1. Lo’ko’ Mata

Lo’ko’ Mata

Toraja is known by its burial stone. For that reason, it is very common to find burial stones in it. One of the famous burial stones in Toraja is Lo’ko’ Mata. Compare to others burial stones in Toraja, Lo’ko’ Mata can be described as a hundred times bigger. Also, each door in it has varies motives that turns to be a catching eye to every visitor. Therefore, coming to Toraja will not feel complete without visiting Lo’ko’ Mata. 

2. Ke’te Ke’su

Ke’te Ke’su

Ke’te Ke’su is the most pristine and traditional Tongkonan in Toraja. As explained in the previous article (link to discover Toraja highlands) that for Torajan Tongkonan is not only as a house or home but also as the final resting place that very sacred as it demands a complecated requirements. 

PS : If you’re coming to visit Toraja, I highly recommend you to visit Ke’te Ke’su in order for you to see the true culture of Toraja regarding to its Tongkonan.

3. Palawa’

If you are looking for kind of carvings, then you can come to Palawa’. In fact, this is another type of Tongkonan that decorated with some carvings on it. The carvings are rooster and sun circles. Furthermore, Palawa’ is the remaining heritage of the Torajan ancestral war in the past 11th century. As a result, it is very common to find the majestic buffalo horns on it that proclaim its regality. Curious how it looks? Come and visit 😉

Toraja is one of four ethnics in South Sulawesi Indonesia. This ethnic is very unique due to its value and culture. Most parts of its territory are rocks which makes it to be limited in land. Based on that circumtances, ancient Torajans are relying on a very restricted resources. 

Read also : 9 Recomended Places to Discover in Toraja Sacred Highlands

According to Torajans living condition, this tribe turns to be self-fulfilling ecosystem. Torajan ancestors select the older and most captivating survival art particularly in terms of harmony as they have a very limited resources.   They believe that human, animals and plants have mark that attaches on them as one system. They believe that each living thing need to take care each other in order to survive. There is a philosophy that they call as Tallu Lolona which refers to the dependency among them (human, animals and plants). Those three elements will suffer the consequences once each of them is harmed. It is therefore, all living things have no choice but to protect each other for surviving. 

In Toraja, they have a religious ancestor back to their mythical past called Aluk Todolo. This is where Tallu Lolona was born. Aluk Todolo taught the Torajans to build respect to all living things in order to keep the balance in life. The living things in his teaching include the parents, elders, and others (animals and plants). 

Interestingly, Tojarans are able to keep this philosophy lives on despite the modernization in making them no longer dependent on harmony to survive. 

They, Torajans, believe that they are able to keep and will strive the balance of the living things, in this case human, animals and plants. Take the prized water buffalo as an example, this water is often used for bathing and relaxation. This instance clearly shows that people in Toraja are very gentle towards their surrounding nature, not only to human being venturing into their land but also to  animals. Also, they keep maintaing the plants in their environment using both usable sources of nutrients and as life circle path. 

The teaching of Tallu Lolona represents the ancestral spirit among Torajans in mythical highland. This teaching has created an ultimate bonding between each other (all living things). It becomes the solemn guard that can watch over them both in silence and in crowd. This bonding exists through inside the veins of every breathing organism and spread through the society. 

Tongkonan, 

For Torajans, a house is not only a place to take shelter but also as a place where all existing matter and space considered as a whole which they call as their own universe. A house as well as home for Torajans is called Tongkonan. This Tongkonan architecture is derivied from Torajan civilization and it becomes their own traditional house ever since. This house symbolizes a very detail relation among generations that refers to upholding value and peace among them. 

Back to Torajan history, there was a related blood clan called Ma’rapu. In this clan they had an elder who was responsible for teaching about their ancestral ways of life within his Tongkonan, the elder was called Parengnge’. His teaching explained that a Tongkonan is like a set of laws and values for each family that required seven ethnic dance to be executed. Until then, this seven ethnic dance passed through generation in order to keep their culture alive. 

To be informed that building Tongkonan is not as simple as we might think. It, on the other hand, requires at least five confidential stages that perform in a ceremony. This type of ritual surely demands a complicated requirements as well as high expenses to be done. For that reason each family member needs to share the cost and work hand in hand  to perform the ritual successfully. Prior to that, a Tongkonan cannot be built without having a traditional council approval. It is therefore, this Tongkonan becomes a sacred house for Torajan family. 

Fascinatingly, as Tongkonan has become a sacred house for Torajans, it becomes a place for them to give birth, to bold love and to return to as their final resting place. As a result, Torajans will always have a circle back to their sacred house no matter how far they travel.  

To sum up, Toraja ethnic has confidence in respecting among living things (human, animals and plants) and live under Tongkonan, a sacred house that requires seven ethnic dance to be built. Furthermore, The bond of love between Torajans not only refers to related blood circle but also through affection and respect in their daily life. 

Find out the 9 Recomended Places to Discover in Toraja Sacred Highlands in the next page !

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Every human being is born with their own book that contains their life story. A book that tells the whole chapters of their life ever since they are still in their mother womb till the end of their life. Every tale in their life has been told systematically and orderly.  

Some might came out to this world imperfect physically such as without feets, unable to hear, blind or other cases. They do have their own story. 

Some might born in a conflict family. Tension, shouting, fighting become their daily consumption. They  do have their own story.

Some might came out to this world in a very small house in the country side. No electricity, no reception, leaving behind from the crowd of a city that insist them to fight every step to get the point that they call a bright future. They do have their own story.

Some might born in unsafe environment that requires them to live under a tent till they grow up. Being friend with bombing attack, shooting bullets or unfriendly circumtances that might invite an acid rain that could kill them instantly. They do have their own story.

Whatever it is the story that we are being through today, we only need to reach one point. A point that only us who will determine how will it be. We are all given two options whether we choose to end our story in misery or to close our book with a happy ending story. 

You are the main cast or character in your own story. And so am I in my  own story. And we all are. For that reason, live our role as best as we can. Take it easy, each part in it wont last long. When sadness comes by, be patient. When happiness comes by, be grateful. 

Therefore, I hope that one day we can sit together under a shady tree while holding our respective story book, telling story each other, laughing togther, having fun with it and admiring each other on how our story reaches this eternal heaven.

~got inspiration from a friend

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