Pura Goa Lawah (Bat Cave Shrine)

Pura Goa Lawah (Bat Cave Shrine), located at southeastern part of Bali, is one of Bali’s popular tourist attractions that people shouldn’t miss when visiting the Island of Gods. Consistent with its name, the cave is over run with thousands of black bats. Upon approaching the cave, one can immediately identify a distinct aroma of bat droppings collected around the temple shrines.

The temple is quite simple but is very old and has a long history behind it. It was founded in 1007 by a great sage from Java, named Empu Kuturan, who went to Bali at the request of King Udayana and his wife. Another renown priest from Java, Resi Markandya, built small shrines of a Shivaite temple in front of the temple to guard the cave’s entrance.

During pre-Hindu time the locals believe that the cave are connected by a tunnel all the way to Pura Goa in Besakih, some 35 km away, and they also believe that the legendary giant snake, Naga Basuki, is guarding the tunnel. Naga Basuki is believed to be the caretaker of the earth’s equilibrium.

During Hindu time, Pura Goa Lawah is the designated place to worship God Maheswara, who many believe, resides in this part of the island. A variety of rites are held in this temple on daily basis, however, it is mostly used for rites associated with death, and it is now one of the island’s nine special Sad Kahyangan Temples.

The Bat Cave was also used to test the people found guilty of breaking the law under Klungkung and Mengwi kingdoms. When a dispute on who is the legitimate descendant of the Mengwi’s king occurred between I Gusti Ngurah Made Agung and I Gusti Ketut Agung happened, I Gusti Ketut Agung agreed to enter the Bat Cave under a condition in which if he came out alive he would be recognized as a descendant.

Legend said that I Gusti Ketut Agung entered the cave and came out at Pura Goa Besakih. When he was crowned as king he was known as I Gusti Ketut Agung Besakih.

Currently, the Bat Cave remains an attraction to tourists visiting Bali specially on their way to Pura Besakih, Karangasem Kingdom, Candi Dasa, and the serene Amed beach.

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First Look: A Sneak Peek at Microsoft's New Windows 8

Check it out- the new desktop screen for Windows 8, a brand new interface for tablets. At first glance, it is reminiscent of Windows Live Phone Tiles. Some sources suggest that Windows 8 will be a mix of Windows 7, Xbox 360, Microsoft Office, and Windows Phone 7 with some Kinect-like navigation features. So what exactly does Windows 8 have to offer?

First of all, the launch of Windows 8 appears to be an attempt by Windows to mix the best of its products into one computing system. Cellphone features, tablets, the cloud and even gaming have had influence on the development of the Windows 8 experience. The Windows 8 is one OS that will run on 2 versions: regular computers and tablets, scaling from touch-only small screens through to large screens, with or without a keyboard and mouse.
The UI

All apps can be viewed in this tile-based UI, which even has a “thumbs” mode (a clear influence of mobile phones). The animations and multitasking are neat and smooth: swiping right and left reveals the taskbar and the apps page respectively. Snapping allows you to have 2 apps next to each other simultaneously. The main app takes up most of the screen while the secondary app stays docked, allowing you to swap easily and rapidly by swiping to the left to scroll through background applications.
In addition, the context-aware Ribbon interface, which caused a stir in the 2010 Microsoft Office suite, is apparently making its way into Windows 8's Explorer Windows, replacing the drop-down menus and toolbar. This, however, is probably an improvement, making many more of Window's hidden features visibly discoverable. The Ribbon's big buttons are a perfect addition to a touchscreen Windows 8 tablet.


The Cloud

The Explorer Ribbon holds two buttons: Sync and Web Sharing. Microsoft has been angling to push a lot of its services into the cloud, and these buttons show that functionality may be digging deeper into the core OS. The guess is that the Sync button will work like Windows Live Mesh, which synchs program settings across PCs. Web Sharing is likely to be similar to Windows Live SkyDrive, a cloud storage feature that provides 25GB absolutely free.
The Xbox Influence


There is no denying that Kinect hackers have greatly improved the Xbox gaming experience with their DIY tweaks. A talented hacker even made Google's April Fool's joke Gmail Motion come true and used his body to write emails. Encompassing this technology, the leaked Windows 8 blueprints have shown that is that Microsoft plans on using proximity detection and facial recognition to startup and unlock PCs.

In addition, last May, an internal video for Microsoft's "Windows Gaming eXperience" team was discovered, showing the company’s aim to integrate Xbox 360 and Xbox Live to the Internet as a whole, especially social gaming. The platform integration of the future could incorporate Kinect technology to interact with online buddies, play PC games, and much more. Amazingly, Windows 8 requires fewer resources than its predecessor. What’s more, while Windows 7 was available as 32 bits or 64 bits, Windows 8 runs on a 128 bit system, representing a great leap in performance.

A demo video of Windows 8 can be seen below.

Windows 8 is slated for an August 2012 release. Stay tuned.

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How to Speed Up Your PC

How to speed up my PC, you ask?

Simple tasks like starting up, opening a windows explorer folder to playing a game all require processing power from your PC. Unfortunately, the sight of aging computers turning slower month by month is getting common these days, prompting the question of whether computers simply degenerate over time.

The following list contains the most common reasons why your computer may become less responsive over time, and some simple steps you can take to maintain it. This will save you money and time over the lifetime of your computer.

1. Spyware
Good Spyware Removers: Ad-Aware

Let’s start off with the most obvious; spyware.

Very often you download free programs, crack files, visit certain sites and think its all rainbows and unicorns. Unfortunately, a lot of these activities and sites may result in a sneaky install of spyware into your unsuspecting computer. Over time, these nasty spyware can accumulate and dramatically slow your PC down. That’s of course in addition to all the other nasty effects they have including stealing passwords and personal information.

So what can you do to prevent that? Well you can start off with paying more attention to what you download, and where you download from. A big source of spyware is free software, so watch out for shady-looking, non-trusted sites that offer free downloads. Running a good spyware remover program once a week helps greatly too.

2. Viruses
Trusty Anti-viruses: Symantec’s Norton Anti-virus, McAfee, NOD32

Running a good anti-virus is critical to maintaining your computer’s good health and running speed. Although not opening non-trusted emails, clicking links and downloading free stuff used to be golden advice for preventing viruses, these days there are too many ways for a virus to infiltrate your computer.




The bottom line is really to just invest in a good anti-virus program and keep it running. Running scheduled scans will also go a long way in keeping your computer safe.

3. Registry Errors
Good Registry Cleaners: WinASO, TuneUp Utilities

This is what slows down your computer that most of you aren’t aware of. Your computer’s registry is a special, protected part of your bios that stores key information on operating your installed software. These could include games, work-related software and even anti-viruses. However, your registry could become a big slowdown factor after many cycles of software installation and uninstallation. Every time you install a program, your registry is updated with information but that information stays even when the program is uninstalled. This brings unnecessary processing your load on your computer and slows it down.

To solve this problem, invest wisely in a reputable registry-fixing program that helps to correct and clear up your registry.

4. System Maintenance
Remember to do these: Defragment your Hard Drive, Clear the Recycle Bin regularly Most of us do not perform simple system maintenance tasks like defragmenting our hard disk and deleting unwanted items in our recycle bin. Schedule a weekly full hard disk defragmentation and you’ll find your computer running much better.

(Access the windows defragmentation option under Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Disk Defragmentation. After that you can choose the different hard disk on your computer that you want to defragment for.

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Top 10 Android Multiplayer Games

Unknown to many, the Android Marketplace has more free apps for download than Apple’s App Store. Out of that huge number, there are many top-notch multiplayer games. Here’s a list of our favourite Android games, spanning from MMORPGs to casual games.

1. Pocket Legends



This MMORPG was listed by Mashable as one of the top 5 groundbreaking Mobile Games in 2010. It certainly deserves it.

This game features surprisingly complex character customization and an addictive gameplay. Wander the land completing quests with your fellow players never seemed so fun.

2. Parallel Kingdom


Parallel Kingdom uses Augmented Reality to overlay a fantasy game onto your actual location. Using Google Maps, your real-life location becomes the terrain for the fantasy game.

Suddenly your neighbourhood became a lot more exciting.

3. Raging Thunder


Who would believe that a racing game could be played on a handphone without lagging? Strange and exciting times we live in.

Raging Thunder allows you to race with up to three other people. Gameplay is smooth with few lags for an overall enjoyable racing experience.

4. iMobster




Start as a petty thief and rise in the ranks to become the Mafia Don of New York City. This game requires strategy to recruit others and manage your mob to become the most feared.

5. Cestos


Imagine a game of marbles, except it’s on your phone and with people all around the world. You can chat with other players and unlock in-game goodies, such as marble customization.

6. ProjectINF


This MMORPG is similar to the once-popular Ragnarok Online. It plays in real time and allows up to 24 players per game. Other features include customizable stats, multiple maps and game modes, and several character types.

7. 4 Player Reactor


4 Player Reactor allows up to four players to play together on one device. It is a fast-paced competition of wits and reflexes, where the fastest fingers win. This app has up to 20 exciting individual game modes.

8. Words with Friends


Know knew that Scrabble could be so addictive? This game allows you to challenge you friends by searching for their usernames. You can also choose to play with random opponents assigned by the game system.

9. Guerilla Bob


This award-winning first-person shooter was a hit on the iOS and is now available on the Android Marketplace. This game features sharp, witty humour alongside an arsenal of cool weapons – best enjoyed with friends.

10. Dungeon Defenders


Take on a hero class and battle invaders with other players in this beautiful MMORPG. Dungeon Defenders showcases graphics powered by Unreal, the makers of the World of Warcraft franchise. As expected the visuals are top-notch, catching an incredible amount of detail for a mobile phone game.

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Video games being blamed for divorce as men 'prefer World of Warcraft to their wives'

The explosion of video games and their popularity bring along several pressing social problems. Increasingly, there is one more reason to be wary of video game addiction: wrecked marriages. A study conducted by Divorce Online reveals that of the women are filing for divorce on the grounds of “unreasonable behavior”, about 15percent believe that their partners place gaming before them. This represents an increase of 5 percent in the short span of a year.

Divorce Online marketing manager Mark Keenan decided to look into the issue when he and his team of researchers noticed the recurrence of World of Warcraft (WoW) mentioned in divorce cases. The study looked at 200 unreasonable behavior petitions filed by women.

Specifically, these wives appeared to single out WoW, an MMORPG where gamers control a mythical creature in a fantasy world, as well as Call Of Duty, a shooter game series where gamers battle in warzones. From their inception, MMOs have received heavy criticism for their addictive qualities, some even claiming MMOs to be more addictive than cocaine.




Ryan G Van Cleave, an expert on video game addition, states that many gamers are unaware that gaming can become an addiction; even if they do, they believe that they are in full control. He suggests that the problem comes in when “the non-gamer doesn’t appreciate that it’s an addiction. This means that it’s not a choice to spend so much time in a virtual environment versus time spent with spouse and family. It’s a compulsion.”

The devastating effects of video game addiction have been highlighted in popular US television series Dr Phil, with divorce and the breakdown of marriages as a common consequence. Nonetheless, Van Cleave believes that like in the case of any other addiction, gaming addicts can overcome the problem with understanding and professional help. Citing the results of his study, however, Keegan believes that divorce rates pertaining to video game addiction could continue climbing in the following years.

“The increase could be a consequence of people staying indoors more because of the recession, or it might be being used by men in particular as a means of escape from an already unhappy relationship.”

A summary of Dr Phil’s series on video game addiction can be found here.

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Selling your phone? Ensure personal security in a few simple steps

Smartphones these days do far more than just the standard calling and text messaging. These multifunctional devices now handle jobs such as emailing, banking and the like, resulting in our phones loading up on sensitive information. Losing a phone spells disaster for many of us as it could result in breach of security, yet surprisingly, many have no qualms about selling their mobile phones as-is. In effect, selling your smartphone without taking the necessary actions is akin to serving your personal information to a stranger on a platter- for just a few hundred dollars, prior data stored in the phone can be retrieved. To ensure the safety of your data, a full wipe is recommended, on both the iPhone and Android.

Here’s how you can do it in a few easy steps.
Wiping the iPhone

Wiping the iPhone is so simple that failure to do it is simple inexcusable. Simply go to ‘Settings’ in your iPhone, then go to ‘General’ > ‘Reset’ (all the way at the bottom). Select the ‘Reset’ button followed by the option ‘Erase All Content and Settings’. This will result in a full wipe all media content, prior settings and all other data, resulting in an internally brand new phone for the buyer.



Alternatively, you can plug in to iTunes and select the “Restore” button. This gives you a chance to do a last backup (via iTunes) before you wipe your phone. A jailbroken iPhone can also be restored to its un-jailbroken stage via this method, but a jailbroken iPhone usually fetches a higher price.

While this method of wiping your phone is sufficient for a vast majority of people, some suggest doing a more secure, thorough wipe to keep your information safe from hackers. These instructions from iClarified.com show you how, but do take note that you would need to have your phone jailbroken first.
Wiping an Android Phone

Unlike the iPhone, an Android phone has more than one form of storage in it. The internal memory stores apps and system settings, while the SD card(s) store music, pictures and several app settings, so wiping an Android phone takes a bit more work to make sure nothing is left behind.

First, select Settings > SD & Phone Storage. Hit the "Unmount SD Card" option, which would result in the "Format SD Card" button being activated (no longer greyed out). Click on that to wipe your SD card. For extra security, plug it into your computer and fill it up with some big files (like movie files), then reformat it again. When that's done, go back to Settings > SD & Phone Storage and hit the "Factory Data Reset" button. This erases all your other data, blanking it like a brand new phone. Some people recommend re-filling the space with useless information again to make sure it's securely wiped. We recommend downloading big apps (like games) from outside the Market until your phone's storage is full. It will let you know when there's no more space. Make sure you download them from outside the Market, since you don't want to reenter your Google credentials on your phone. You'll probably have to search Google for the files (e.g. download angry birds apk), after which, factory reset again. An alternate method is to simply remove the SD card or provide the buyer with a new one to ensure the safety of your information.

If you have a rooted phone, this does not remove root, and it won't remove any custom ROMs you're running. To do that, you'll need a different program depending on your manufacturer, such as Motorola’s RSD Lite for Motorola. However, you could also sell your phone as rooted—some people prefer to buy their phone pre-rooted. Last but not least, do not forget to remove your SIM card from the phone! And there you have it, a few simple steps for you to take precautions to ensure personal data security. Do remember not to neglect these simple safety measures, as a little goes a long way in protecting your information.

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Chinese Prisoners Forced into MMO Gold Farming

In movies, (Chow Yun Fatt’s popular Prison on Fire comes to mind) the idea of prison inmate abuse through physical punishments and hard labor has been explored to death. In real life however, there could be worse torture than just physical labor. A recent UK feature on Chinese Prisoner Liu Dali’s (not his real name) prison story revealed how Chinese prisoners were forced into MMO gold farming at night, after a long laborious day of physical work.





"If I couldn't complete my work quota, they would punish me physically," explained Liu Dali, suggesting how the MMO gold farming was neither an enjoyable past time nor a voluntary recreation of the inmates. He further described the punishments, claiming that those who “fell behind” in terms of hitting the quota of gold would be “made to stand with their hands raised in the air”. Worse punishments may even come in the form of “getting beat with plastic pipes”

Two years ago, the Chinese government has already placed appropriate restrictions on MMO Gold farming, clearly stating that virtual currencies may only be used for trading virtual goods. Despite the imposed laws, Liu has said that the profitability of MMO gold farming was simply too good for prison bosses to ignore. According to what he heard in prison, bosses could earn 5,000 to 6,000 RMB a day.

MMO gold farming is not a new thing in China though. It is quite common knowledge by now that sweatshops exist solely for farming gold. In such shops, workers are hired for cheap to sit out 12hr sessions only farming gold. Although big names such as World of Warcraft and even the Chinese government have tried to ban gold farming, it remains on the large as a lucrative form of making money. There has already been a gold farming site that has been sold for USD $10 millionearlier this year.



Coupled with Liu Dali’s story, this may potentially send some shockwaves down both the MMO and real world.

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Gaming: 50 Years in the Future

Futurists use “Moore’s Law” as a guideline to predict the advance in technology. The law basically outlines the annual doubling of processing power relative to the expansion of memory and decrease in cost of technology.

Based on the predictions of futurists, it seems we’re in for an exciting gaming environment just 50 years from now.

Here are some predictions for what’s going to change in gaming in the future.
Bear in mind that there are just predictions. After all, sci-fi movies predicted we would be living on the moon and travelling in hover jets by 2011.
1. Augmented Reality (AR)


AR is a technology that we are only beginning to toy with today. The technology of viewing and manipulating a virtual reality through a camera and a screen is still in its developmental phases. Games like EyePet and the Nintendo 3DS’ AR Games are putting their toes in and testing the waters.

But a full-fledged landscape based on AR is held back by limitations in connectivity, processing power and scope. Without some sort of high-speed wireless Internet, we will always be tethered to yesterday’s technological capabilities.

This most likely will not be the case 50 years from now.

With the progress in 4G broadband networks, we will soon be able to use retinal displays or transparent gaming tablets to overlay virtual elements onto real-life landscapes.

In 50 years time, imagine seeing hordes of zombies walk down the streets of your neighbourhood. Now, that’s exciting.

2. Artificial Intelligence (AI)


AI has always been a nuisance for gamers. Programmers are the best they have ever been. Yet, we still see AI teammates being stuck behind pillars unable to walk around them.

With amplified processing power and extremely fast processing, we could see self-teaching and adapting AI in 50 years time.

This would add a dimension and difficulty to gaming like never before – enemies that continually learn based on player actions within the game.

In the future, AI buddies would be indistinguishable from any other real player. They would be able to hold relevant conversations with you, adjusting their small talk to how you're progressing in the game.

On top of that, Non-Playable Characters (NPCs) may actually be able to establishing real-world understandings of you, based on your gaming and lifestyle habits. Your preferences let AI make certain assumptions about your personality and adjust itself accordingly.

How scarily real would the game be insider knowledge about the player?

3. Input Devices


In the last 10 years, we’ve seen how new control methods and input devices have changed gaming. Nintendo’s Wii, Xbox’s Kinect and even Apple’s IPhone and IPads have redefined gameplay.

What more in 50 years time?

In the future, we can see even more innovative input devices. Devices that is responsive and effortless.

Touch surface gaming will take over. Screens will react to our fingertips and hands, not unlike Tom Cruise in Minority Report.

We’ve seen early takes on haptic control inputs in Novint’s Falcon. This technology is still being fine-tuned and soon, we can feel actual physical resistance at our finger’s touch.

Now imagine this technology together with clever AI and an AR landscape.

Mind blown.

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Surviving the Modern Day Breakup

We live in modern times. Before, you could avoid seeing or thinking about post-relationship fallout for maybe weeks. Nowadays, it’s not so easy to run away. All that's needed is a Facebook blast stating that ‘you are no longer in a relationship’ and all your friends will be on you in a heartbeat.

Here are some tips to surviving the modern day break-up.
1. Go ninja





What we mean by this is by going off the radar with your relationship status. Before you do the deed of unlisting your ex-significant other, set your relationship status privacy setting to “Only Me”. Only then should you change your status.

After that, wait a day or two and un-private your settings with your new relationship status. That way, you would have done the painful without it appearing on everyone’s news feed.

This is very handy in dodging those near-guaranteed questions of “Are you ok?” and “What happened?”. Let’s face it, no one wants to answer those questions fresh out of a break up.
2. Think Long-term – Untag those photos





This may be a painful move straight out of a break-up. But sooner or later, you will need to bite that bullet and untag all the couple pictures of both of you.

It is difficult and tedious, if you two were a snap-happy couple. However, it has very practical benefits.

Imagine your next flame sifting through all the pictures of you two laughing and smiling with comments like “You guys are so good together!” plastered all over. Now imagine his/her jealous face. Not a pretty sight, huh?

No one wants to be reminded that you were once in love with another person. Try to erase you and your ex’s Facebook history as much as possible before getting back out there.
3. Should I Unfriend My Ex?





This is a tough call and one that is very personal. But if you’re like any normal, hurting human being, it won’t bode well to continue receiving updates about your ex. In fact, it may set back any healing your heart would have been doing.

If you feel that unfriending the ex may be too harsh a step, we recommend you hide updates from your ex from your news feed. This feature allows you to selectively block updates from certain individuals so you’ll never need to see them.

As what Neil Sedaka sings: “Breaking up is hard to do”. Getting over it is even worst. But with a few clicks of your Facebook settings, you’ll be able to give yourself space to heal and eventually, let go.

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PURI AGUNG KARANGASEM

People quite often need reasons to visit places, regardless distance, regardless who create them and how they are created or emerged. I’ve been living in Jakarta for more than 20 years, but many places in the city remain virgins for me until today. I’ve been living in Indonesia for over 40 years, but I had visited less than 1% of those thousands beautiful places across this fantastic archipelago. Many of those places will remain virgin for me, either because I have not enough time or I can’t find reasons or circumstances to go there.

Puri Agung Karangasem in Bali might be one of those beautiful places in Indonesia that I would never visit if a friend wasn’t kind enough to bring me there. It’s a fact of life that many people can easily find time wandering around to places far away from home, but haven’t really explored the beauty of their own lands for years.

Puri Agung Karangasem (Karangasem Royal Palace) was built by Anak Agung Gede Jelantik, who was the first ruler of the Karangasem Kingdom, in the 19th Century. Puri Agung Karangasem is located at the heart of Amlapura, around 78km from city of Denpasar.

The above picture is a bridge, connecting the front part of the palace named Bencingah, and Balai Gili or floating building in the middle of a big pond. The pond is part of the Palace Garden, named Jaba Tengah.

Bencingah, the front part of the palace, is where traditional art performances are usually taken place.

The above and below pictures were parts of a program conducted by the family dedicated towards the late A.A. Madé Djelantik, a well-respected figure from the Puri Agung Karangasem.

A.A. Bulan Trisna Djelantik, eldest daughter of A.A. Made Djelantik was seen speaking with a little girl. There’s exhibition inside Balai Gili showing the works of and things related with A.A. Madé Djelantik.

Scene of Balai Gili was taken from Bancingah, or the front part of the Palace.

The easiest but still difficult challenge for those who inherit great places such as Puri Agung Karangasem is how to keep the precious inheritance alive, respected and relevant at all times. To make it even greater, more respected and relevant is a more noble way to respect the ancestors, as life shall move forward, not to stay still and at the end merely become remnants of great stories of the past.

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Pasir Berbisik is a beautiful and vast sea of sands located around Bromo Caldera

Pasir Berbisik is a beautiful and vast sea of sands located around Bromo Caldera, Probolinggo, East Java. The nick-name was apparently given after a popular movie with the same title was made at the location several years ago. The once in a while mild sand storms that hit me did not affect the good mood to see the awesome view of the place, with unique shapes of rocks, and the stunning clear blue sky.

Stones and rocks were scattered in several spots that add the beauty of the scene across the horizon and provide shelters from the soft sand storms.

The Toyota Hard-Top that we used to cruise the desert and several other spots in the area. It’s one of the popular icons of Bromo, other than horses.

When you go there, ask the local driver to bring you to the most popular spot to take photos.

A unique shape of rock that looks like a head of giant hawk.

It was July last year when I went to Bromo, coincided with the 1st Jazz Gunung concert held at Java Banana, Bromo. The second Jazz Gunung will be held at the same location on July 3 this year with more artists to participate in the annual Jazz festival program, such as the renowned guitarist Balawan and Syaharani.

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Ngaben: A Journey to Heaven

It was an invitation from a close friend and the blog contributor, SBoentaran, that enabled me to witness one of the most unforgettable ceremonies in Bali. The final chapter of balinese Hindu rites of passage, commonly known as ngaben or palebon. The cremation is meant to release the soul from all ties to the world and to return the remains of the deceased to its elements from which life was created.

As the cost of conducting the ritual is expensive, the last rite of passage for their love ones are commonly performed together among villagers from each banjar, a strong neighborhood communities group in Bali, and are usually conducted every 3-5 years. Only wealthy families will do their own cremation.

Lembu (water buffalo) is believed to be the vehicle of Çiwa God, the God of Gods. The colorful decorated paper mache figure of Lembu to be used by the deceased as a vehicle to bring the soul to eternity. It takes more than two weeks for the Balinese craftsmen to prepare one and costs around Rp.7 million each.

The procession started at the best time of the day, which was decided by the priest of the banjar. Children were given chances to participate in the procession as part of community education to prepare them for the future.

One of the strongest and most skilfull members of the family rides on the buffalo. It’s not an easy task, and sometimes is dangerous, as during the procession the buffalo will be shaken heavily and pushed around in its axis at a very high speed.

Each steps to the cremation site symbolizes something. A full circle at every intersections…..

A water spray from the river..currently done using firefighter’s truck.

Once arrived at the cremation site, the actual body of the deceased is inserted into the paper mache figures.

Each family has itw own paper mache figure and color, such as black, red, or white, with various figures ranging form water buffalo head to fish tail (if the family was of fishermen).

Family members circling the ready to be lit paper mache figures carrying the deceased belongings..

Unlike most funeral in throughout the world, cremation in not a sad event in Bali, tears are avoided with the believe that the spirit will leave happily. The ceremony is perceived as a celebration of the deceased’ life.

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