Indonesia South Sulawesi

Tana Toraja Regency

A highland region known for its unique boat-shaped houses, intricate funeral rituals, and traditional culture amidst lush landscapes.

Tips from the community

In Sulawesi, animist traditions dictate that all entities, both existent and inanimate, hold a spiritual essence. Complex funeral rites ease the passage of the departed to the next world and see livestock slaughtered, cadavers paraded, respects paid. Bones and skeletons are placed reverentially in the monoliths and megaliths of Tana Toraja. Such rites extend to children: those who pass before teething are considered pure and interred in growing trees, their bodies wrapped in swaddling. As the tree grows, so too does nature absorb the child, whose young soul will be collected by the wind and delivered to the hereafter.

tomas.d 3 years ago

Tana Toraja Regency Guides

  • Tradition and Lore: Eight Intriguing Sites in Indonesia

    tomas.d (Tom D)
    Whilst Indonesia has plenty to entice visitors, it is the hidden depths that often offer the most compelling allure. The depth and breadth of folklore and history mirror the cultural diversity across the archipelago, from the northern tip of Sumatra to West Papua’s border with Papua New Guinea, and indicate the influence of long-held customs. Magnify this across innumerable religions, languages, cultures and islands to have some idea of the myriad stories that only begin to scratch the surface of Indonesia’s mythology and teach lessons to those willing to learn. Here are eight such examples.