Tombs of Anja

These rocks in the small reserve of Anja are the Gate of the South, beyond which the climate and environment suddenly change from highlands to the more arid ecosystem of southern Madagascar. The small dots in the middle rock are old tombs dug directly in the stone. Every 5 to 7 years the families return to them for the ceremony of "turning over the dead", during which the deceased are washed and dressed in new lamba (scarves used as shrouds).