Toraja’s Rambu Solo: Who Died to Live Another Life.
Mr Alan Sr is a social leader in Toraja, He was one of the most respected elder in his village, a village in Sesean, Northern. He choose to live his life in that village of his childhood, leaving alone the possibility to travel and earning better jobs in other city.
He was a famous village chief at his time, he also the first person who initiate to build a small accommodation for tourist visiting Tana Toraja.
At his death, he leave several wives, tens of children, and some more grandchildrens.
Alan Sr passed away 4 years ago, as the culture inheritted from their ancestor. The death person is cosidered as sick person before he is properly buried with ceremonial that they called Rambu Solo. This ceremony alone can reach cost of US$ 500,000 !
While wait for his Rambu Solo, his body will be preserved by formaliln injection. Then he will be wearing Toraja traditional clothing and kept in his house until the family is ready.
He will stay at his coffin, while the family still served him with coffee, cigarettes and food everyday. The family will also change the clothe regularly and never left him alone, there is always someone who is accompany him. Just like living person.
It is 4 years after his death, when his family finally collected all the funds that they need to perform the properly ceremonied Rambu Solo. The ceremony alone cost hundreds of pigs and minimum 26 of cows, that a fortunes even for a whole family funds collected together.
The Torajan poeople will not really ‘burried’ that they are not burried 6 feet under. They were burried inside the cave or outside the cave thatToraja surrounding by cliffs and mountain. Some say they death person can walk under the spell to reach his final resting place in the cave cemetery
Before the burial, the family also making the statue of the death, called Tau Tau.
Tau Tau are also representative of the deaths, and showing the social status of the people. The statue then wears clothes, jewelry, or even the death’s hair. The making of this tstue, that will place in the death’s grave, are very shrouded vby traditional animal (cow sacrifactions and some rituals). That will took months to make by the special craftman.
Tau Tau also showing the social status of the death by the wood used to make the statue. Bamboo wood represent the lower social status, Cotton wood represent middle class, and the Jackfruit wood are the highest social status.
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Duration:
7 days, starting 7th June 2019
9 days include travelling from Jakarta
Crews
Up to 3 filming crews per fixer
Transportation:
Rent car from Makassar to Tana Toraja (7-10 hours drive, 304 km)
Accommodation
Hotel Atas Awan (non-starred), single occupancy per crew plus fixer, 8 nights.
INCLUDED. NATIONAL FILMING PERMIT, LOCATION PERMIT. Please contact us for special Drone pilot and NOTAM for Drone usage.
Meeting Point, Makassar (UPG) airport, Indonesia.
(c) picture from go-celebes .com