A heaven sent people and culture

A heaven sent people and culture

Torajans believe that their ancestors originated from a marriage
of people from the heaven and sea, creating their offspring
together with the unique culture of Aluk Todelo.

That is the folklore version; more contemporary
anthropological research reveals that ancestors of Torajans came
from Indochina and belong to proto Malays, like the Batak of
North Sumatra and the Dayak in Kalimantan, who migrated to the
land many centuries ago.

The number of Torajans adhering to the Aluk Todolo tradition,
however, continues to decrease and is now estimated at only 5
percent of the 400,000 population. Although most Torajans have
converted to Christianity, many Torajan Christians still perform
traditional rituals, especially those for death and marriage.

Major parts of Aluk Todolo are based on the belief that life
is about upholding its principles, especially ancestor worship,
in complying with the time-honored adat (customs).

For Torajans, the world is the place to see goodness, where
people fulfill all obligations and responsibilities to the
community, to live contentedly until death and the transition to
the spirit world.

The final purpose of life is to prepare for death, so that
when one dies the customary ceremonies reflect the deceased's
efforts during the ephemeral world.

This is why death is an important event for the family and the
community. The soul of any family member who dies may not
automatically go to the spirit world (puya), but stays to disturb
other living people in a kind of purgatory.

Such a soul is pitiful and suffers greatly; in order for it to
proceed to puya, there must be a funeral rite in compliance with
the Aluk Todolo rules.

Life in the puya must be just like living in this world. If
one is happy in the world, then that same joy will be felt in the
puya. Based on this belief, the family will put jewelry and other
precious belongings in the grave to enable the deceased to
continue to enjoy them. -- Abdul Khalik