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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
A relative (L) of Champa Devi, 88, sits next to her body, minutes after her death at Mukti Bhavan (Salvation House) at Varanasi, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, June 21, 2014. (Photo by Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)

A relative (L) of Champa Devi, 88, sits next to her body, minutes after her death at Mukti Bhavan (Salvation House) at Varanasi, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, June 21, 2014. The city of Varanasi, on the banks of the River Ganges, is widely considered Hinduism's holiest city and many Hindus believe that dying there and having their remains scattered in the Ganges allows their soul to escape a cycle of death and rebirth, attaining “moksha” or salvation. “Mukti Bhavan” or “Salvation House”, is a charity-run hostel that caters for people who wish to come to Varanasi to die. Guests can normally stay up to two weeks after which, if they haven't yet passed away, they are gently asked to leave. (Photo by Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)
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24 Jul 2014 12:32:00
Frog legs it! Indonesian flying frog tries to hitch a ride on snail's back before realising it would be quicker to hop it alone. A tiny frog struck up an unlikely friendship with a giant African land snail after clambering onto its shell to catch a ride. (Photo by Hendy Mp/SOLENT/Visual Press Agency)

Frog legs it! Indonesian flying frog tries to hitch a ride on snail's back before realising it would be quicker to hop it alone. A tiny frog struck up an unlikely friendship with a giant African land snail after clambering onto its shell to catch a ride. (Photo by Hendy Mp/SOLENT/Visual Press Agency)



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04 Jan 2015 13:24:00
A dead sperm whale is seen on the beach on March 18, 2012 in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province of China

A dead sperm whale is seen on the beach on March 18, 2012 in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province of China. Four giant sperm whales, which were found beached on the beach of Xintan Salt Field on Friday, died on Saturday despite rescue efforts. (Photo by ChinaFotoPress)
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19 Mar 2012 12:30:00
A woman sits in a train at a subway station in Pyongyang, North Korea on September 11, 2018. (Photo by Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)

A woman sits in a train at a subway station in Pyongyang, North Korea on September 11, 2018. (Photo by Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)
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17 Sep 2018 00:05:00
Young people wearing no pants participate in the “No Pants Subway Ride” in  New York City, 13 January 2019. No Pants Subway Ride is an annual global event started in New York, USA in 2002. (Photo by William Volcov/ZUMA Press)

Young people wearing no pants participate in the “No Pants Subway Ride” in New York City, 13 January 2019. No Pants Subway Ride is an annual global event started in New York, USA in 2002. (Photo by William Volcov/ZUMA Press)
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15 Jan 2019 00:01:00
A dressed up participant without trousers takes part in the 2017 No Pants Subway Ride in New York, the United States, on January 8, 2017. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua/Sipa USA)

A dressed up participant without trousers takes part in the 2017 No Pants Subway Ride in New York, the United States, on January 8, 2017. The event, which first took place in New York in 2002, has become a yearly event attended by people in more than 60 cities across the globe. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua/Sipa USA)
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10 Jan 2017 13:53:00
A woman travels on a train stopping at a subway station visited by foreign reporters in central Pyongyang, North Korea on April 14, 2017. (Photo by Damir Sagolj/Reuters)

A woman travels on a train stopping at a subway station visited by foreign reporters in central Pyongyang, North Korea on April 14, 2017. (Photo by Damir Sagolj/Reuters)
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20 Apr 2017 08:59:00