Sunday, March 22, 2009

Tanah Toraja

tongkonan - rumah adat orang toraja

TAnah Toraja, is a popular tourism with cultural property. District that is located approximately 350 km to the North Makassar is very popular with home building adatnya. Custom house is called Tongkonan. Its roof made of bamboo, and be prepared to roll up, but at this time that many also use zinc. Tongkonan also has degrees kebangsawanan strata according to the strata, such as gold, bronze, iron and brass.
Tanah Toraja rule with building this house, as a form of tourism promotion and to menggaet Japanese tourists to this area, the custom house was built in the country "sunrise" is. The building is done by people themselves and diboyong Toraja tourism operators to negari sakura. Now in Japan, already have two Tongkonan which is very similar to the original Tongkonan. Attendance Tongkonan always amazed people to make the country because of the unique. The difference with that in Tanah Toraja is located on the roof of the bamboo.
To go to Tanah Toraja attention this path there is a domestic flight Makassar - Toraja Land at this time only once a week and a small plane berpenumpang eight people, which takes 45 minutes from Hasanuddin Airport Makassar. If through the land, which is quite tiring journey this takes seven to ten days.

Interesting event in the area of this tour is the ritual burial remains (solo signs) and signs tuka (syukuran party) which is fixed in each calendar year. In addition to the event, visitors can see close objects of cultural interest tours such as the storage remains in the corpse's shaped "container" with the giant size of 3 meters wide and 10 meters high and Tongkonan which have aged 600 years in Londa, Rantepao.

More attraction of Tanah Toraja than traditional signs solo ceremony (funeral), which is famous for this. Grave of an infant on the tree in the village of Tarra Kambira, Sangalla District, about 20 kilometers from Padang, the corpse is prepared for a baby aged 0 - 7 years.
Although bury the baby on the tree Tarra was not performed again since tens of years, but the tree "bury" the baby's corpse was still upright, and many tourists visit. Tarra on the tree like a fruit breadfruit which is made by local vegetables with a circle around the tree trunk 3.5 meters, saved tens of clay babies.

kuburan pohon di tanah toraja


Before the hearse entered into the tree trunk, the tree first and then dilubangi baby dead bodies to be put in and then covered with coconut palm fiber black. After tens of years, the infant remains will be integrates with the tree. This is an attraction for the traveler and to Tanah Toraja people still consider the place sacred, such as a new born child.


The placement of the baby remains in the tree is also tailored to the social strata. The higher degree of social and family that the higher the place the baby buried in the trees is Tarra. In fact, infants who die are placed according to the direction where the family lived sorrow. If the house is in the western part of the tree, the child's corpse will be placed in the west.

kuburan batu londa di tanah toraja

Grave stone, a form of grave Toraja People

Culture that is known in Tanah Toraja Namely Aluk that underlie this Todolo joints-joints Toraja people, including indigenous istiadatnya. Although there is the influence of Christianity and Islam, Aluk Todolo believe in the strength of the three compulsory worship, namely Puang Matua (God), the highest element of strength as the creator of earth, sky, and all its contents; Deata-deata (And not Pemelihara Earth); and to Membali Puang (spirit of the ancestors has been blossom out Dewa).

Third element is a miracle that is held by men. Toraja tribe is offering to give offerings and sacrifice-offering consisting of a water buffalo, pigs, chickens, and the like, and is done separately in a different time in a manner that is also different: Puang Matua who reside in heaven adored and worshiped with the ceremony in front of the house Tongkonan (Rumah Tanah Toraja adat), Deata be home in the east, To Membali Puang in the west or in the house where the sexton jenazahnya buried.

Inheritance of the teachings of the ancestors of the Toraja this is shaping the pattern of behavior Toraja as a source of cultural elements that appear in the social phenomenon until now.

Suspicion about the nature of classification of highway known east-west and north-south. East is matallo, ie, the sun is regarded as representing the quality of happiness, light, joy, and the source of life. West (matampuâ € ™), the sun represents the best elements of dark, dolor. Classification east-west take the consequences in the lives of the order of the ceremony.

Toraja people not separated from the ceremony. Each phase of life is always at the same time with the ceremony. Similarly, in this life does not escape from the problem-like depression, light and dark. In the system known by the name of ritual signs Tukaâ € ™ (ceremony excitement) and signs Soloâ € ™ (ceremony dolor). Execution time, place, and officials who served in the two devices in the ceremony is divided sharply. For example, a beacon Tukaâ € ™ should not be served to buoy Soloâ € ™.

North-south. North is the main ulunna called Lino (the earth) and the south called polloâ € ™ na (beneath the earth). North represents the contention as head, head, front, those who identified as respected and respectable tersuci. While the south is identified with a subordinate, feet, pursuivant.

Model home with all the customary Tongkonan aturannya the model. In the ceremony, the center latitude Tongkonan east-west, north-south. Ceremony Tukaâ signs € ™ held in the east Tongkonan at the time the sun began to rise, while Soloâ signs € ™ held in the west at the time the sun began to sink. The ceremony to worship Puang Matua performed in front of the house (north).

Signs Tukaâ € ™ This is a ceremony of the four safety alliance life, namely Aluk Maa € ™ lolo, a ceremony for human life and safety; Aluk Patuoan, ritual and life safety for animal and livestock animals; Aluk Plant, a ceremony to plant safety and the growth of crops and Aluk Building BANUA, the ceremony for the safety of home placement and home by owner.

Not too many people know that the people have Toraja ritual signs Tukaâ € ™ because this is more mengedepan in the mass media is a beacon ceremony Soloâ € ™. Signs Soloâ € ™ is a ritual of death and funeral ceremonies as the man who made the sacrifice of animals could be eating the cost hundreds of millions of rupiah, depending on the social strata will be someone who is dimakamkan.

Both binding ritual ceremony of life and the life of Toraja people, in its development is very difficult to be abandoned because the ceremonies is a means to preserve the culture and the arts Toraja

congratulations to visit indonesian sulawesi south and enjoy the journey and you