Go Indonesia :: Splendid Toraja Highland

 

In the central highland of Sulawesi, Toraja catch people

attention with their natural beauty and cultural rich. The green valley

are surrounded by forests, rivers, and other enchanted natures. The

people are growing rice and coffee as their main earnings.

Toraja coffee beans are world famous for the

wonderful taste and aroma. The culture is incredibly preserved. The

highland was isolated before but although the people are now modernized,

traditions and rituals are maintained. Most people still abide by age-old

beliefs to this very day. goindonet, go indonesia,

complete indonesia tourism info

 

Toraja Life and Death Ceremonies

The most famous thing from the highland is life and death ceremonies.

The life ceremonies are held during the planting season starts in the

month of October while the death ceremonies are held around July to

September after the last harvest of rice. The Toraja people believe that

rituals could keep the energy of the land as well as

the people so they can survive for a long more time. What makes it

interesting is how the entire village involves in the ceremonies, both

life ceremonies and death ceremonies.

Death ceremonies are more attracting for tourist because the ceremony

is actually funeral time with unique rites that last for days. In

Toraja, the dead is not immediately buried because every

body require proper funeral while proper funeral require big sum of fund

due to complicated ritual. The dead may wait for months and even years

until proper funeral will be held. Even if the dead come from wealthy

family, he/she should wait because more wealthy the person is, more

expensive the funeral will be.

The body of the deceased would be laid in a coffin with new clothes

and possessions. Family and the other villagers will walk the coffin

around the village before burial. The rite includes buffalo slaughtering

with more buffalo to slaughter for more powerful person. The burial

itself is another interesting because the coffin could be laid in the

cave, hung on a cliff, or buried in a stone grave carved on a cliff.

Stone grave is commonly for wealthy and powerful person that takes months

to carve it.

While death ceremonies and graves give the morbid impression, some

people who come to the highland avoid the attractions. Fortunately, the

highland offers more. The untouched countryside is something to explore

as well as the colorful remote villages with tongkonan houses. For

adrenalin rush, try rafting in Sadan river. Then, one thing you should

not miss is shopping for souvenirs, including handicrafts

and Toraja coffee. goindonesia toraja, toraja

Indonesia, Splendid Toraja Highland,

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