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It is said that Torajans are people who “live to die”. For this Indonesian ethnic group, funerals are such extravagant events that they sometimes attract tourists. Families can postpone burials years (and the deceased are considered sick and hosted at home until the funeral) until the family can raise enough money and gather as many relatives as possible. And then it’s a jubilant multiday social event with a parade, dances and animal sacrifices. Agung Parameswara photographed these funerary practices when he traveled to South Sulawesi province, where the Torajans live. But often, their funeral isn’t the last time the dead are seen. In August, crypts are opened, coffins are slid back out and bodies delicately unsheathed. This tender ritual is known as Ma’Nene, which is customarily performed every few years. (Photo by Agung Parameswara/The Washington Post)

It is said that Torajans are people who “live to die”. For this Indonesian ethnic group, funerals are such extravagant events that they sometimes attract tourists. Families can postpone burials years (and the deceased are considered sick and hosted at home until the funeral) until the family can raise enough money and gather as many relatives as possible. And then it’s a jubilant multiday social event with a parade, dances and animal sacrifices. Agung Parameswara photographed these funerary practices when he traveled to South Sulawesi province, where the Torajans live. (Photo by Agung Parameswara/The Washington Post)
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06 Oct 2016 09:15:00
Person viewing the Northern lights over the lava landscape, Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland. (Photo by Arctic-Images/Getty Images)

A person viewing the Northern lights over the lava landscape, Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland. (Photo by Arctic-Images/Getty Images)
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19 Nov 2016 11:30:00
Hindu devotees (not pictured) touch a child with their feet as part of a ritual to bless him during a religious procession held to mark the Gajan festival in Kolkata, India, April 13, 2018. (Photo by Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters)

Hindu devotees (not pictured) touch a child with their feet as part of a ritual to bless him during a religious procession held to mark the Gajan festival in Kolkata, India, April 13, 2018. (Photo by Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters)
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18 May 2018 00:01:00
Londoners enjoying the magnificent sight of sun setting perfectly in the middle of London Eye as seen from Greenwich Park in London, England on the warmest day of the year on April 19, 2018. (Photo by London Viewpoints/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Londoners enjoying the magnificent sight of sun setting perfectly in the middle of London Eye as seen from Greenwich Park in London, England on the warmest day of the year on April 19, 2018. (Photo by London Viewpoints/Rex Features/Shutterstock)
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27 Jul 2018 00:03:00
Vehicles pass through  the heavy fog and air pollution that cover Skopje valley in the early morning, in Skopje, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, 14  December 2017. According to media reports, Skopje is considered one of the most polluted cities in the world. (Photo by Georgi Licovski/EPA/EFE)

Vehicles pass through the heavy fog and air pollution that cover Skopje valley in the early morning, in Skopje, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, 14 December 2017. According to media reports, Skopje is considered one of the most polluted cities in the world. (Photo by Georgi Licovski/EPA/EFE)
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21 Nov 2018 00:05:00
Workers pull apart a house in Khandyga, Russia, on February 2, 2018. The shifting ground caused by the uneven thawing of permafrost each summer causes buildings like this Soviet-era apartment house to sag and collapse. (Photo by Amos Chapple/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Workers pull apart a house in Khandyga, Russia, on February 2, 2018. The shifting ground caused by the uneven thawing of permafrost each summer causes buildings like this Soviet-era apartment house to sag and collapse. (Photo by Amos Chapple/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
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25 Dec 2018 00:01:00
A man stands by an installation depicting “2019” in the Red Square in Moscow, Russia on December 17, 2018. (Photo by Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)

A man stands by an installation depicting “2019” in the Red Square in Moscow, Russia on December 17, 2018. (Photo by Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)
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31 Dec 2018 00:03:00
Labrador puppies “Hoey” (L) and “Hatton”, named in honor of September 11, 2001 attack victims Patrick Hoey and Lenny Hatton who died in the World Trade Center, are pictured on the grounds of the Pentagon near Washington, June 28, 2011. (Photo by Jason Reed/Reuters)

Labrador puppies “Hoey” (L) and “Hatton”, named in honor of September 11, 2001 attack victims Patrick Hoey and Lenny Hatton who died in the World Trade Center, are pictured on the grounds of the Pentagon near Washington, June 28, 2011. (Photo by Jason Reed/Reuters)
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26 Mar 2016 12:58:00