For every three years, in a bizarre ritual
which dates back hundreds of years, islanders pay respects to deceased
relatives by digging them up, cleaning their corpses and dressing them
in their favourite clothes. For the Torajan people, an ethnic group
indigenous to the mountainous region of Tana Toraja, the Ma'nene
festival is a celebration of life. The Ma'nene festival, translated to 'the Ceremony of Cleaning Corpses',
see the dead exhumed, groomed and dressed. It is a mark of respect to
strengthen bond between life and death. Their coffins are replaced
or fixed while relatives parade them around the village, following a
path of straight lines. They believe the paths connect them with Hyang, a
spiritual entity with supernatural power that only moves in straight
lines. The vast
majority of the 650,000 Torajan people are Christian or Muslim but a
small number still practice 'Aluk Todolo', or 'the Way of the
Ancestors'. The
funeral ritual is one of the most important and expensive events for
these communities and some Torajans save money their entire lives for a
decent burial.
All photos credit: Agung Parameswara
Via The Daily Mail
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