Thousands of Indonesians and foreign tourists flocked to Bali to witness one of the biggest royal cremations in mainly-Hindu Bali in a quarter century. Photo by AFP
Thousands of Indonesians and foreign tourists flocked to Bali to witness one of the biggest royal cremations. Family members and villagers mounted the 25-meter-high, nine-tiered tower carrying the body of Tjokorda Istri Niyang Muter, the twin sister of the last king of Ubud, in a procession from the royal palace to the funeral ground. Tjokorda Istri Niyang Muter was the twin sister of Ubud's last rajah, the late Tjokorda Gde Agung Sukawati. In Balinese royal tradition, the birth of "kembar buncing," in which one of the twins is female and the other male, is considered a fortunate event that will bring prosperity and peace.