Pictures: Real life 'day of the dead' festival in Indonesia

Centuries-old corpses are exhumed, dressed in clothes and put on display in a ritual honouring the dead in Indonesia.

The preserved bodies of ancestors of the Toraja, an ethnic group from the mountains of South Sulawesi in Indonesia, are lovingly dug up from their graves as part of the ancient Ma'nene festival.

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The annual festival, which translates to 'the Ceremony of Cleaning Corpses', then sees the dead groomed, washed, dressed in fashionable new clothes and even sunglasses and paraded round the village.

The scenes might appear gruesome but for the Toraja people, who consider funerals the most important event of their lives, the festival is a celebration.

Photographer Herman Morrison made the trip from Indonesian island Lombok, where he lives, to capture the peculiar ceremony on camera.

Mr Morrison, 33, said: "I live in Lombok, Indonesia, and I travelled to Sulawesi to photograph the Ma'nene festival.

"The ritual is held yearly and is regarded as a manifestation of the Torajanese's love for their ancestors, leaders and relatives who have died.

"The age of the corpses varies, but some are more than 100 years old.

"The bodies are taken from their graves by their families then cleaned and washed. Their clothes are replaced and then the bodies are put back in the ground.

"Some of the deceased men are dressed up in suits and ties. It was an amazing sight to witness."

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Carnivores might not be thrilled at the prospect of a vegetarian festival, but this is no average event. The festival, which continues for nine days each October, celebrates Phuket's Chinese community's belief that abstinence from meat during this period will help them obtain good health. Aside from the usual parties and parades, many walk on hot charcoals and pierce themselves with spikes and spears. Yikes.