Scarry Burrial Sites and Ceremonial In Toraja

When I lived in a student mess at Yogkarta, I'm getting close with a friend who came from South Sulawesi. He talked about the ceremony about the massive death, and the corpses that are not buried, but placed in natural caves.I was surprised-astonished. Left just like that? Not buried? He said yes. I can not believe it. How could the body not be buried in the soil, or not burned in cremation?

I was more surprising when my friend told me, people who died, are stored first in the house, and treated as if he was still alive, it's just, he's in a state of "illness" and continue to be provided to eat and drink every day. can you Imagine to living with the dead in same house? Still according to his story, the bodies will be given special spices then wrapped and layered fabric to resemble a big pillow.

many people in Toraja house smell fragrant spices. Foreigners will consider it usual fragrant spices typical of Toraja. Only those who recognize is the people of Toraja, the smell was spicy corpse or not .... hmmm!

Well, after several months, or even years , when the family is able to throw a party to the dead called Solok, which is customary before delivering the body of the party to his final resting place, namely on the cliff of the mountain, or in a cave.

This cave was once banned for the public. But now ordinary people can be visited.didn't they smell of corpses? "I screamed spontaneously.My friend shook his head.I'm curious ... but, ... it is impossible until I see it with my own eyes.

And then, some time later, I watch TV shows that cover the dark cave where the skull was lined-row with the surrounding bones .. I think my friend tell the truth...and than I wondering if I could see it alive... , I wish I could go there ...

Well, some time ago I have a vacation with my husband to Toraja. This is the third time I visited the place that called "land in the clouds" .Well, a unique place visited by many foreign and domestic tourists are .... grave.
the place for some people is horrible , changed become a tourist attraction by the local government.
Here are some of the famous burial site locations in Toraja...

1. Londa

This is where the nobles Tangdinoq buried. Until now, this place is still in use.We see the Tau Tau (a kind of artificial doll deceased during life) and crates which hung on the outside, just above the trail where visitors milling about.

Crates were placed on a wooden on the cliff, or tied with rope fibers. hiyy… Had horrified really, what if suddenly brakkk!! And the casket fell on top of us ... hiyy ...

Londa is shaped natural cave that very dark. It was impossible to enter it without illumination. Here the offered services plus light guide petromax the price of Rp 20,000, (2.2 bucks). This guide will accompany us into the cave, damp and dark, and tell when we have to stop, or when we had to descend the slippery part.
And ... We also saw crates of fresh put in there, too old crates and a lot of plastic bottles and cigarette butts. Also the skull and bones.

the guide said, families still often come pilgrimage and bring drinks and cigarettes for those who died. This guide would help slingshot us posing with the skull that ... He also fluently spoke of this place. I asked to the guide . "What if crate hanging outside it fall?"Guide replied calmly."It just left alone, will not be collected, will not be moved . There is a plague that would happened if the bones were removed without the customary feast. So only just a wild animal or trampled people, dared to move them. "

so to change the location of the skull and other bones that have to with more traditional party. Imagine, a party to "rest" here, and the party again if you want to change the position of the bone bone ... Whew ... how much it cost for this party huh?
According to their belief, bodies had been returned to nature, then let nature do anything about it. Humans can no longer in doing things add modifiers.

Pernah terjadi, kata sang guide, seorang pengunjung, -pelajar SMP peserta study tour dari luar wilayah Toraja- kesurupan setelah dia sengaja memindahkan sebuah tengkorak untuk menakuti dan mengisengi kawan-kawannya.

Actually, there are other alleys deeper, but the tour guide said, the course is more slippery and steep, not to mention the thin oxygen in there.
first, I thought, we will smell "the smell of the decay" ... the smell of rotting corpses so, but, i dont ...

2. Lemo

A little bit different with Londa, Lemo burial site is in the cliff. So this big rock and then punched to the body of people put into it. Tau Tau lined placed in a hole, like a man sitting behind a window. the higher tomb, is belong to higher social status as well.

Lemo and Tau Tau in "Windows"

At Lemo, under the window Tau Tau existing footpath to the left. Just follow the path, then if you do not get lost :) You will exit through several workshops craftsmen Tau Tau, then you will be treated to a paddy field with beautiful views ...
You can buy souvenirs here Toraja, or just look around.

3. Suaya

Located in the district Sanggala. Burial site of the kings and nobles Toraja is believed to be descendants Tamborolangi, deities of the Toraja people's confidence that teach the origins of cultivation and traditional rituals. Here there are also tau-tau.

In this Suaya site, there is a relatively steep stairs, now, when he got on top, we can enjoy the beautiful scenery stretches from the heights.

4.Tampangallo

Burial site shaped natural cave, almost similar to Londa.
Here we were wrong driveway. We found a small, dark hallway. We're not sure what's in it.
Want to go in but... we doubt ... how about getting lost inside? Or oxygen-thin? The hall was very dark. Then I think ii should shoot it, to take a picture. Blitz camera is definitely sharper than our eyes. Snap! And I see on my digital camera screen, a relatively clean hallway and staircase.dark alley, can be seen from the camera shots
Eventually we ventured to enter desperate, groping and track-trail safe footing while to figure this hall in the shape of the camera.

Dark Hall light up by camera blitz

Finally, on the other end of the visible light. We move on toward the light, down a bit and .... hoooohhh ... its huge cave area ,clean and brightly lit.

We had chuckled in amusement. it's another cave burial site . Then we fell silent as we looked like a row of skulls. Hmmm ... it's another cave burial site.
The difference here with the Londa, here is relatively cleaner and more orderly. Also out of sight (erong) crates that are still new. All ancient and Tau Tau is also looks very old ..

Add caption

in some places in Toraja, the community has a unique culture, to enter into the stone coffins.

This stone is drilled, and called burrows.According to local people that we meet, to make this hole, the cost is equivalent to 30 million rupiah (3.500 US $).
In this rock, old lady with a legitimate descendants can be buried here. So, in a canal, dozens of frameworks can be entered preceded customary party. Prior held a party, bodies will be stored in the house.

The tomb of the famous stone and perhaps largest in Lokamata Toraja, on the slopes Sesean. To go over here to be extra careful because the road is very narrow. No Tau Tau here, and underneath there are many fragments of stone makes the burrow.

5. Lokamata

 

Lots of large rocks scattered around this area, there is also a stone which is only used for one hole.While other segments of society, chose to build patane, or house the tomb, built of brick, cement and other building materials.

On the one patane, can be decades in the framework put into it. And sometimes decorated with Tau Tau. Today, the region has issued rules concerning restrictions patane development.Of course there are still bodies buried in Toraja community in the burial ground like we know today. They call it "planted".

Source :www.nanaharmanto.wordpress.com/2010/10/01/burial-sites-of-toraja