Thursday, April 14, 2011

Toraja funeral ceremony

Who does not know with Tana Toraja, a country with so many customs and very beautiful tourist destination. Tana Toraja, is 300 kilometers from Makassar, South Sulawesi, host various cultural customs and ancestors who bequeathed by their forefathers, and remain stable until now.

Any descendants of the Toraja, wherever they are, must uphold the cultural roots of their forefathers. Until now, children and grandchildren of Tana Toraja ethnic who live abroad and other parts of Indonesia, will keep doing the same tradition that made by their ancestors thousands of years ago.

Their obedience in carrying out the customs and cultural heritage of their fathers until now, attracted many foreign and domestic tourists to visit Tana Toraja each year. Tana Toraja, now becomes one of prime tourist areas owned by the South sulawesi. Various ceremonies held by Toraja people and held every year, become a magnet for foreign tourists.

There are various traditional ceremonies in Tana Toraja, one of them is Rambu Solo', funeral ancestors who had died several years earlier. the event consists of Sapu Randanan, and Tombi Saratu '. In addition, the ceremony also known Ma'nene and Rambu Tuka' ceremony.

The Rambu Tuka' ceremony and Rambu Solo' accompanied with dance and typical Toraja music for days. Rambu Tuka' is a ceremony to enter a new custom house called Tongkonan or renovated homes once in 50 or 60 years. This ceremony is known as Ma'Bua ', Meroek, or Mangrara Banua Sura'.

Meanwhile, Rambu Solo look like a big party. In fact, a funeral procession. In the custom of Tana Toraja, families left behind must hold a feast as a sign of their last respects to the deceased. People who died regarded as a sick man and should be cared for and treated like living people, providing food, beverages, and tobacco or betel nut.

Not only the traditional rituals that are found in the ceremony of Rambu Solo '. A variety of interesting cultural activities, will be shown, among others Mapasilaga Tedong (buffalo fighting) and Sisemba (foot race).

Rambu Solo' 'will be more lively if the deceased was derived from royal or the rich people. Number of buffaloes and pigs will be sacrificed to measure their level of wealth and degrees while still alive. In Rantepao, you can see a festive Rambu Solo' ceremony.

Development of a family tomb for the deceased and the holding Rambu Solo' usually cost hundreds of millions to billions of dollars. No wonder, because many traditional rituals which they should run in the funeral procession.

One of the great Rambu Solo' ceremony, lasted up to seven days. Like what they called Dipapitung Bongi. Animals that must be cut just no fewer than 150 head, consisting of buffalos and pigs. The meat will be distributed to the villagers who help the process of Rambu Solo '.

The ceremony which attracted foreign tourists and local tourists are buffalo fighting or commonly called Ma'pasilaga Tedong. before the buffalo pitted, there will be a buffalo parade. Buffalo is an animal that is considered sacred to the Toraja people. A Caucasian or an albino price will be very expensive, reaching hundreds of millions dollars. There is also a buffalo that has black spots on his back called saleko and black on the back (lotong boko').

The procession of buffalo sacrificing on the style of Toraja, Ma'tinggoro tedong is the next activity, where the buffalo will be cut down by a machete with a single slash. Getting late, the buffalo fighting will be more crowded because the buffalo that will be pitted is a buffalo who already have fighting experience dozens of times.

Rambu Solo' reflects the lives of Tana Toraja people who love the mutual assistance, mutual help, kinship, have social strata, and respect for parents.
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