Torajan: The tribe that lives with the dead

The Torajan people of Indonesia mummify the bodies of the deceased and care for their preserved bodies as if they are living

The Torajan people believe that after death the soul remains in the house so the dead are treated to food, clothing, water, cigarettes.

Their skin and flesh are preserved from decaying and rotting - which begins within days of death - by a coating of formaldehyde and water.

For the community, a well-preserved body brings good fortune so family go to great lengths to ensure those who have died remain in the best possible shape.

Torajans learn from a very young age to deal with death and to accept it as part of the journey.

in Toraja it is customary to feed the deceased every day and to keep the corpses cozily bedded in a separate room of the home until the family can afford a proper funeral

Even after the dead have been buried in a mausoleum or stone grave, it won't be the last time their relatives will come face-to-face with their body.

In a ritual known as Ma’nene - which means "care for ancestors" and traditionally takes place in August - the dead are brought out from their graves, taken out of their coffins, washed of insects and dirt, given new clothes and brought down to the village
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