Antananarivo and the famadihana
The highland capital of Madagascar, around which families open tombs of ancestors and rewrap their remains in the famadihana.
Practised and told of here
Best time: June to September, the dry season, is the main season for famadihana.
Antananarivo sits on hills in the central highlands. The Merina people of the region keep a custom in which the dead are honoured with a second burial, and the ancestors are considered part of the community.
The famadihana
At a famadihana, families open the family tomb, take out the bodies, wrap them in new silk shrouds and dance with them, to music, then return them to the tomb. People say the rite honours the dead and asks their blessing. The ceremony is costly, and some Christian churches have disapproved. Some families now hold it with less frequency.
Ancestors and taboo
Malagasy belief gives the ancestors, razana, a role in the world of the living. Taboos, fady, differ by place and family, and diviners called ombiasy read the sikidy, a geomantic system with seeds. Royal talismans, sampy, were kept by the Merina kings until burned in the nineteenth century.
Visiting
A famadihana is a family event, with attendance by invitation. Do not turn up uninvited or take photographs of the dead.
A respectful visit to Antananarivo and the famadihana
Living communities are not a show. Ask before photographing a person or a ceremony, and follow local rules.
- Rova of Antananarivo See the royal palace complex.
- Ambohimanga Visit the hill of the royal tombs.
- The Analakely market See the old city's market.
Written by the EveryJaadu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Antananarivo" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and ceremonies change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
Nothing matches those filters yet. Take one off, or check back: new entries are written every day.