tjokorda Gde Agung Sukawati of Puri Agung Ubud in January 1955.

Anak Agung Niang Rai then lived in Puri Agung Ubud and always accompanied her husband in serving the community. Tjokorda Agung was one of the most important figures in the history of Ubud. During his throne at Puri Agung Ubud, he pioneered the development of Ubud and it has made Ubud eventually became widely known as one of the art-cultural centers and a leading tourist area in Bali.

Anak Agung Niang Rai passed away at her age of 80s on Saturday the 14th of May 2011 (based on the Balinese calendar, the days was Saniscara Paing Wuku Ukir) at 8:15am. Her body then being lied down at Puri Agung Ubud. The Pelebon ceremony will be held on Thursday the 18th of August 2011 (Wraspati Pon Wuku Krulut).

Even though the ceremony is a cremation for the dead, but the atmosphere is always alive. Besides being a religious ceremony, the Pelebon ceremony also has become one of the most famous tourist attractions in Bali.

Pelebon ceremony is a ceremony to purify and return the elements of Panca Maha Butha (five elements of the universe that form the life) in human body (Bhuana Alit, the micro-cosmos) to the universe (Bhuana Agung, the macro-cosmos). The elements of Panca Maha Butha in the human body are:

• Pertiwi (the earth, solid matters): like the flesh, bones and teeth. Apah (the water): like the blood, tears, saliva and mucus.
• Teja (the light): like the aura and the light of eyes.
• Bayu (the air, the wind): like breathe and energy.
• Akasa (the space): the abstract elements (the ether) in human body.

Pelebon ceremony is a Hindu-Balinese traditional-religious ceremony which had been held since centuries ago and still survived until now in the midst of changing times. In this ceremony we also can see the togetherness among the Puri Agung Ubud and the community, and among community members.

The body will depart the Puri Agung Ubud at around 12:30 pm. The body will be taken by a Bade (a cremation tower) with nine storeys and it is as high as 25 meters, accompanied by a 7.5 meters-high Lembu (a giant sarcophagus bull) and others Pelebon ceremony paraphernalia into the cremation location at the Dalem Puri Temple in Peliatan which is about 900 meters to the east of Puri Agung Ubud. The procession of this cremation ceremony is expected to finish at around 5 pm. The Pelebon ceremony or also known as a Ngaben (cremation) ceremony is one of the most famous Hindu-Balinese traditional-religious ceremonies. This ceremony is a form of respect from the families and local communities to Anak Agung Niang Rai.

To shed a better light on Naga Banda, here is a short story on the origin of Naga banda and why it is used in a royal cremation.

King Waturenggong, the king of Bali, held a grand ceremony in the capital city of his kingdom, Gelgel. One of the requirements of the ceremony is that a high priest of Buda sect has to officiate the ceremony along with the high priest of Siwa sect; so Danghyang Astapaka, a high priest of Buda sect which also brother of royal priest Danghyang Nirartha was summoned form East Java to officiate the ceremony.

More Story

Search more 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Wedding Photography | Bali Journal Photography | Groups

Tens of thousands of locals and tourists are expected to flock to the tiny resort village of Ubud, Bali, on Tuesday to witness the Palebon (cremation ceremony) of three members of the Ubud royal family.

Among the royals to be cremated is Tjokorda Gde Agung Suyasa, who formerly headed the Ubud royal family and was Bendesa (chief) of Desa Pekraman (a traditional customary village) for more than three decades.

A stoic aristocrat, Suyasa was also one of the most influential figures behind the revival of Balinese Hinduism in several parts of the country. He donated generous contributions to several major Hindu temples in Java, including the majestic Mandhara Giri Semeru Agung temple in East Java, and others in Kalimantan and Lombok.

More Story

Search more 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Wedding Photography | Bali Journal Photography | Groups