honorable mention
Hariandi Hafid indonesia
title
Manene Rituals
Every three years, the community living in mountainous area hold a ritual called Manene in which they dig up their mummified relatives, clean them and dress them in their favourite clothes to honour their spirits.
The death of a relative involves many intricate ceremonial steps for the Torajan people, who number about a million. The deceased are mummified through an embalming process that used to involve sour vinegar and tea leaves. These days though families usually inject a formaldehyde solution into the corpse.
After many months, the souls of the dead are freed — and immortality assured — with an elaborate multi-day funeral ceremony called Rambu Solo. A majority of Torajans are Christians but they retain many animist rituals and beliefs.
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entry description
Various ways are done by the community to honor their ancestors. Sometimes, the ritual is unique as carried out by Torajan in Indonesia.Every three years, the community living in mountainous area hold a ritual called Manene in which they dig up their mummified relatives, clean them and dress them in their favourite clothes to honour their spirits.
The death of a relative involves many intricate ceremonial steps for the Torajan people, who number about a million. The deceased are mummified through an embalming process that used to involve sour vinegar and tea leaves. These days though families usually inject a formaldehyde solution into the corpse.
After many months, the souls of the dead are freed — and immortality assured — with an elaborate multi-day funeral ceremony called Rambu Solo. A majority of Torajans are Christians but they retain many animist rituals and beliefs.
about the photographer
Hariandi is an independent documentary photographer and photojournalist based in Makassar, Indonesia.back to gallery
