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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
Health workers wearing face masks spray disinfectant liquid on sacrificial animals amid concerns over the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes the pandemic COVID-19 disease ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha at an animal market in Hyderabad, southern Pakistan, 21 July 2020. Eid al-Adha, also known as the Festival of the Sacrifice, is the second and holiest of the two main Islamic holidays celebrated each year (the other one being Eid al-Fitr). Every year, on the 10th day of the Islamic lunar month of Dhu al-Hijjah, Muslims around the world ritually slaughter a sacrificial animal and split the meat into three parts: one is reserved for the family, another for friends and relatives, and the third is given to the poor and needy. The Saudi Supreme Court has declared that the first day of Eid al-Adha this year falls on 31 July. (Photo by Nadeem Khawar/EPA/EFE)

Health workers wearing face masks spray disinfectant liquid on sacrificial animals amid concerns over the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes the pandemic COVID-19 disease ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha at an animal market in Hyderabad, southern Pakistan, 21 July 2020. (Photo by Nadeem Khawar/EPA/EFE)
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23 Jul 2020 00:07:00
Cave Diver, Anhumas Abyss, Bonito, Brazil: The Anhumas Abyss is an underground cavern with a crystal-clear lake below, more than 260 feet (79 m) deep. A visitor must enter through a narrow opening at the top of the chamber and rappel into the cave. Snorkeling and scuba diving in the lake reveal amazing scenery. Distinctive, conical limestone stalagmites and stalactites occupy the lake and the surrounding area, some reaching 65 feet (20 m) high. “One must rappel about 235 feet (72 m) to get down into this deep lake. The photo was taken at a depth of 50 feet (15 m). It was a challenge to create the image because of the high contrast, plus the diver could not see into the darkness, making communication impossible”. (Photo by Marcio Cabral/Nature’s Best Photography Awards 2017)

Cave Diver, Anhumas Abyss, Bonito, Brazil: The Anhumas Abyss is an underground cavern with a crystal-clear lake below, more than 260 feet (79 m) deep. A visitor must enter through a narrow opening at the top of the chamber and rappel into the cave. Snorkeling and scuba diving in the lake reveal amazing scenery. Distinctive, conical limestone stalagmites and stalactites occupy the lake and the surrounding area, some reaching 65 feet (20 m) high. (Photo by Marcio Cabral/Nature’s Best Photography Awards 2017)
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26 Oct 2017 08:10:00
Revellers celebrate the death of Britain's former prime minister Margaret Thatcher in Brixton, south London April 8, 2013. Margaret Thatcher, the “Iron Lady” who transformed Britain and inspired conservatives around the world by radically rolling back the state during her 11 years in power, died on Monday following a stroke. She was 87. (Photo by Olivia Harris/Reuters)

Revellers celebrate the death of Britain's former prime minister Margaret Thatcher in Brixton, south London April 8, 2013. Margaret Thatcher, the “Iron Lady” who transformed Britain and inspired conservatives around the world by radically rolling back the state during her 11 years in power, died on Monday following a stroke. She was 87. (Photo by Olivia Harris/Reuters)
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09 Apr 2013 10:55:00
Detail of a sand sculpture of Pirates of the Caribbean  is seen as pieces are prepared as part of this year's Hollywood themed annual Weston-super-Mare Sand Sculpture festival on March 26, 2013 in Weston-Super-Mare, England. Due to open on Good Friday, currently twenty award winning sand sculptors from across the globe are working to create sand sculptures including Harry Potter, Marilyn Monroe and characters from the Star Wars films as part of the town's very own movie themed festival on the beach.  (Photo by Matt Cardy)

Detail of a sand sculpture of Pirates of the Caribbean is seen as pieces are prepared as part of this year's Hollywood themed annual Weston-super-Mare Sand Sculpture festival on March 26, 2013 in Weston-Super-Mare, England. Due to open on Good Friday, currently twenty award winning sand sculptors from across the globe are working to create sand sculptures including Harry Potter, Marilyn Monroe and characters from the Star Wars films as part of the town's very own movie themed festival on the beach. (Photo by Matt Cardy)
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27 Mar 2013 08:58:00
Japanese children wear loincloths as they splash about in freezing cold water during Saidaiji Naked Festival, at Saidaiji Temple

“A Hadaka Matsuri (“Naked Festival”) is a type of Japanese festival, or matsuri, in which participants wear a minimum amount of clothing; usually just a Japanese loincloth (called fundoshi), sometimes with a short happi coat, and rarely completely naked. Whatever the clothing, it is considered to be above vulgar, or everyday, undergarments, and on the level of holy Japanese shrine attire. Naked festivals are held in dozens of places throughout Japan every year, usually in the summer or winter. The most famous festival is held in Okayama, where the festival originated. Every year, over 9,000 men participate in this festival”. – Wikipedia

Photo: Japanese men wear loincloths as they splash about in freezing cold water during Saidaiji Naked Festival, at Saidaiji Temple on February 18, 2012 in Okayama, Japan. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)
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19 Feb 2012 12:18:00
Little Red Riding Hood. “The moment I pulled this sweater out of the drawer for Frankie I knew what I wanted for my picture today. I envisioned the look, the style, and the composition. When working with a 2 year old it is never easy to actually get the shot you want, especially when they decide to skip nap time. But I really like how this one turned out” – Rich. (Photo by Rich)

«Little Red Riding Hood». “The moment I pulled this sweater out of the drawer for Frankie I knew what I wanted for my picture today. I envisioned the look, the style, and the composition. When working with a 2 year old it is never easy to actually get the shot you want, especially when they decide to skip nap time. But I really like how this one turned out” – Rich. (Photo by Rich)
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17 Sep 2012 12:51:00
Hot air balloons take to the skies over Bristol city centre on August 6, 2012 in Bristol, England. The early morning flight of over twenty balloons over the city was organised as a curtain raiser for the four-day Bristol International Balloon Fiesta which starts on Thursday. Now in its 34th year, the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is Europe's largest annual hot air balloon event in the city that is seen by many balloonists as the home of modern ballooning.  (Photo by Matt Cardy)

Hot air balloons take to the skies over Bristol city centre on August 6, 2012 in Bristol, England. The early morning flight of over twenty balloons over the city was organised as a curtain raiser for the four-day Bristol International Balloon Fiesta which starts on Thursday. Now in its 34th year, the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is Europe's largest annual hot air balloon event in the city that is seen by many balloonists as the home of modern ballooning. (Photo by Matt Cardy)
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07 Aug 2012 09:05:00