Toraja Buffalo Sacrifice Photo

Photographer’s Note

Tana Toraja deep in the mountains of South Sulawesi is a beautiful place known for its unique culture and ancient traditions. The funerals are the most spectacular and important of Torajan rituals. They are held often months or even years after death, once the family has accumulated enough wealth to ensure a great send off for the deceased.

Torajans believe the deceased will need all the requisites of everyday life in the hereafter just like when he or she was alive in this world.

Funerals in Toraja (at which any guests are most welcome) are really festivals lasting a number of days and involve much feasting and entertainment. Animal sacrifices - of pigs and particularly of highly valued buffaloes, are made to feed the hundreds of guests and also to ensure life in the afterlife and good fortune for the survivors. At large funerals for dignitaries, dozens of animals may be sacrificed.

I am sorry if this is a little gruesome for some tastes - but such sacrifices are right at the centre of a very rich culture.

wanderlust, AbdullahCharsee has marked this note useful

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AbdullahCharsee (179) 2007-02-02 7:08 [Comment]

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rildin (129) 2007-02-02 7:51

Hi, Campbell!
This is an outstanding photo, I'm sure no one can deny that. Gruesome or not, it does teach us about the world, and in fact it is actually pretty clean, thanks to perfect timing. Although my first thought was that the photo reached beyond the need to comment on the photography itself, I think I must mention the impeccable composition and excellent d.o.f.
Thank you so much for your generous sharing of this very interesting photo and note!

-Ari

wanderlust (171) 2007-02-02 9:42

That is THE MOST HORRIBLE photo I have seen on Trekearth till date!!

Very shocking photo so see. I've seen a lot of "shocking" photos and there have been heated debates about whether or not this kind of photos should be posted here. As far as this photo is concerned, I'd say yes the photo does tell us about this gruesome Indonesian ritual but this also points to the fact that this is exactly how animals are killed for consumption all over the world (maybe not in public but still). Unlike a lot of photos of this sort posted on Trekearth this one has a useful note which makes this post meaningful.

Each one of us who eat non-veg food is responsible for these killings.

I hope mankind will put an end to sacrificial killings in all the countries (including mine) in the years to come.

Excellent timing, appropriate depth of field and the audience in the background showing that this is taking place in public are some of the best qualities of this shot. Thanks for sharing.

- Biplav

cepekdong (3668) 2007-02-03 6:16

wow this is an amazing picture. i was in sulsel as well to see the slaughtering of the buffalows but i was always too late to take pictures. i intended to get one like yours. i miss some blood ( not because i am a sadist ) but it shows more authenticly how the slaughterings are carried through

daniel