Human skull exposed in a Toraja burial, symbol of the link between the living and the spirits of ancestors.

Toraja Funeral Rites: Traditions and Ancestral Symbols

Article and photographs by © Damien Lafon / edited by Alex Chhor.

These ceremonies, known for their complexity and
social importance, illustrate how animist beliefs and spirituality
permeate the daily life of the Toraja
Women in traditional outfits at the ceremony site.
Overview of a traditional funeral ceremony among the Toraja people, Indonesia, where buffalo and pigs are sacrificed to accompany the souls of the deceased, with Tongkonan houses in the background, typical of Toraja culture.
The buffaloes are taken to the center of the village before the execution.
Pigs sacrificed during Toraja funeral rites, representing abundance and respect for ancestral traditions.
Preparing animals for sacrifice.
Buffaloes sacrificed during Toraja funeral rites in Indonesia, symbols of prestige and passage to the afterlife.
Sacrifice of animals on the ground at the ceremony site.
Sepulture in the hill of the Tana Toraja Sulawesi
In the region, there are hundreds of statuettes placed in the heights of the cliffs
Man fighting a buffalo during a Toraja funeral rite in Indonesia, where buffalo sacrifice is a central act in guiding the souls of the deceased to the afterlife
Buffalo sacrifice ritual in homage to the deceased.
Ritual of sacrificing a buffalo during Toraja funerals, an ancestral tradition to honor the deceased.
A bloody and widely watched ceremony.
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