Tana Toraja (Toraja Land), which lies in the north of the province is known for its unique culture and ancient traditions. The center of tourism is Rantepao, 328 km from Ujung Pandang by road. There are several small bungalow hotels at Rantepao, and Makale, the district capital. The entry to Tana Toraja is marked by a gate built in traditional boat-shaped architecture.
Funeral Ceremony in Tana Toraja, in the middle of Sulawesi (Indonesia). 60 bulls and hundreds of pigs are slaughtered during a 5 day lasting funeral, where more than 1000 people meet, drink and eat. Toraja have a Protestant Christian religion, with a lot of native influences. Photo galleries
Be warned, though, some parts of the ceremony are not for the faint-hearted --- the slaughter by single sword stroke of a scared buffalo is common.
Drive through spectacular mountain, steep terraced slopes and tall bamboo forests to arrive in Toraja highland, the "Land of the Heavenly Kings". We will walk across the natural beauties of Toraja highland to experience unique culture of Toraja people which is based on animistic beliefs. Known for their grand burial ceremonies on cliffs or hanging graves Tana Toraja has a specific and unique funeral ceremony which is called Rambu Solo. In Tana Toraja, dead body is not buried, but it is put in Tongkonan for several times, even can be more than ten years until the family have enough money to held the ceremony. they practice an ancestral cult even today where death and afterlife ceremonies are great feasts when buffaloes are sacrificed in the final death ceremony, after which the deceased's remains are placed in a coffin and interred in caves hollowed out in high cliffs. Tana Toraja has a specific and unique funeral ceremony which is called Rambu Solo. In Tana Toraja, dead body is not buried, but it is put in Tongkonan for several times, even can be more than ten years until the family have enough money to held the ceremony. After ceremony, the dead body is brought to the cave or to the wall of the mountain. The skulls show us that the dead body is not buried but just put on stone or ground, or put in the hole.The funeral festival season begins when the last rice has been harvested, usually in late June or July, and lasts through to September.
The road from Makassar or Ujung Pandand to Toraja runs along the coast for about 130 km's and then hits the mountains. After the entrance to Tana Toraja you enter a majestic landscape with giant gray, granites and stones and blue mountains at a distance after passing the market village of Mebali. They form a sharp contrast with the lively green of the fertile, rain-fed terraces and the rusty read of the tropical laterite soil. This is Tana Toraja, one of the most splendid areas in Indonesia.
