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In this vast world, we might sometimes assume things based on our personal environment and beliefs. But sometimes, the ”normal” differs from a place to another.

Today we will explore together another point of view concerning the concept of death.

The Toraja people have a unique approach to death, expressing their grief in distinct ways when someone passes away.

Toraja, a captivating village nestled in Indonesia, boasts stunning green landscapes. While funerals are observed in Toraja like anywhere else in the world, their perception of death differs significantly.

When a person in the Toraja community passes away, they are referred to as “sick” rather than dead. The body is preserved at home on a special platform alongside the entire family until a decision is made to proceed with the burial.

 The deceased’s body remains in its coffin, near loved ones, and this could be a few days or even a few years! That’s considered as allowing for a gradual process of letting go.

In order to preserve the body from decomposition and smell, it is injected with a substance called ”Formalin”.

Once the family determines that it is time to officially acknowledge the death, they begin preparations for the funeral.

This occasion tends to be really expensive, as it demands many special tributes for the dead. In these times, the whole community participates somehow in this event.

Some people contribute a certain amount of money, and some others choose to gift some tea and cigarettes!

 In Torajan traditions, blood sacrifice plays a very important role in the transition to the afterlife. Large buffalos are prepared to engage in a staged fight in the middle of the village before all of them are sacrificed in honor of the deceased.

In Toraja, even the final resting place for the departed differs from all other practices around the world.

Here the bodies are not buried underground, as the soil is considered sacred.

Instead, the deceased are placed in caves within the village’s mountains. The higher caves are reserved for individuals of higher social standing, as it is believed to protect their wealth from easy access, while lower caves are designated for those of lower social classes.

Concerning deceased babies, another different ritual is performed, according to the community’s definition of Birth.

As one wanders through the village, one may come across trees that have been transformed into small rooms.

Inside these unique spaces, nestled within the trees, rest the small bodies of deceased babies. The Torajans view this practice as a way of returning the infants to their mothers’ wombs, as they passed away prematurely before growing their first tooth.

As we can see, The Torajan culture places great importance on death.

With its special rituals and traditions, as strange as it might look for the majority of us, we can understand that humans are the same everywhere, but have various ways to deal with emotions.