Torajan Funeral Ceremony, Sulawesi

Toraja is world famous for its funeral ceremonies, which are the most complex in the world. Locals in Tana Toraja work and save their entire life not for their future, but for their funeral. These ceremonies last nearly two weeks and have a very specific set of rituals. Although now popular with tourists, the unique extravagance of Tana Toraja funerals means that no offbeat Indonesia list is complete without them.

According to Torajan beliefs, death is a gradual process that begins when someone dies! The deceased’s body is embalmed and continues to live with the family inside the house. They are fed and cared for as if still alive, until enough money has been gathered for their funeral and the buffaloes are ready.
The final farewell and burial process begins with the slaughtering of buffalo, as the soul is believed to move on with the animal’s spirit. The more buffaloes, the higher the status of the deceased! Ceremonies continue until the eleventh day, when the body is finally buried. And by “buried”, I mean stashed inside of a cave on the side of a cliff, obviously.

While the topic of funeral tourism is sometimes controversial, it is worth noting that modern progress tends to kill traditional beliefs and ceremonies such as this. Were it not for tourism, it is quite possible that the Torajan youth would have long since abandoned this 700 year old tradition, as is happening all over the world now.