The funeral procession culminating in the cremation of Jro Manngu Setar held on Nusa Penida Island in Bali on Tuesday, 12 March 2024, was markedly different from the many other cremation ceremonies held in Bali almost daily.
As reported by Balipost.com and other media in Bali, on the morning of the cremation, the home of the deceased began to fill with Jro Manngu Setar’s family and friends of the influential community leader of the Island community known honoring a man known for his outspoken nature, kindness, and generosity,
The “ngaben” funeral procession delivering Setar’s corpse to the local setra – the community cemetery where cremations are typically conducted – included hundreds of traditionally dressed Balinese, But instead of the usual highly decorative funeral platform (bade) on which the casket or sarcophagus bearing the deceased’s body is placed, the body at this unusual cremation was placed in the back of a brand new mini-truck by the dying wishes of the man to whom the day and the ceremony were dedicated.
The 2-kilometer distance from Jro Manngu Setar’s residence to the Desa Adat Sebunibus Setra was filled with several thousand mourners, many traveling by private vehicles.
At the cremation site, both the sarcophagus and the truck were set afire.
A Setar family member, Nyoman Sumanjaya, told the press: “There is a last will written at the instructions of the deceased by Notary Ida Ayu Kalpikawati. Not shedding much information on the background for the peculiar funeral, Sumanjaya explained that the truck was purchased when the deceased’s wife was given a motorcycle from the dead man’s estate.
The unusual cremation ceremony that sparked widespread public debate, the combustion of the body, and the truck went on as planned in accordance with the final wishes issued by Jro Manngu Setar, which required two hours for the flames to render the remains to ashes.
Jro Manngu Setar was 75 years old when he died on Saturday, 15 February 2025, after being treated for heart disease at the Prima Medika Hospital in Denpasar. After his death, the man’s body was stored for nearly one month at the Bali Madara Hospital in Sanur before being delivered to the family home on 10 March 2025.
Before his death, Jro Manngu Seta owned various businesses in the tourism sector dealing with transport and accommodation. He was an outspoken critic of many topics connected with tourism development on the Island of Nusa Penida.
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