The Ancient Culture of Toraja - South Sulawesi
Tana Toraja
Tana Toraja or Torajaland or Land of the Toraja or Tator, is a regency in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The home of Toraja ethnic group people. The local government seat is in Makale, where the center of Toraja culture is in Rantepao. But now, Tana Toraja has been divided in two regencies that consist of Tana Toraja with capital is Makale and Toraja Utara with capital is Rantepao.
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Toraja tribe is the local inhabitan in Tana Toraja, which are live in the mountain areas and maintain a typical lifestyle and still show the original Austronesian lifestyle and the culture are similar to Nias people. Most of the Toraja people living as farmers. The commodity are vegetables, coffee, cloves, chocolate, and vanilla. This area is one of tourist objects in South Sulawesi. Some of the interesting places in Tana toraja are:
Pallawa
Tongkonan Pallawa is one of tongkonan or a very attractive traditional house and lies among the bamboo trees on the hilltop. Tongkonan is decorated with a buffalo horn which is stuck on the front of traditional houses. Located about 12 km to the north of Rantepau.
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Londa
Londa is the steep rocks on the side of a typical tomb in Tana Toraja. One is located on high ground from the hill with a deep cave, where the coffin is arranged in accordance with the family line. in the other one is left open overlooking the hillside over the green scenery. Located approximately 5 km to the south of Rantepau.
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Ke’te Kesu
In this fascinating tourism object there is Tongkonan, barns and the megalith building. About 100 yards behind this village there is a cliff with the grave cemetery site dependent and tau-tau in a given stone building fences. Tau-tau is the wooden carving symbolize the decease and shows the performance of their owners.
This village is also known for its sculpture of expertise possessed by its inhabitants as well as a great place for souvenir shopping. Located about four km from the southeast Rantepau.
Batu Tumonga
In this area you can find around 56 stone menhirs in a loop with four trees in the middle. Most of stone menhirs have a height of about 2-3 meters. From here you can see the beauty rantepau and the surrounding valley. Located in Sensean areas with an altitude of 1300 Meters from the sea surface.
Lemo
This place is often referred to the home of the spirits. In this Lemo cemetery you can see the descens stored in the open air, amid the steep rocks. This cemetery is the combination of death, art and ritual. At certain times of clothes from the bodies will be replaced through the ceremony of Ma Nene. Located in Toraja Tan District.
Tana Toraja boundary was determined by the Dutch East Indies government in 1909. In 1926, Tana Toraja was under the administration of Bugis state, Luwu. The regentschap (or regency) status was given on October 8, 1946, the last regency given by the Dutch. Since 1984, Tana Toraja has been named as the second tourist destination after Bali by the Ministry of Tourism, Indonesia. Since then, hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors have visited this regency. In addition, numerous Western anthropologists have come to Tana Toraja to study the indigenous culture and people of Toraja.
