WHAT THIS SMALL VILLAGE DOES WITH THEIR DEAD IS SHOCKING. YET SOMEHOW SWEET

lues has been there and brought to us this tradition step by step. Here is her story: I spent a week in this community and it was an amazing place – the people were so welcoming and respectful. I was invited to be a part of a funeral celebration – even sat with the elders while they mourned and took the body to the place of burial. The caves were such a peaceful place oddly enough. And the pride the people took in what they were doing was beautiful. What moved me most was the burial of a child who was younger than 6 months – they carved a hole in a tree and placed the baby in there – the tree healed and grew around the child meaning the child then grew with the tree. Please don’t criticize and judge these customs and people until you take the time to understand why they do them and try to respect and appreciate their actions.

Every few years the people of Toraja in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, dig up the bodies of their deceased ancestors. They do it for a ritual called Ma’nene, or The Ceremony of Cleaning Corpses.

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During the ceremony the dead are washed, groomed, and dressed in new clothes.

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What makes this corpse cleaning ceremony possible is that the bodies are not buried in the ground. Rather they are placed in a cave or carved stone grave. This makes it easer for villagers to access the bodies of their loved ones when the time comes.

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The origin of the ritual is based on the belief that the spirit of a dead person must return to their villages.

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During the ceremony, some relatives walk their bodies of their deceased loved ones around the province along straight lines.

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The corpses’ coffins are also repaired during the ceremony.

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Even the bodies of children are exhumed and redressed during the ceremony.

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In Toraja society death rituals are more important than any other rituals including births and marriages. Hence why the corpse cleaning ceremony is such a big part of life there.

The Daily Mail

Getting her hair done from beyond the grave.