Toraja Traditional House Philosophy

Tongkonan in Tanah Toraja has a social function, culture, and customs vary. One function is as a place to store the bodies.

MOOD still early. As the fog slowly disappeared in a small hill began dimly visible from the roof of a small building. The tip of the roof looked like a buffalo horn seruncing but not original. The roof is no longer made of reeds like the original building but was replaced with zinc. Buildings with pointed roofs were named Baruang Tongkonan or commonly called Tongkonan, the Toraja traditional house.

"Tongkon means sit. The word 'an' to say where," said Andre, one of the village residents Tondon, Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi. Tongkonan is where people in the village to gather, consulting, and solve problems customs. His hands and pointed to the Latimojong Mountains,

"Our ancestors of the Toraja people there, and the mountain. Formerly, Matua Puang lower tetaa-tetaa Toraja." Puang Matua means the Creator, or God Almighty according to the Toraja people who create the content of the earth around it.

Facing Up North Almost all of the Toraja house facing north. This refers Puang Matua in the world of the north. Puang facing Matua means respecting clan believed to be a blessing always. As residents set foot outside the house, then his whole life will be submitted to Puang Matua.

Tongkonan itself it's the stage house built from a combination of sticks and sheets of board. If observed, rectangular diagram to follow the practical form of wood materials. No lacquer or varnish, it all comes from wood uru, a type of local wood that comes from Sulawesi. Kualltas the wood good enough and many dijumpal dijumpal in Toraja region.

There are three parts of Tongkonan; under (Sulluk Banua), charts (Kale Banua) and roof (Ratiang Banua). Viewed from the looks aside, this distribution pattern is clear darn wooden structure. In the space underneath and look at the walls covered with the seams of the boards with a thickness of about 5-7 cm.

On the roof, the curved shape like a buffalo horn. On the west and east sides of the building there is a small window, where the entry of sunlight and wind flow. Tongkonan have each column berkumpu in stone. The main column into a buffer structure on the roof edges.

There are no special provisions Tongkonan size wooden structures, all based on the availability of wood raw material in the market uru. At Kale Banua that serves as a place to live, the floor boards consist of slabs reinforced with the stage floor structure.

This section has several other functions such as guest lounge and thankfulness ritual space in the front side and a living room and used as a space to place the body at a funeral. On the back side of the building have sleeping space for family members.

Big Funds needed
According to Andre, dividing it easy Tongkonan structure (ie: planning column). The process just attach the ends. Give one column in the middle and then divided. Development of a Tongkonan can spend around USD 2-3 billion.

"If only alangnya cheap material, approximately USD 50-60 million," he said again, pointing to a similar house Tongkonan stage but smaller. The function of the building to save the harvest from the family fields.

Toraja nobleman who have generally different Tongkonan Tongkonan from the usual. The difference is in the walls, windows, and columns. Wood surface three elements finely carved and detailed. There is a picture of the motive chickens, pigs, and buffalo. Also alternately punctuated with tendrils resemble plants.

In the main column also serves as a place to hang a buffalo skull, as a sign keberhasilari ceremony. For the Toraja, the buffalo as an animal other than cattle they also became symbols of wealth and status. Therefore, the slaughter of buffalo has always been a welcome event at a party.

As a celebration of the funeral
That day, around the end of December 2008, in a village Tongkonan Tondon, Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, the traffic was busy carrying food, agricultural tools, cooking utensils, cloth, buffalo, pigs, bamboo, and wood. In front Tongkonan there is a street connecting road between the cities with the city Rantempao Palopo, Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi.

Evidently there that day or the funeral ceremony are often called "seorng a party". All villagers involved in this ceremony which includes all descendants from all over feted. They gathered with tourists who want to see riuhnya event.

Belu corpse was Salurante year, Toraja nobleman, became residents Banua Barung-barung (part of the house of Toraja). Exactly one year after death, the entire family of Salurante
This will celebrate their roots with the party conducting the funeral procession, or sign Solok.

According to the Toraja, the dead person is still sick. Therefore, the body is stored in the living room of their house. The body was still regarded as part of a still kelaurga
live. When the meal was, there is a separate section for these dead.

Solok Signs Before the procession began, a buffalo cut in the yard first. The number and complexity of the carvings on the surface of the Tongkonan Kayo symbolizes the status of its owner. Toraja nobleman has Tongkonan with patterned as a buffalo sculpture. While the usual Tongkonannya not carved as a sign of respect.

Belu Salurante coffin carved vines and the lid was painted gold by a rope tied to a bamboo cross ditumpukan. Bamboo serves to carry the coffin. There were two women sitting dibambu and black clothes. Her body swayed to the right and left when the men Tondon Village residents and family members trooped Salurante alternately carried.

"Heyaaa heee, heee heyaaaa, 'cried the men encouraged their own din. The distance through which the procession is about 5 km, turn the house into Tongkonan Salurante Belu another. In the back of the men, followed the parents and mothers who carrying a long red cloth. On the right side of the street, residents greeted the Village Tondon clan pay their respects to the nobility.

The coffin is then stored in the Tongkonan before entered into the Lung-Bang (tomb) family in the cliffs east of the village. In the process of moving coffin to the cemetery will be held back cliff buffalo sacrifice pests.

That range of functions carried by Tongkonan. Besides as a gathering place
as well as a temporary storage place before the body was taken to the cemetery on the cliffs far there