Tana Toraja - Sulawesi

The area inhabited by the Tana Toraja people is located in the northern part of the Sulawesi Selatan province (South Sulawesi). Despite being surrounded by the sea, both from east and west, the plateau is humid and green. A big part of the area is covered with rice terraces.

Being in Tana Toraja is like being in a different world. Don't get mislead by the modern life syndromes such as mobile phones, TVs or cars, as they are not what describes the Torajans' mentality.

In their culture, ensuring the dead get their desired place in the beyond is much more relevant than the joy and quality of everyday life. However 'the desired place' also takes something - the funeral ceremonies take huge amounts of money, and even new special villages are built for that occasion. It seems that the lifes of Torajan societies are all about the funerals.
The animal lovers, who feel for the animals when they suffer and go through pain, should be warned - as the Torajan's funeral ceremonies are cruel, and involve sacrifices, sometimes of hundreds of pigs and buffalos, which are then killed. So, before attending a funeral ceremony, which can be an interesting and unusual experience, first make sure you are ready to see the animals suffering.

The Tana Toraja people claim to have arrived by boats from a distant land, probably Cambodia. The traditional distinct shape of their houses reflects a boat bow and stern, or, in a different interpretation, it is a symbol of buffalo's horns (which are relevant for that culture).

When visiting Tana Toraja you will everywhere notice graves, both new and old. Bones and skulls pour out of rotten coffins in the caves, huge stones with grave holes are all over the rice fields.

On top of that, new graves are constantly hollowed; not only in stones, but also in trees. Some of the old and almost dead trees have remains of dead children inside them. The holes later scared over and all that was lef after them were thin lines. The dead children 'grow' as the tree grows.

Hou have no doubts now - you are in a different world!!!