Cliffside Burial

Kete Kesu Village, Tana Toraja

An aggregate of bones is arranged artistically against the cliffside, not unlike Sedlec and many other ossuary vaults in Europe. This sort of arrangement in Toraja may be ascribed more to tourism than to traditional practice, although it is not considered to be disrespectful. Like the medieval European Christians, the animist Torajans believe that the spirit of these bones has long since departed to a better place.