Kujua Mb1nu Za Kumf1k1sha K1lelen1 Mwanamke Kwa Haraka: BONYEZA HAPA CHNI
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Tana Toraja, in the south of Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, is home to about half of the country’s Toraja population, an ethnic group indigenous to this mountainous region.
Every August, after the harvest and before the planting season, a celebration called Ma’Nene begins here. It is part of one of the most complex funeral rituals in the world, in which family members dig up their loved ones every three years to dress them in new clothes, clean their bodies and repair their coffins.
Yohanes Tampang lies in front of me. Dressed in black sunglasses, a black suit and a batik headband, he still looks a little rough.
He died 15 years ago but has just been dug out his tomb by family members, who will soon start cleaning his corpse. I heard about the Ma’Nene ritual a few years ago but was only able to witness it this year.
My interest for Indonesia’s ancient beliefs, from Bali to Sumba to Tana Toraja, has brought me to learn more about my country’s spirituality in a time of rapid social change and urbanization. It has become my long-term project, to document those who still respect their ancestors.
As family members gather around the corpse of Yohanes Tampang, I don’t see fear or disgust, just love. They talk with the deceased and introduce him to a new family member. We believe dead family members are still with us, even if they died hundreds of years ago” explains Daniel Toding, a villager from Pangala village, after dressing up his deceased grandmother in new clothes. “This is our way of respecting and honoring our ancestors and loved ones.”
The Ma’Nene ritual is celebrated by those who follow Aluk Todolo, an ancient set of beliefs that revolves around an all-encompassing god named Puang Matua, as well as the spirits of ancestors. Their funeral ritual originated from the story of a hunter named Pong Rumasek, whose life prospered after he dressed and buried a corpse he found in the forest. Since then, people in his village, Baruppu, have believed that corpses should be treated with care and respect. That belief spread throughout Tana Toraja.
[3.MB]BONYEZA HAPO CH1NI KUINGIA KATIKA WEBSITE YA VIDEO ZA MAMBO YETU UJIONEE WASANII WA BONGO MOVIE WAK1BANJUANA
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