April 27, 2025, 8:17 a.m. | Reading time: 4 minutes
An ancient ethnic group on the Indonesian island of Bali in the village of Trunyan maintains a very special burial cult. Because instead of burying their dead, they sometimes simply rot in the open air. However, this “privilege” is not reserved for all deceased people; rather, certain conditions must be met. And then a tree also plays a role, which is revered as magical.
The Bali Aga, who live in the village of Trunyan in the northeast of the Indonesian island of Bali, are a remarkable ethnic group in many ways. Virtually isolated from the rest of the world, they live on the shores of Lake Batur in the shadow of the active volcano of the same name. The easiest way to reach their settlements is by boat, and in fact, especially in recent years, more and more tourists from all over the world have wanted to do this. The reason: These people, often referred to as the “natives” of Bali, are largely Hindu like the rest of the island's population, but they practice a very special burial ritual. Many of the deceased are not buried here, but simply rot in the open air.
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According to the BBC, what might seem disturbing at first has very special motives that are rooted in the beliefs of the Bali Aga. Accordingly, cremation of their dead, as is customary among Hindus, is out of the question for them for a very special reason. They feared that they would anger Brahma, the god of fire. In earlier times, the Bali Aga believed that this would manifest itself in the Batur volcano, which rises above their homeland. So people in Trunyan looked for an alternative burial method. But it is not known why the rites practiced today arose in the place, which has demonstrably existed since the year 911.
Rotting is a “privilege”
However, this much is certain: rotting in the open air after death is a “privilege”. And this is by no means reserved for every member of the ethnic group. The Trunyan cemetery only has 11 very special “graves”. This refers to cages made of bamboo in which the deceased are placed to decompose. 11 is a significant number in Hinduism. Once they are all occupied, the places that have been “allocated” for the longest time are emptied and the remains are taken to an “ossuary”. In this case, simply a different kind of cemetery, where the bones and skulls are collected, also in the open air.
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But only those whose life journey is considered complete according to the ancient beliefs of the Bali Aga are allowed to be buried in this special way. For example, if someone dies unmarried or dies an unnatural death, they are buried instead. In addition, the bodies intended to rot may only be handed over to the afterlife on certain days. This sometimes means that a body in Trunyan has to remain in the family home for several days or even weeks. Until then, the natural decomposition process is stopped using formaldehyde.
A magical tree and marauding monkeys
Despite the decomposition of the bodies, witnesses to the unique ritual repeatedly report that there is no smell in Trunyan. In the belief of the Bali Aga, a very special tree is responsible for this, called “Taru Menyan”. To put it simply, you could probably translate it as “scented tree”. And in fact, its smell seems to be very effective at masking the smell of corpses. The locals therefore believe that he has magical powers. According to folklore, it can only break down the smell of 11 bodies at once, which brings us back to the power number.
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Especially in recent years, according to “Atlas Obscura”, a real tourism has emerged around Trunyan and his special burial ritual. This goes so far that locals are now used to “tips” and sometimes even demand them. Incidentally, it often happens that bones of deceased people simply disappear. There are probably monkeys behind it. They prey on the edible offerings that the living give their dead on their way to the afterlife.
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