Tag: Toraja

Weekly Photo Challenge: Home

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Tongkonan is the traditional ancestral house, or rumah adat of the Torajan people, in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Tongkonan have a distinguishing boat-shaped and oversized saddleback roof. Like most of Indonesia’s Austronesian-based traditional architecture tongkonan are built on piles. The construction of tongkonan is laborious work and it is usually built with the help of all family members. In the original Toraja society, only nobles had the right to build tongkonan. Commoners live in smaller and less decorated homes called banua.

Read more about Tongkonan : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongkonan

More entries : http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/photo-challenge-home/

 

 

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Earth

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Earth/Harvest: Clay, Rock, Dust, Sand, Mud, Crystal, Powder, Shadow, Space, Darkness, Gravity, Bone, Silicon

Megalithic fields, Rante Karassik

Rante Karassik megaliths near Rantepao, Tana Toraja, south Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Formerly, the sites of Buntu Pune and Rante Karassik belonged to one integrated settlement. Buntu Pune was the dwelling compound and Rante Karassik was the ceremonial ground. Although these sites are now separated due to recent development, the sites still function as they did in the past. In this nomination, therefore, both sites are considered as a single unit of traditional settlement and numbered 5a and 5b respectively.

The site of Rante Karassik is a ceremonial ground on a sloping hill. As mentioned above, this site is actually a part of the Buntu Pune traditional settlement. Until today, the Buntu Pune people still use the ground for certain ceremonies, in particular those connected with death. Since Rante Karassik is situated quite far from the Buntu Pune compound, the two sites appear to be quite separate. Uniting them is no longer possible, since recent development has resulted in a dense population of the area in between.

(Unesco.org : whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5462/)

More participants : http://www.ceephotography.com/2013/02/05/cees-fun-foto-challenge-earth/

Weekly Photo Challenge: Unique

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This is Londa, a natural cave, the burial ground for Tana Toraja ancestors. Located in Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. There are steep rocks and inside there are caves to store corpses and coffins. In this room very low light, so you should bring a flashlight and hire a tour guide. You might feel a little scared, because there are a lot of coffins and human bones. When entering the cave, you will see a coffin hung above the cliffs. For the Toraja, if a coffin hung on high, then they will be higher degree. It is said that when the ancients died, they (the dead) must walk alone to the cemetery, with the help of a shaman. Near a coffin hung, you will see the “Tau-tau” is a sculpture resembling the deceased. Typically, the Toraja must slaughtered four buffaloes and two pigs to be made “Tau-tau” for the dead. Upon entering the cave, you will see a coffin placed on a cave wall, or placed on the sidelines of the cave. You’ll also see a lot of skulls and bones scattered, because coffin was damaged. They were buried in the cave, usually only for one family only. In addition, you will see offerings such as flowers, incense, and smoking in the coffin.

inside the cave

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from outside

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