TRANSFORMASI RITUS NGABEN DARI BANJAR KE KREMATORIUM

Abstract

The Ngaben ceremony is an important rite in Balinese Hinduism that serves to purify the atman (spirit) and return it to its origin, as well as strengthen social solidarity within the community through communal execution by the Banjar. However, along with increasing urbanization, community mobility, and demands for time and cost efficiency, the implementation of Ngaben has undergone a significant transformation: from being performed traditionally in the setra of the traditional village to being more practical through crematoriums. This change reflects the dynamics of Balinese cultural adaptation to modernity and limited resources in contemporary life. This study discusses the social and cultural implications of this shift, ranging from the weakening of the Banjar's role as a collective space, the reduction of social interaction in religious rites, to the threat to the sustainability of the value of mutual cooperation and cultural transmission between generations. On the other hand, the use of crematoriums is also understood as a form of religious acculturation and the community's adaptive strategy in maintaining the spiritual essence of Ngaben in the context of modern times. Using the Hindu uparengga philosophy approach, this study emphasizes the importance of harmony between the external form of ritual and its spiritual meaning, so that the transformation of Ngaben implementation can still reflect the cultural and religious values of Balinese society.