Trunyan Village. An ancient village in the centre of Bali island.
Trunyan village is a very unique village compared to other villages in Bali. It is considered to be a village that has preserved the ancient life of Balinese people. Distinctively different from the Balinese people, the people of Trunyan do not cremate or bury their dead, but just lay them out in bamboo cages to decompose, although strangely there is no stench. A fearful collection of skulls and bones lies on the stone platform and the surrounding areas.
The village of Trunyan is uniquely located between the lake and the outer crater rim of Batur, an almighty volcano in Kintamani. This is a Bali Aga village. Bali aga is a term which refers to ancient Balinese villages as well as the peope of those villages. Inhabited by descendants of the native Balinese, the people who predate the arrival of the Hindu Majapahit kingdom in the 16th century. It is well-known for the Pura Pancering Jagat temple, but unfortunately visitors are not allowed to go inside. There are also a couple of traditional Bali Aga-style dwellings, and a large banyan tree, which is said to be more than 1,100 years old. At Kuban sub-village close to Trunyan is a mysterious cemetery that is separated by the lake and accessible only by boat - there is no path along the steep walls of the crater rim.
The village of Trunyan itself is situated at the edge of Batur Lake. This location can only be accessed by boat, and it takes around half an hour across the calm lake water. Going to Lake Batur takes around two hours drive to the northeast of Denpasar along the main road to Buleleng and through Bangli Regency.
The dead bodies don't produce bad smells because of the fragrant smells from a very big Taru Menyan tree growing nearby. Taru means 'tree' and Menyan means 'nice smell'. These two words have been believed to be the origin of the name of Trunyan village
The women from Trunyan are not allowed to go to the cemetery when a dead body is carried there. This is in accordance to the deeply rooted belief that if a woman comes to the cemetery while a corpse is being carried there, there will be a calamity in the village, for example a landslide or a volcanic eruption. Such events have been frequent in the village's history, but whether women had anything to do with it is a matter of argument.
You can visit the village of Trunyan as well as the Kuban cemetery by taking chartered boat from Kedisan. This means of transportation is the only way you can go to the site. This is a lovable experience.
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