Holidaymakers are flocking to an ancient village where the dead are not buried or cremated but laid out to rot.
People from Balinese village in Indonesia are laid to rest in bamboo cages under a sacred tree. Their corpses are left to rot in the fiery heat.
Bamboo cages protect corpses from animals searching for food.
Once the bodies have decomposed, the bones and skulls are added to a cartilage shrine beneath the tree, which is believed to be over 1,100 years old.
The Taru Menyan tree releases a pleasant smell that is said to neutralize the odor of rotting flesh.
When bamboo cages are full of corpses, the body that has been there the longest is removed to make way for the next corpse.
Once the corpse is fully skeletonized, the skull is removed and placed on the steps of the altar.
Tourists can visit the village by riding a boat from the mainland,3 hours from Denpasar.
Only married people are allowed to have a funeral while those who weren’t married are buried underground.
Also, only men are allowed to deliver the body to the ancient cemetery. Women are not allowed to go to the cemetery when a corpse is being carried but they can visit at other times.
It is believed volcanic eruption or earthquake will occur if women enter the cemetery during the delivery.
A tourist said Trunyan cemetery is a “must do experience.” She wrote on Bali Bogans Facebook page: “There was an actual ceremony today and we were able to see the villagers celebrating a life and creating a special ceremony of offering to their god.
“I know this sounds quite morbid but it was such a meaningful experience that we will never forget.
“If this is something that you’d like to do please be mindful that this is an old village that needs to be respected.
“Also, they are a poorer area and there is a cost to being able to visit.”
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