Funerals in the Tana Toraja region of Indonesia are big affairs. The burial ceremony is accompanied by music, dance and a feast for a number of guests.
Understandably, death here is an extravagant occasion with a huge price tag. So, the relatives of the deceased are given a reprieve. They need not bury the body within a couple of days.
They can just wrap it up and keep it in their home while they save for the wake. The saving can take weeks, months or even years.
Until then, the corpse is treated as a sick man and included in the daily routines and conversations.
An actual burial takes place when the family is prepared for it and the coffin is placed in a grave, cave or hung on a cliff.
