Friday, February 25, 2011

Rambu Solo

IN mourning for the death, Torajanese held traditional ceremony called Rambu Solo. This is spectacular custom ceremony which involves many people, arts, attractions, and even slaughter of tens or hundreds of animals. In Toraja, ritual of death is "glorious" indeed.

As compared to other traditional ceremonies, Rambu Solo is the most popular among tourists. Description of this ceremony is always included in catalog of international tourism. If you are lucky enough to come at the right time, you can see the unique traditional ceremony.

In the beliefs of Aluk (religion of Torajanese in first epoch), soul of someone who died must be delivered so that he can reaches puyo (heaven). Rambu Solo is a delivery. If family did not carry Rambu Solo, soul of the deceased will be rumble. So with all efforts, a certain kinship will conduct this ceremony.

If kinship does not have cost to implement them soon after death, they may collect money first. But before the ceremony was conducted, the dead must be considered only as sick or weak men. Remains stored in the house, still given food and drink, even ask the dead to talk as always.

More and more high social status of people who died, the great ritual has to be held. The large ceremony was measured from number of animals slaughtered. A noble kinship will slaughter between 24 up to 100 buffaloes. Middle status will slaughter eight buffaloes and 50 pigs enough.

Various activities are interesting views on ceremony of Rambu Solo are:

Mapasilaga tedong (buffalo fight). Competed buffalo in Toraja has unique characteristics horns curved down or crusted striped called tedong bonga. This type of water buffalo (babalus bubalis: mud buffalo) is endemic species in Tana Toraja.
Sisemba. People compete their foot or leg one another.
Dances rites of Rambu Solo, namely ma'badong, ma'dondi, ma'randing, ma'katia, ma'papanggan, and massailo. On ma'badong, guests were standing around while holding onto hands. Then they sing and dance together. Strain of their song describes the sadness.
Instrumental music called pa'pompang, pa'dalidali and unnosong.
Matinggoro tedong (slaughter the buffalo). How to slaughter the buffalo on this ceremony is unique, cut the neck with a single swing of chopper. Buffalo is first tethered on a stone called simbuang batu. Buffalo butcher (patinggoro tedong) swing the chopper in a moment.

At the peak of the event, ma'balun ritual is held, (enwrap the corpse), ma'roto (set of gold and silver thread ornaments on the chest), ma'parokko alang (to mow down the corpse to be buried), and ma'palao (bring the corpse to the funeral). When corpse is delivered, red cloth spread out cover the family.

Quoted from :http://orbit99tours.blogspot.com/2010/03/rambu-solo-gloriuos-funeral.html

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