Villagers dig up bodies of dead relatives and give them complete hair and clothing makeover in bizarre ceremony

Families in the Indonesian province of Toraja in South Sulawesi perform the act to keep their relatives alive in their hearts and minds. See photos after the cut

These fascinating pictures show an annual ritual where villagers dig up the bodies of their dead relatives before washing, grooming and dressing them up in fancy new clothes.

As part of the zombie ceremony, even the skeletons of children are exhumed.

Damaged coffins are fixed or replaced before the mummies are walked around the area by following a path of straight lines during the ritual, called Ma'nene, or The Ceremony of Cleaning Corpses.

 

 

For Torajans, the death of the body isn’t seen as an abrupt event and attempts are made to keep them part of the family.

Late loved ones are tended at home for weeks, months, or even years after death and funerals are often delayed to gather relatives.

 Villagers dig up bodies of dead relatives and give them complete hair and clothing makeover in bizarre ceremony