Mamukur

In the Balinese Hindu, there is a ceremony for the ancestors after Ngaben that is called Mamukur or Memukur. Mamukur is the highest stage after Ngaben (incineration or burning of the dead bodies). Since the rite costs a lot of money, the people of Bali rarely held this ceremony only for a dead person but for a group of their ancestors or mass Mamukur. The cost for the ceremony can be more expensive then Ngaben.
The word Mamukur comes from Balinese language bhu (natural) and ur (above). It is a sacred ceremony that becoming Balinese Hindus obligations. In this religion, every person has a debt to Sang Hyang Widi Wasa (God), Guru (Teachers), and Ancestors. This understanding gave a sacred duty called Pitra Yadnya. When a parent dies, the children should hold Ngaben and then mamukur – both are series of purification ceremony for the atma (spirit).

In the Balinese Hindu belief, atma is the spark of the Creator in the human body that will never die. When human life, atma attached to the rough body (badan wadag). However, when a man dies, his atma still attached to the invisible soft body (suksma sarira). Atma and suksma sarira still has the characters of human desire. Mamukur is a purification ceremony for atma to be apart from suksma sarira, and to be the holy spirit (Dewa pitara) which merged with Sang Hyang Widi Wasa.

After Ngaben, suksma sarira can go out of the temple and even his old house. After mamukur, because it was pure and free from subtle body, the God of Pitara can incarnate in the body of the grandchildren or great-grandson who will born.

In other words, Ngaben ceremony is to release the spirit from the rough body, while mamukur to release the spirit from the soft body becomes the holy spirit – the peak of perfection in human life cycle.

In the peak of mamukur, after some preliminary ceremony that are very meticulous, the 36 symbols of spirit moved arround a white bull or a round payadnyan Stana, a symbol of home for the spirit. This symbolizes the spirit riding the Nandini.

After all the symbols are placed in Stana, in the middle of the night is the ceremony of burning the symbols. The next day, the ashes taken to sea to be floated. So, the sacred ceremony of Mamukur has been finished.

Quoted from : http://discover-indonesia.com/bali/memukur-the-highest-ritual-after-ngaben/

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