Ma'nene Ritual - Corpse Cleaning Part III

The families in Toraja in South Sulawesi believe in welcoming the spirit of a dead person back to the village of his or her origin. During an annual ritual, they dig up the graves of their deceased loved ones, wash them, groom them and dress them in new clothes before walking them around in the village once every three years. The ritual is called Ma’nene or ‘The Ceremony of Cleaning Corpses’ and is practiced to honour the spirits of their ancestors. The Toraja people, who live below the graves of their relatives, consider funerals the most important event of their lives

All photos credit: Herman Morrison

You can find other photos here, here and here