Ngaben or cremation ceremony is arguably the most documented Balinese ceremony among hundreds of Balinse religious ceremonies. And of course the prima ballerina of Balinese cremation is the cremation tower or well known as Bade or Wadah. Bade or wadah is a tower which is used to carry the body of the deceased to the cremation ground.

Bade or Wadah is a pagoda-like structure with multi-tiered roof, constructed by a group of special craftsmen known as sangging with specific material such as bamboo, paper mace and cotton. The size, proportion and the structure of the bade is strictly governed by the ancient rules of bade construction. The height of the Bade could reach up to 25 meters and the weight around 10 ton. It is required a few hundreds of man to carry it.

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Over the last eighty years, visitors have contrived various names for Bali praising its richness in culture, its extreme fertility, its endless beauty, and the artistry and the charm of its people. The names are range from ‘The Last Paradise’ to ‘The Morning of the World’, from ‘The Island of Gods to Island of Thousands Temples. If we imagine Bali as a product, various brands have been given to this single product, and the last attempt to give another brand for Bali was not come from the visitor to the island but from the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

A new brand for Bali which called “Bali: Shanti Shanti Shanti” has been launched by the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Culture. To shed a better light on this new brand for Bali, here is the explanation on the new brand provided by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture:

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Padmasana, the seat of God is an obligatory shrine that must be established in every Balinese Hinduism temple. No temple is considered to be complete without this shrine. The word Padmasana is derived fro the word “padma” means “lotus” and “sana” means “seat”, Balinese believed that God sits on a lotus flower. It is a roofless shrine with an empty throne on its top, the throne of God.

The padmasana presents the form of Balinese macrocosmos. It is divided into three sections – the familiar Tri Loka: Bhur (the world of demon), Bwah (the world of human), Swah (the world of gods). At the base of padmasana, in Bhur Loka is Bedawang Nala (the turtle of universe) which support the world on its back. It is being held by two snakes, Anantaboga and Basuki. It is sometimes said that the snakes are holding the turle so as to keep it from causing catastrophic earthquake by moving too violently.

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