Torajans Honored Ancestors By Dressing Up Their Preserved Bodies This August, Netizens Amazed At Ritual

Toraja’s Ma’Nene ritual amazes netizens

With gems such as the recent swearing-at-COVID-19 Javanese language competition, Indonesia’s highly diverse population is no stranger to one-of-a-kind cultural traditions. However, netizens recently got more than what they bargained for with the Torajan peoples’ triennial Ma’Nene Ritual.

The Torajan ritual, which involves exhuming and dressing up the preserved bodies of their ancestors, went viral last week and immediately left netizens equally speechless and amazed. As there are going to be some pretty graphic images of dead bodies ahead, you might want to proceed with reading this article only if you’re fascinated and not spooked by them. 

Torajans honor their ancestors with the Ma’Nene ritual

Preserved bodies being dressed up
Image credit: @bbcindonesia

Even among Indonesia’s many indigenous tribes, the Toraja of South Sulawesi is pretty unique in how they approach the common human experience of death. This was especially so last week when villagers from Pangala, a rural area in northern Toraja, held the Ma’Nene ritual.

Shoes being prepped for the preserved bodies
Image credit: @bbcindonesia

In this unique ritual, living relatives first exhume their ancestors or loved ones from the Patane, a type of mausoleum made of wood unique to the Torajans. Once the preserved bodies are cleaned, they are then dressed up in new clothes and reunited with their extended families and the whole village.

A family reunion with ancestors’ preserved bodies
Image credit: @tinaedenae

This is when the main part of the celebration takes place, with families sharing stories with their ancestors as if they’re actually still around. It’s also common to see the families taking pictures and selfies during the reunion, lending the ritual a mix of a somber and jovial vibe.

A row of Toraja’s traditional houses, called the Tongkonan
Image credit: @wulan_kurnia

At the end of the ritual, which can last for days, the cleaned bodies and their new clothes are wrapped and brought back to the Patane. The living relatives then proceed to the Tongkonan, the traditional houses of the Toraja, to pray together on behalf of their ancestors.

A preserved body being posed for a photo op
Image credit: @hariandihafid_journeys

Despite the macabre-sounding ritual, the Ma’Nane ritual is very celebratory in nature with the whole village partaking in the whole ordeal. Other than to honor their ancestors, the Torajans also use the occasion to connect younger generations to their ancestors, ensuring that even in death, the deceased are never forgotten.

This struck a chord with netizens as BBC Indonesia’s Instagram post detailing the ritual managed to garner more than 20,000 likes as of writing, even with its rather unusual images.

Netizens are amazed with the Toraja’s honoring of their ancestors

Multiculturalism is something that Indonesians have always been particularly proud of. While the topic of death can sometimes make people uncomfortable, netizens are still left impressed with how the people of Toraja honor their deceased ancestors.

Image credit: @kumala_dewi

On Instagram, netizen @kumala_dewi is reminded of Pixar’s 2017 animated film Coco, which showcased the conceptually similar Day of the Dead holiday in Mexico.

Image credit: @sakuwil

Meanwhile, netizen @sakuwil made sure to ask the important question of whether the hair on the preserved bodies was real or not. The answer, as noted by @gabryellagaby: yes, they are.

Image credit: @bilqiskim

On the opposite end of the spectrum, netizen @bilqiskim spoke for the rest of us when they applaud the Toraja for their fearlessness while admitting that they’d immediately run away if put in a similar situation.

Honoring ancestors with the Torajan ritual

As the Tana Toraja regency is a designated tourism spot in Indonesia, you can actually see the Ma’Nene ritual in action for yourself in three years’ time when the Ma’Nene is expected to be held again. The ritual typically starts around August when family members return to Toraja during harvest season.

If you’re curious about the Torajan ritual, make sure to make some room on your 2023 calendars.

For more happenings around Indonesia, check out these stories:

• Bali enforces fines on people who don’t wear masks
• Bali won’t accept international tourists until 2021
• Snack store in Bandung releases Halal soju

Cover image credit: @bbcindonesia and @ybazard

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