A woman in Indonesia’s Toraja region has drawn attention after footage showed her caring for the preserved body of her deceased mother at home.
According to accounts of the Toraja tradition, deceased family members are not always buried immediately. Instead, the body may be preserved and kept within the family home for an extended period while relatives prepare for the eventual funeral ceremony.
The deceased person may be described as “sick” or “sleeping” rather than considered fully departed until the funeral rites take place.
During this period, family members may continue to treat the deceased as part of the household, including providing food, changing clothes and maintaining the body.
In the footage, the woman is seen taking her mother's preserved body outdoors and grooming her hair, reflecting the family's continued care and connection with her.
The practice forms part of the distinctive Torajan funeral culture, in which death is viewed as a process rather than an immediate separation. Funeral ceremonies can be elaborate and may take place weeks, months or even years after a person's death, depending on the family's circumstances.
The tradition has attracted global interest because of its very different approach to death, mourning and family remembrance.
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