Trunyan Village

Terunyan village or better known by the name Trunyan Village is one of the oldest villages in Bali . The village is located on the east shore of Lake Batur, Kintamani, Bangli District, Bali Province. It is said that the origin of the word Trunyan is associated with Taru Menyan tree that exist in this village. This tree is unique because it can produce quite fragrant smell. The atmosphere in the village is also very cool . People in Trunyan still adhere to the values of the local customs, including one of which is the burial custom layout .

Generally in Bali, when a resident dies, the body will be burned. Cremation in Bali is a tradition commonly called by the name Ngaben. But it does not apply in the Trunyan village. People in this village have its own burial procedures for its citizens. There are three tombs or Sema divided to three different types of death. The first burial location is called Sema Wayah, which is a cemetery reserved for citizens who died a natural death, the body will be covered with a white shroud and a ceremonial procession, then the body will be laid on the ground without buried under the Taru Menyan large tree and surrounded by woven from bamboo trees called Ancak Saji. This type of burial is commonly referred as Mepasah.

The second burial location is called Sema Bantas. This cemetery is reserved for bodies caused by unnatural death such as accidents, suicide or was killed by someone else. Existing bodies in this cemetery would normally be buried in the ground. While the third burial location is called Sema Nguda . The burial site is devoted to the two types of funeral both Mepasah and burial as long as the body which is about to put in this location has not yet reached puberty or adulthood, including adult but has not yet got married can also be buried at this location .

Uniquely everybody put under the Taru Menyan large tree is not going to cause odor as Taru Menyan tree is able to smell the fragrant scent and neutralize foul odors exist. According to villagers of Trunyan, every dead person's body must be returned to the earth, and according to their beliefs in such a way that the body can be restored to the earth.