Zombie chic: Indonesian province bizarre annual ritual of digging up its dead to give them a wash, groom and dress them in new clothes

Ma’nene which translates as The Ceremony of Cleaning of Corpse has been practised for more than a century and takes place in Toraja, South Sulawesi Region of Indonesia.

Grandpa “Ne Pua”, passed away with 85 years. He has been buried in his favorite suit, together with hes favorite belongings, like the mobile phone and glasses (Photo: Profimedia)

The Ma’nene ritual or The Ceremony of Cleaning Corpses

They say the dead live on in our hearts and minds – but in one Indonesian province, the deceased continue to walk the earth in a rather more literal, zombie-like fashion. Families in Toraja in South Sulawesi dig up the bodies of their dead relatives before washing, grooming and dressing them in fancy new clothes. Damaged coffins are fixed or replaced, and the mummies are then walked around the province by following a path of straight lines.

Marten Labi caress the hair of her mothers body, Yohana Liling (died in 1997) during the Manene ritual at Panggala Village (Photo: Profimedia)

Extravagant funeral ceremony

The Toraja People are an ethnic group indigenous to the mountainous region of Tana Toraja. Funeral ceremonies are incredibly important to the Tarajans and are often held weeks, months, or even years after the death of a person to give the family of the deceased time to raise enough money for expenses. Many families go deeply into debt in order to hold an extravagant funeral ceremony. During the Ma’nene festival, an ancient ritual, every three years they are dug up and admired by loved ones and dressed in new clothes. It is also a time where coffins are repaired or replaced to stop bodies from decomposing. Even the bodies of babies and children are dug up to celebrate the ritual that last for three days. The families open the coffins and let the bodies dry for sometime. After that, they wash, groom and dress up the mummies in new fancy clothes and take them for a walk through the village in straight lines in much zombie-like fashion.

According to the ancient Torajan belief system, the spirit of a dead person must return to his village of origin.  So if a person died on a journey, the family would go to the place of death and accompany the deceased back home by walking them back to the village. In the past, people were frightened to journey far, in case they died while they were away and were unable to return to their village.

The dead body to bring up by the relatives to clean off their corpses, and dress them as part of the bizarre Ma’nene festival (Photo: Profimedia)

The Ma’Nene Ritual is about to start…

The coffins have been dragged out of the family’s mausoleum. After cleaning the dead body, clothes will be changed before having a sunbath. Rising to Puya (Heaven) also means to enter the afterlife. And, to continue with the living standards one is used to when being on earth. That’s why it is customary for the Torajans to put a gift in the coffin of their ancestors before locking it into a family mausoleum or the traditional stone grave. For some, a bracelet or a watch would do, while the highest cast might even bury a diamond with their loved ones. Nowadays, many are afraid their gifts get stolen. Local police authorities are even investigating cases of stolen mummies. The rumor spread that there’s a high demand from foreign antique-collectors based in Bali. Supposedly, they’re hiring thieves from the area to steel bodies for their private exhibitions. Not to forget about the missing baby mummies who apparently are used for occult medicine.

Photo: Profimedia
Relatives clean the body of Ne’Tampo, dead for 30 years, during the Ma’nene ritual (Photo: Profimedia)
Father Andreas with the corpse of his dead daughter Arel, 6 years, died in 2010 (Photo: Profimedia)
Herman Tandi (32) combs the hair of his grandparents Jesaya Tandibua’ (left) and Yakolina Namanda during the Ma’nene ritual at Panggala Village (Photo: Profimedia)
Relatives clean the body of L Sarungu (L), an army veteran dead for 10 years (Photo: Profimedia)
Relatives clean the body of Paul Sampe Lumba who has been dead for seven yeas (Photo: Profimedia)
The dead body to bring up dead by the relatives to clean off their corpses, and dress them as part of the bizarre Ma’nene festival in Bagan Pangala village (Photo: Profimedia)
The dead body to bring up by the relatives to clean off their corpses, and dress them as part of the bizarre Ma’nene festival (Photo: Profimedia)
The dead body to bring up by the relatives to clean off their corpses, and dress them as part of the bizarre Ma’nene festival (Photo: Profimedia)
Residents carrying the body Ne Rapong (died in 1990) during a Manene ritual at Panggala Village (Photo: Profimedia)
: (PICTURED: Marten Labi caress the hair of her mothers body, Yohana Liling (died in 1997) during the Manene ritual at Panggala Village, North Toraja District, Indonesia Monday (28/08/2017)). An Indonesian tribe literally believes in Walking Dead as they dig up the corpse of their relatives and friends, wash, groom and dress them up before walking with them for good harvest. Every year, families in Toraja in the highlands of South Sulawesi, exhume the bodies of their dead relatives and friends to reunite with them in an annual celebration called Manene. Even the bodies of babies and children are dug up to celebrate the ritual that last for three days. The families open the coffins and let the bodies dry for sometime. After that, they wash, groom and dress up the mummies in new fancy clothes and take them for a walk through the village in straight lines in much zombie-like fashion. Pic taken on 11/09/17, Image: 349028191, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia, Caters News
The dead body to bring up by the relatives to clean off their corpses, and dress them as part of the bizarre Ma’nene festival (Photo: Profimedia)
Marten Labi caress the hair of her mothers body, Yohana Liling (died in 1997) during the Manene ritual at Panggala Village (Photo: Profimedia)
A man lights a cigarette for the exhumed body of his father and dressing up his mother (Photo: Profimedia)
Manene ritual at Panggala Village, North Toraja District (Photo: Profimedia)
Body lies in sun for drying up (Photo: Profimedia)
Manene ritual at Panggala Village, North Toraja District (Photo: Profimedia)
A villager caress the hair of exhumed body, North Toraja District, Indonesia(Photo: Profimedia)
Manene ritual at Panggala Village, North Toraja District (Photo: Profimedia)
Manene ritual at Panggala Village, North Toraja District, Indonesia (Photo: Profimedia)
Corpse of Djim Sambara, aged 90, died in 2015, in Indonesia (Photo: Profimedia)
Manene ritual at Panggala Village, North Toraja District (Photo: Profimedia)
Ne Duma Tata waiting to return his deceased wife corpse to the mausoleum. Ludia Rante Bua (R) died in 2010. She stands alongside her sister’s corpse in Indonesia (Photo: Profimedia)
Manene ritual at Panggala Village, North Toraja District, Indonesia (Photo: Profimedia)
Manene ritual at Panggala Village (Photo: Profimedia)
A family presents corpse of Djim Sambara, who died two years ago at the aged of 90. Sambara was honorably buried in his military uniform before the family changed his outfit (Photo: Profimedia)
Relatives visit Nene’ Tiku who passed away 3 days ago at the age of 106. 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 family house until the family can afford a proper funeral (Photo: Profimedia)
“Kumande Komi Mama” wake for lunch, Yari he addresses ‘sick’ mother and puts the bowl of rice as well as the ventilator in place alongside of her corpse. Ribka Tanduk Langi died 2 month ago at the age of 53, because of liver failure. She left 8 children behind. Funeral of (Rambu solo), will be scheduled probably for June next year, because all the relatives are working overseas, it will take time to make them all come back. So they will wait for holiday time (Photo: Profimedia)
The family is taking care of their deceased relatives during the ritual of Ma’Nene (Photo: Profimedia)
A kid stands next to a relative corpse in Tana Toraja, Indonesia (Photo: Profimedia)
Small graveyard (Panggala, Rindigallo) where a family just opened the coffin to get rid of the smell. Shortly after, they will start the cleaning ritual of their deceased relatives corpse (Photo: Profimedia)
Relatives while cleaning the corpse of Nene Datu who died 35 years ago (Photo: Profimedia)
Grandpa “Ne Pua”, passed away with 85 years. He has been buried in his favorite suit, together with hes favorite belongings, like the mobile phone and glasses (Photo: Profimedia)
A family pose with their deceased relative corpse at Balle? graveyard (Panggala, Rindigallo). Two weeks ago, the local shaman had been on duty at the graveyard of Balle?. Holding the Massabu ritual he worshiped the spirits and asked for permission to open the old tomb. A chicken, A pig, and a dog have been executed in front of its gate. Apparently, the spirits agreed. Today is the chosen day to move roughly 50 coffins over to a new mausoleum, since everyone is already here, this day also provides a good opportunity for most families to take care of their ancestors. The coffins have been opened, and the routine takes off almost simultaneously, checking old gifts, cutting away sticky clothes, make the body stand to dry, dressing them up, and of course taking some selfies (Photo: Profimedia)
Relatives cleaning the corpse of Ne Todeng who died in 2009 (Photo: Profimedia)
Deceased Martha Rantelimbong’s husband Yohannes Kara Eng, who passed away 2 years ago gently cleans her face (Photo: Profimedia)
Grandpa “Ne Pua”, passed away 85 years ago, has been buried in his favorite suit, together with his favorite belongings, like the mobile phone and glasses. As soon as the traditional coffins are dragged out the tomb, the relatives put on surgical masks to avoid any bacterial infections (Photo: Profimedia)
A female child corpse (Photo: Profimedia)

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