Hanging coffins and rock graves in Tana Toraja, Sulawesi, Indonesia

*WS 03 - Hanging coffins and rock graves in Tana Toraja, Sulawesi, Indonesia*

Tana Toraja is a region in the central highlands of the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. It is inhabited by indigenous people still practising some old traditions and continuing their cultural heritage at this cyber age. The word "toraja" means "people of the highlands." 

In 2012 four of us visited Tana Toraja to witness their strange tradition of unconventional methods of burial. In the village of Kete Kesu, the coffins were not buried under the ground but hung on rock-faces or simply left on high ground to rot. See the exposed or rotten coffins with human remains. The tradition is still on going. The 4th photo shows a relatively new one, burial cloth still intact, emitting foul smell when we walked past. 

Another way of burial is to cut the grave inside a rock, 5th photo. This is not uncommon and could be very expensive as it is so difficult to cut such a big hole using hand tools. Giant grave houses up to 2 or 3 story high could be built for the rich, 6th photo. 

Wooden effigies of the diseased are often carved and left at the graves, 7th and 8th photos. The coffins and effigies in the 8th photo are placed almost 15 to 20 m up the cliff face. Very impressive setting. This is found in the village of Lomo. 

And lastly there was also a practice to bury a dead baby (7 years old and younger) inside the trunk of big tree, 9th photo. This was practised in the village of Sangalla and it seems the practice has been banned by the government.  

These locals, both converted Muslims and Christians, live in the type of houses called "tongkonan", last photo.