In many cultures, the dead are buried or cremated within days of passing away, but Indonesia’s Torajan people keep the corpses of their loved ones to “live” at home with them, sometimes for decades after their deaths.
The Indonesian ethnic group named ‘Toraja’ learns from a young age to accept death as part of life’s journey. When a family member passes away, they treat them as if they are sick. Food, water, and even cigarettes are regularly offered to the dead; because the Torajans believe the spirit remains near the body and desires care.
Covered bodies are kept in the southernmost room of the traditional Torajan house because the ethnic group believes that heaven lies in that direction, while to the north is where life is found. The dead must face west because they are in transition.
The dead bodies are injected with a preservative called Formalin, which stops the corpses from decomposing.
Some young Torajans feel trapped by the tradition, which, according to archaeological research, could date back more than 900 years.
Even after a three- to a five-day-long spectacle of the funeral ceremony, when the deceased is finally buried in a mausoleum or stone grave – they are not left to rest in peace.
Every one to three years, a clan will gather for the ritual known as ma’nene, when the deceased will be taken out of their caskets, washed, and dressed. Relatives from far and wide come to celebrate the rites, feasting, exchanging stories, and honoring the dead.
