The Faces of Hinduism

note rice on forehead

I'll admit to being pretty overwhelmed as I saw the vast crowd of people streaming into the cremation cemetery and it was all I could do to keep photographing while not losing sight of Ronnie. This was one place I definitely did not want to get separated from him!

young boys play with colorful balloons

family portrait in front of crematory animal

a happy moment

When one is looking at anything through the tiny viewfinder of a camera, it is easy to miss things that are going on in all directions around you. Ronnie was kind enough to not wander too far from my perch atop some wooden logs at the entrance to the main area where the cremation was soon about to take place. It was tempting to try to capture the overall panorama of what was playing out before my lens, but at some point I realized I really needed to personalize it because these people are, after all, not hordes but only the sum total of all the individuals who were there to be a part of this important ceremony.

a family affair - young children everywhere

         

family sitting together near open grave

contemplative Hindu man

rice on forehead, like many Hindu women

ladies and children wait patiently while the men place offerings

Hindu woman bringing offering

We had no one who could explain to us what was happening, but it pretty quickly became obvious that these were the families of the dead who were about to be cremated. As Ronnie mentioned earlier, there were a variety of emotions displayed on the faces of those who filed in procession. Many carried framed photographs of their loved ones and most if not all carried some type of gift or offering that was to be placed inside or around the animal containing the dead bones.

not his first rodeo

waiting for fires to be lit

For the most part, I would say the family members appeared somewhat solemn and just concentrating on the job at hand. At times, it seemed almost like a carnival atmosphere with vendors selling peanuts or trinkets. And whenever there is a large crowd of people, there is of course going to be food and drink for sale.

older woman brings cremation offering

One thing we noticed but were not surprised by after living in Indonesia for 7 weeks now, is the way people of all ages eat and throw their garbage down. Some families were spread out picnic style, and I assume they were positioned in relation to where their dead relatives bones were about to be cremated. Some even took advantage of having the whole family together for the occasion by arranging family group shots in front of the bull or other animal containing the bones of their loved one. Everything appeared very elaborate and most of the items looked to be constructed of paper or natural products.

carrying bones of deceased relative

you don't want to know...

peanut vendor

women carry offerings on head

waiting for procession to begin

Like Ronnie, it's hard to look at the faces of these people and your heart not break for them. All of these rituals and so many more in an attempt to be right with God and make it into heaven. There is always good ole Google if anyone is interested in knowing more about the Hindu belief system and what is behind all of this.