Torajan people are one of South Sulawesi sub-ethnic, they are hinterland people living in mountainous area, and Toraja is their ethnical identity name. They have various extraordinary traditional daily life, from spectacular funeral ceremony until their traditional architectural house.
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| Alang Sura (Rice-barn) a part of Tongkonan on a group |
Tana Toraja (Toraja Land) is the lovely name of their living area, now we can reach Tana Toraja easily from Makassar, the capital city of South Sulawesi and largest city in Sulawesi, by road. Like another mountainous area in Indonesia, Tana Toraja also have incredible panoramic.
But in this occasion I would like to share you about their traditional architectural house, Torajan people named their house as Tongkonan, taken from their local word tongkon (mean sit in English) or literally means the place where family members sitting together, meeting and reunion.
History and Construction
Tongkonan has a unique shape, resembling the ancient Chinese royal boat. At first glance similar to Rumah Gadang the traditional Minangkabau house in spite of the historical research has not confirmed the existence of kinship ties for both of them, but the two tribes are believed to have ancestors who came from mainland of China (Tongkin). The use of such forms is believed to be a memento of their first arrival history, the Toraja people remember their ancestors by building a house by taking boat form, which their ancestors used when crossing from the mainland of Asia Continent.
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| Tongkonan |
Tongkonan always point to the north and the tip of the pointed roof always upward this to symbolize their ancestors who came from the north. They also believed that later when died they will back together gathering with the spirits of his ancestors somewhere in the north. Tongkonan was built used woods and bamboo as the main material and not allow any kind of metal to be part of the building.
Historically, Tongkonan built as a governmental house, customs authority and the center for Tana Toraja social and cultural development. That makes this house cannot be owned by individuals, but owned for generations by the family or clan of Tana Toraja tribe.
Socio-Cultural Aspect
Torajan assumes that Tongkonan as a mother and Alang sura (rice-barn) as a father. Tongkonan functioned as housing, social activities, traditional ceremonies, and for developing familiarity while alang sura functioned as supporter.
Interior of the house divided into three parts, northern part, center part and southern part. The northern part room named Tangalok, functioning as guest room, children’s bedroom and offerings room. The center part room named Sali, functioning as family meeting, kitchen, dining room and to put a died body of family member before funeral ceremony held. The southern room named Sumbung this is functioned as family room.
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| Buffalo horns at front of Tongkonan |
Another characteristic of Tongkonan is heads and horns of buffalos, which are put on the front of the house on the main pole of the building. Heads and horns is lined from the top to the bottom properly, while on the left side of the house they put the buffalo jaws and on the right side they show jaws of pig. This unique exterior decoration prepared to show their social grade.
Ornament of buffalo horns on the front of Tongkonan symbolized economic capacity of the owner/clan in a funeral ceremony, because traditional funeral ceremony of Torajan always sacrificing many buffalos depending on family member economic capacity. Of course, the more buffalo horns emblazoned on the front of the house, the higher their social grade status.
Craving ornament of Tongkonan made of buffalo horn (Buffalo is the most important animal for Torajan) with four based colors; black, red, yellow, and white representing of Torajan Indigenous Belief (Aluk To Dolo). Each color symbolized different character and meaning. Black color symbolizing death and darkness, yellow symbolizing blessing, glorious and power of God, Red color symbolizing of human living, and white color symbolizing of chastity.
There are various kinds of Old Tongkonan depending on its functions:
1. Tongkonan Layuk
This is the first and most important Tongkonan, this kind of Tongkonan used for center for studying and developing local culture, also for making Torajan customary law.
2. Tongkonan Pekamberan / Pekaindoran
Tongkonan Pekamberan is the second grade of Tongkonan, this is the official place to execute customary law and other custom rules.
3. Tongkonan Batu Ariri
This Tongkonan is a family Tongkonan. Using by family member for their daily life.
In days of yore, nobles can only build Tongkonan. In addition, custom home Tongkonan cannot individually owned but owned by passed on from generation to generation by tribal clan of Toraja.
Decoration and Ornamentation
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| Exterior Ornament and Decoration |
The main form of Tongkonan is similar. They only use a type of decoration to distinguish its function. For Tongkonan Layuk must be a central pole named Tulak Somba, plus buffalo head ornament that named Kabongo and head of chicken ornament that named Katik. Tongkonan Pekamberan can only use Kabongo and Katik, without Tulak Somba while Tongkonan Batu Ariri cannot use all three mentioned ornaments.
There is no writing system exists on Torajan culture, so that all everything regarding to documentation of their local wisdom and rules only transferred orally to the next generation before they have contact with modern alphabetical. To express social and religious concepts, Torajan carve wood, calling it Pa'ssura (or "the writing"). That is mean Torajan woodcarvings are not only a traditional art for entertainment but also a cultural manifestation.
Toraja Tongkonan which owned by nobles has different accessories than the one which owned by common peoples. On the walls, windows, and columns we can found an artistic figure of chicken, pork, and buffalo, as well as interspersed tendril-like stems of plants, which all of them are presented in a high class carved motifs.
Tongkonan custom homes will continue to be built and redecorated by the Torajan. It was not because of improvements reason, but rather to maintain the prestige and influence of the nobility. The rebuilding of Tongkonan will be accompanied by elaborate ceremonies involving all citizens and not much different from a funeral.
Since 2010, Indonesian government already sent to UNESCO to include Tongkonan as a part of World Cultural Heritage.
