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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As a community, the people of Bali are tied to the social and cultural aspects of life by what they call the Tri Hita Karana, which proclaims one’s duty to live a spiritual life as atma (spirit), the duty to look after one’s habitat and habitual areas as angga (body), and the duty of carrying out one’s living as a member of an interconnected community, as khaya (labor).

To this day, the people, society and culture of Bali are characterized by their history and by the ancient influences of Majapahit. The Hindu philosophy of life, the three elements atma, angga, and khaya, has made the life of the population unique and flexible in its response to the changing times. Cultural development and the conduct of the Balinese from ancient times to the modem day can be explained as a flexible process, where economical development, knowledge, and technology have been blended with the colors of local culture. The culture of Bali is constantly developing and changing, without losing the uniqueness of its own culture.

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