8 Unique Death Rituals in Indonesia That Makes Your Jaw Drop

Rituals in Indonesia keep preserve until now. Even modern technology era evolves in Indonesia, the tradition will never extinct. Indonesian keep their original Indonesian customs which becomes the local tradition from the tribe.

Most of the Indonesian custom is so unique with the ritual behind it. Commonly, on most of the occasion, there will be a ritual that you should follow. People believe if they avoid the ritual so that the unlucky things will follow them.

Speaking of rituals, Indonesia has so many rituals depends on the occasion as Indonesian cultural activities. There are birth rituals, weddings, and even death rituals. The unique thing about ritual in Indonesia is the lost ritual. They even made it as if it is a big party to let the death go.

Here we have some unique death ceremonies in Indonesia that will make your jaw drop into the floor. Some of them may sound a bit terrifying for you but has a deeper meaning behind it. So, let’s check them out!

1. Ngaben

Ngaben is a death ritual for Hinduism in Bali which is commonly held in every year. Ngaben becomes the most unique lost ritual in Bali because of its tradition as a famous culture in Indonesia. The ceremony will start when the family prepares all of the offerings such as flowers, unique statues, and many more to be burned with the corpse.

For Hinduism in Bali, Ngaben is a symbol of the sincerity from the family to let go. They believe, by doing the ritual, it is the way to release the spirit from this world. the spirit will return to their greatest God which call as the Panca Maha Butha. Commonly, Ngaben gives some effects of tourism in Bali.

2. Trunyan

Trunyan is a place in Bali where is using to put the corpse of the dead body in Bangli regions. Trunyan cemetery was existed since a long time ago. Some of the Balinese keep the tradition to put their family corpse there.

The unique thing about Trunyan cemetery is about the corpse that didn’t burry but just put it right there. Commonly, people using woven bamboo to cover the corpse. Amazingly, every corpse that put there will not have a corpse smell. People believe that most of the trees will absorb the smell of the corpse.

3. Rambu Solok

Rambu Solok is the most unique death rituals for the Toraja tribe in the south of Sulawesi.  The ceremony will start once they slaughtered some buffalos as the offering to God. That is why for some reason this lost ceremony becomes the most expensive rituals in Indonesia.

Commonly, so many Torajanese will hold the ceremony until they have enough money. Besides, the slaughtered, the family also made a sculpture that looks like the one who died. They will put the corpse in some cliffs with the sculpture which gives some benefits of tourism in Indonesia.

4. Passiliran

Passiliran is the baby graves in which people from the Toraja tribe in Kambira, South of Sulawesi commonly put the baby corpse in the Tara tree. People believe that the Tara tree has the most sap as if it is the milk for babies. The Tara tree becomes their ovarium for babies’ corpse so that they keep comfortable there.

For Kambiranese, every baby’s corpse that doesn’t grow teeth should be burry on the Tara tree. They believe that one day the baby will bear again from the same mother.

5. Marapu

Marapu is the death ceremony that comes from Sumba, West Nusa Tenggara. Once the family member died, they will slaughter some livestock. Their meat will serve every guest that comes to the ceremony.

Sumbanese believe if they didn’t do the ceremony they will get unlucky things in their life. That is why people will hold the ceremony no matter what. Once the ceremony is done, the corpse will burry right under their family ancestors. They believe that the dead one becomes one with their family ancestors.

6. Cut Finger

In Papua, there are one tribe calls as Dani tribe which has the most terrifying death ceremony in Indonesia. When one of the family members passed away, some family members will cut their fingers. Dani tribe believes that they cutting finger as the symbol of their deepest grieve.

The ritual will start once the family member cut their finger. After that, they will take a mud bathing and walk around the corpse with the tears on their eye. This ceremony is the symbol of their deepest sorrow to the lost one.

7. Corpse Mummy

Corpse mummy is the most unique of death ritual in Papua from the Asmat tribe. Commonly, the mummy corpse ritual will be held for some people in the Asmat tribe which have a high position in the society such as for some chiefs or warlords.

Once the chief passed away, the family will smear the corpse with a unique formula from the Asmat tribe in Papua as one of the 5 largest islands in Indonesia. The corpse then should be put over the fireplace so that the smoke will surrounding it.

After a couple of years, the corpse then should be positioned as if it is sit down. The man of the family member will keep it so that they can show the mummy corpse to the guest who comes there.

8. Tiwah

The Tiwah is the death ritual from the Dayak tribe in the center of Kalimantan as the sacred ceremonial in Kalimantan. The ceremony will start once the corpse is already buried for so many years so that it only bones. They will take the bones from the grave and held for days between seven until forty days.

Tiwah claims as the last ceremony to deliver the spirit to the god to the Lewu Liaw in the seventh sky. At the ceremony, the family will prepare the offering, food, meat, and others. That is why this ceremony can be so expensive to held.

So, there are eight unique death rituals in Indonesia which not only make you terrified but also can drop your jaw with the spend you should take.