The Toraja are an ethnic group living in the mountainous areas of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Their population is about 1.1 million, of which his 450,000 live in the Tana Toraja ("Land of Toraja") regency. The majority of the population is Christian, but there are also Muslims (Toraja Muslims) and those of a local animistic faith known as Ark ("way"). The Indonesian government recognizes this animist worship as Arc to Doro ("Ancestral Way").

The word Toraja comes from the Bulgarian word riaja, which means "people of the highlands". The Dutch colonial government named these people Toraja in 1909.

 The Toraja are known for their elaborate burial ceremonies, burial grounds carved into rocky cliffs, giant traditional peaked houses known as tongkonan, and colorful wood carvings. A Toraja funeral is an important social event, usually attended by hundreds and lasting several days.  

 Every three years, they take their deceased loved ones out of their coffins, clean them, and dress them in new clothes to commemorate their lives. This ritual is called Ma'nene and it is one of the most moving celebrations for the Torajans to keep in touch with loved ones for a long time even after death.  

The Torajans provide new food, water and clothes to the deceased after removing them from the coffin

In Toraja society, funerals are the most elaborate and expensive occasions. The richer and more powerful the person, the higher the funeral costs. In the Arkh religion, only nobles have the right to hold large feasts for the dead. Funerals for aristocrats are usually attended by thousands and last for several days. 

A ceremonial site, called a rante, is usually set up in a large grassy field, where spectator shelters, rice barns, and other ceremonial burial structures have been specially constructed by the family of the deceased. Flute music, lamentations, songs and poems, and crying are traditional Toraja expressions of mourning, with the exception of funerals for young children and poor and lowly adults.

Funerals are often held weeks, months, or years after the death in order for the deceased's family to raise large sums of money to pay for the funeral expenses. 

Torajas traditionally believe that death is not a sudden event, but a gradual process toward puya (the land of the soul, or the afterlife). While waiting, the body of the deceased is wrapped in layers of cloth and stored under the tongkonan. It is believed that the soul of the deceased remains in the village until the funeral is over, after which he begins his journey to Puya.

The people of Toraja do not see death as the end of life.

 Instead, they see it as the beginning of spiritual life. After opening the graves, they removed the debris from the corpses and dressed them in new clothes. They also keep their loved ones' personal items such as jewelry, glasses, and close-ups with them. On that note, there's also a quirky death-themed cafe in Thailand.

And when a baby dies, the body is sometimes buried in a hole dug in a tree so that the two can live and grow together.  

Buffaloes and bulls are sacrificed.

 The burial process begins with the sacrifice of buffaloes and bulls. Later, the Torajans used their horns to decorate the house of the deceased. More horns means more respect for the deceased. In addition, corpses were often buried in wooden coffins inside dolmens, rather than on the floor. Shrinking babies are kept in tree holes. The body was wrapped in layers of clothing to prevent it from decomposing.