Tourism in Tana Toraja

This destination is very interesting to visit, the culture is still thick make a magnet for tourists both from within and outside the country. indeed for those who are new to visit Tana Toraja mystique deeply felt, but behind it all landscapes in Tana Toraja hypnotized and will make you want to linger - long enjoyed.

Geographically Tana Toraja is a county located in the province of North Sulawesi, and the capital of Tana Toraja is in Makale. Toraja tribal communities still adhere to the beliefs and lifestyle are very similar to typical culture in Nias, which makes Tana Toraja become one of the world cultural heritage sites listed in UNESCO.

Tana Toraja society itself many traditional ceremony held therein presents a variety of dance as well as a very interesting attraction, and for you lovers of art certainly not wasted the opportunity. besides that here too there is a very unique custom home that exists only in Tana Toraja.

According to the legend spread in the Toraja people, the ancestors of the Toraja tribe itself comes from the man who fell from nirvana by using a ladder from heaven to the earth. therefore they believe that the ladder can serve to media approach to God Almighty (Puang Matua).

Meanwhile, according to an anthropologist named DR. C. CYRUT who conduct research on the Toraja, be concluded bahwasannya Tana Toraja society is the result of acculturation of indigenous people who live on the mainland in South Sulawesi with immigrants or immigrants from the Gulf Tongkin / China Plain. Alkuturasi process stems from the migration of Indo China with a number of very much expected to occupy the area Enrekang, and then they built a place for living in the area.

At first name Toraja given by Bugis society Sidendereng and of Luwu, Society Sidendreng called the inhabitants of this area with To Riaja which means "People who live in the mountains or the country over", in contrast to the Luwu who called residents of this area with To Riajang that have meaning "People who inhabit or live in the west". Another version is the designation Toraya that have meaning "Duke". Then over time the term has turned into Tana Toraja and the word itself means the country, then known as Tana Toraja.

 

For those of you who wish to visit the Tana Toraja there are two alternatives that you can take is to use a mode of land transportation and air. and if you are from out of town you can transit in the city of Makassar in advance, due to temporary flight path which can be reached by plane from cities - big cities in Indonesia are Sultan Hasanuddin Airport - Makasar.

To travel by ground transportation and starts from the city of Makassar - South Sulawesi. You can use public transport ie buses between provinces that you can find in the terminal Bus Daya'. The bus is equipped with facilities such as air-conditioning, the rooms are small and the seats are comfortable, very well suited for long distance travel. Usually this bus will depart on a predetermined schedule. In addition you can also use other alternative transportation to rent a vehicle to Tana Toraja. The time taken to get to Tana Toraja about 6-8 hours drive and are strongly advised to travel during the day, because you will be able to enjoy the natural beauty of the mountains, rice fields and panoramic coastal stretches that can cure boredom during the trip.

The route will pass during the journey using Inland transportation, among others you are going down a few districts in South Sulawesi, including the cities of Maros, Pangkep, and Barru. Here the way you will stop for a moment to rest after that proceed towards the town of Pare - Pare, Sidendreng, Enrekang and came to you in Tana Toraja.

Then if you use air transportation mode, you can start it from the Sultan Hasanuddin airport - Napier using aircraft Dirgantara Air Service (DAS) to the airport Pongtiku in Rantetayo with a journey time of approximately 45 minutes. Future local government will build bigger airports that are in Mengkendek, so that visitors from out of town can directly transit at the airport without going through Sultan Hasanuddin airport in Makassar.

 

Here you can get around to Lemo, Londa and Tampang Allo, where in the area you can see a very unique cemetery that is very popular even internationally. The funeral shaped cave - a cave located in the rocky walls and caves - these caves are filled with lots of coffins and bones - human bones, indeed we think sometimes strange, but that's the uniqueness of the culture of the people of Tana Toraja.

If you pay a visit to Tana Toraja in June, July, or December, you can see the butchers do the slaughter of dozens of pigs and buffaloes are colossal. And you can also see how the uniqueness and sacredness of the culture or customs of Tana Toraja. Buffalo and pig itself is used as sacrificial animals for the ceremony of death in this place. According to the beliefs of the people Toraja animal - the animal is a means of transportation to puya for the spirits of people who died.

In Tana Toraja is no traditional ceremony to honor those who died by holding a party and slaughtered dozens of buffalos and pigs. This ceremony is the traditional ceremony death dekenal Signs Solo '. This party is usually held for one night or even until seven in the evening depending on the social status in the tradition of the Toraja people.

Besides, if you want to see a typical dwelling or house Toraja people are Tongkonan beautifully decorated and equipped with a rice barn, you could be visiting the village of Ke'te Kesu '. Here there are many rows of Tongkonan that looks similar to a saddle roof. Roofs of houses typical of the Toraja people made of split bamboo and arranged overlapping. but as the development time of a typical house roof Tana Toraja people are using zinc as a material. Tongkonan itself has a different kind - that is adapted to the different degrees of nobility owners. then on the walls - the walls are decorated with abstract and geometric patterns in white, red and black naturally. in Ke'te Kesu also you can find bamboo carving craftsmen and various other traditional crafts.

Then when you visit Lemo area, you can see the graves were placed hanging on the wall which is a special cemetery for nobility. This area is called with Lemo because in this place there is a stone cave that size is very large and round, shaped like the fruit juice and the burrow - burrows formed spots - spots such as citrus fruits. Here also are the graves of indigenous chief named Songgi Patalo about 500 years old.

 

Then when you go on a visit to Suaya, you'll find the tomb of the royal family, then near Sangala you will find a baby grave tree. According Toraja public confidence if there is a baby or a child - a child who died then be buried in the tree, and the tree will grow around. In addition, if you pay a visit to the Pallava, you'll find the typical Toraja weaving craft center, which also contained Tongkonan and burial areas, where ceremonies and festivals that are usually used by people around.

Not only that, you can proceed to visit Batu Tumonga Yag located on the slopes of Mount Sesean which is about 25 kilometers from Rantepao. Here you can see the natural beauty in the form of terraced rice fields and there are many rocks.