Bali “X Files
The residents of the traditional banjar of Gelaga, in the village of Kutampi on the Island of Nusa Penida – Klungkung Regency, undertook a uniquely unusual funeral service for a dead python performed on Sunday, 02 February 2025.
The formal funeral for the large snake was conducted at considerable expense to ensure a peaceful eternal repose for the snake and prevent ill fortune from befalling either the village or those connected with the snake’s death.
The unusual funeral service revealing the village’s deep spirituality and sacred regard for the deceased reptile immediately received viral play on the Internet. The video shows a group of traditionally dressed villagers bathing the body of the 4-meter-long snake, offering carefully prepared offerings, and eventually providing a formal burial. The site selected for the burial was where the snake was killed near the village Hall – Balai Banjar Gelagah.
The Gelagah Banjar Chief (Kelihan) I Wayan Duduk, told how the large python lived for a long time, dwelling in a large tree standing growing in the ceremonial area of the village temple deemed sacred – positioned between three temples – Pura Geria, Pura Paibon, dan Pura Banjar.
On Thursday, 30 January 2025, local villagers repeatedly beat the snake to death while the reptile remained docile, listlessly refusing to be moved from the ceremonial grounds.
A local community leader, Jro Mangku Darma, said the placid snake even licked his hand when he tried to move it. A short time later, frightened and emotional villagers beat the snake about the head until it died.
Once the snake was dead, villagers decided to throw the snake’s corpse at a location six kilometers away from the scene of its execution. Strangely, when some people tried to drag the dead snake away, they suddenly experienced unexplained hot and cold flashes.
Several days later, Jro Mangku Darma experienced a mysterious dream in which a large creature, claiming to be the “owner” of the dead snake, demanded the reptile be given a “proper” burial. Adding to the mystery, several neighbors reported experiencing similar dreams. Seeing this as a divine sign, the villagers exhumed the dead snake, bathed its body while offering sacred offerings and cash, and reburied it in the village in a religious ceremony.
Coincidental to the snake’s death, the person who initially captured the reptile died unexpectedly, while villagers experienced bad dreams as torrential rains began to torment the farming villagers.
Jro Mangku Darma told the press he felt nervous and uneasy after the snake’s death. Because of this, he urged that the animal’s body be recovered and returned to the village to undergo a formal funeral intended to deliver the villagers from the threat of natural disaster. After 137 people living in the village reached a consensus, the entire village participated in the upgraded burial ceremony.
During the solemn ceremony, around 15 villagers fell into periods of frenetic trance. Because of these mystical moments, the villages of Banjar Gelagah are increasingly convinced that the death of the snake and its burial were momentous and sacred occasions.
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