http://www.lightstalkers.org/galleries/contact_sheet/23052 Tana Toraja region, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Tana Toraja beholds a unique and fascinating culture, a place where strong Christian faith mixes with ancient traditions. The season for funerals lasts three months in a year (June-August) and those people who decide to die another time must wait. The preseved body is kept at home in a coffin or just in a bed. Sometimes the waiting time can extend to years. This all depends on the family's ability to collect a sufficient amount of money for a ceremony. Another important factor is to be sure most of the deceased's relatives can attend the funeral. Sometimes hundredsof them attend and then one day might not be enough to carry out the 'inviting guests ceremony'. The funeral consist of a number of different events and may last even two weeks. The statues portraying the deceased withesses it all 'sitting and watching'. During the processions both the deceased and the statues are carried around the village or to the church (although most of Torajans are Catholics or Protestants they still cultivate old traditions). The processions are cheerful. People scream wildly, the coffin is tossed frequently. Boys or even older men kick themselves and splash each other with water. An important part of a funeral ceremony is the day of sacrifying pigs and water buffalos. The more powerful the person who died was seen to be and the more wealthy the family, the more buffalos are slaughtered at the death feast. The act of slaughtering is in one way a manifestation of a human rule over this strong animal. The meat is chopped and distributed among the funeral guests and neighbouring villages. The last day of the funeral is the burial day. Coffins with bodies, as well as the statues, are carried to a burial place where they are finally lain to rest. http://www.lightstalkers.org en-us http://images.lightstalkers.org/avatars/35820/07042801230_001_b_small.jpg http://www.lightstalkers.org/Grzegorz Komar <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1141409/Funeral_Season_Tana_Toraja_Indonesia_001_small.jpg' /><br />The road junction close to Rantepao town. The monument shows a water buffalo as a significant animal in Torajan culture. <br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141409'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141409 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:51:05 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141409 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1141409/Funeral_Season_Tana_Toraja_Indonesia_001_small.jpg' /><br />The road junction close to Rantepao town. The monument shows a water buffalo as a significant animal in Torajan culture. <br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141409'>view full-size image</a> Grzegorz Komar <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1141412/Funeral_Season_Tana_Toraja_Indonesia_002_small.jpg' /><br />A statue portraying a deceased woman is carried to the funeral ceremony site. <br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141412'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141412 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:53:39 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141412 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1141412/Funeral_Season_Tana_Toraja_Indonesia_002_small.jpg' /><br />A statue portraying a deceased woman is carried to the funeral ceremony site. <br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141412'>view full-size image</a> Grzegorz Komar <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1141416/Funeral_Season_Tana_Toraja_Indonesia_003_small.jpg' /><br />A statue portraying a deceased man is prepared for the procession. <br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141416'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141416 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:54:58 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141416 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1141416/Funeral_Season_Tana_Toraja_Indonesia_003_small.jpg' /><br />A statue portraying a deceased man is prepared for the procession. <br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141416'>view full-size image</a> Grzegorz Komar <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1141420/Funeral_Season_Tana_Toraja_Indonesia_004_small.jpg' /><br />A woman looks at the body of her late husband died few days before of a heart attack. <br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141420'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141420 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:57:44 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141420 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1141420/Funeral_Season_Tana_Toraja_Indonesia_004_small.jpg' /><br />A woman looks at the body of her late husband died few days before of a heart attack. <br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141420'>view full-size image</a> Grzegorz Komar <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1141423/Funeral_Season_Tana_Toraja_Indonesia_005_small.jpg' /><br />A young woman mourns over her dead father. <br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141423'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141423 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:58:58 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141423 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1141423/Funeral_Season_Tana_Toraja_Indonesia_005_small.jpg' /><br />A young woman mourns over her dead father. <br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141423'>view full-size image</a> Grzegorz Komar <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1141429/Funeral_Season_Tana_Toraja_Indonesia_007_small.jpg' /><br />Sacrificing water buffalos. The more powerful the person who died and the more wealthy the family, the more buffalos are slaughtered at the death feast. <br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141429'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141429 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 18:05:06 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141429 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1141429/Funeral_Season_Tana_Toraja_Indonesia_007_small.jpg' /><br />Sacrificing water buffalos. The more powerful the person who died and the more wealthy the family, the more buffalos are slaughtered at the death feast. <br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141429'>view full-size image</a> Grzegorz Komar <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1141792/019_Funeral_Season_Tana_Toraja_Indonesia_small.jpg' /><br />Posing for a photograph in front of the coffin.<br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141792'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141792 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 18:44:13 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141792 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1141792/019_Funeral_Season_Tana_Toraja_Indonesia_small.jpg' /><br />Posing for a photograph in front of the coffin.<br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141792'>view full-size image</a> Grzegorz Komar <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1141774/027_Funeral_Season_Tana_Toraja_Indonesia_small.jpg' /><br />A performer hired for the funeral to entertain people.<br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141774'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141774 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 20:24:38 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141774 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1141774/027_Funeral_Season_Tana_Toraja_Indonesia_small.jpg' /><br />A performer hired for the funeral to entertain people.<br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141774'>view full-size image</a> Grzegorz Komar <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1141831/034_Funeral_Season_Tana_Toraja_Indonesia_small.jpg' /><br />Rock graves. The statues representing the dead are put on the balconies.<br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141831'>view full-size image</a> http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141831 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 20:31:32 +0000 http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141831 <img src='http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/1141831/034_Funeral_Season_Tana_Toraja_Indonesia_small.jpg' /><br />Rock graves. The statues representing the dead are put on the balconies.<br /><a href='http://www.lightstalkers.org/images/show/1141831'>view full-size image</a> Grzegorz Komar