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| The Tongkonan houses of Tanatoraja are closely bound up with Torajan traditions- one of their important functions is a constant reminder of the authority of the original noble families whose descendants alone have the right to build such houses. The state of a tongkonan also symbolizes the unity of a clan. They are the meeting place for family gatherings and may not be bought or sold. Tanatoraja is one of the few places in Indonesia where traditional houses are still being built and the skills to make them survive. The owners often live in modern houses, keeping the Tongkonan for ceremonies and as a symbol of the family's status. Most Tongkonan have rice barns, surrounded by sevral ordinary bungalows on stilts, like the houses of the Bugis and Makassarese. The roof, rearing up at either end, is the most striking aspect of a Tongkonan. Some say the house represents the head of a buffalo and the rising roof represents the horns. Other suggest that the roof looks more like a boat and that the raised ends represent the bow and the stern. The houses all face north- some say because the ancestors of the Toraja came from the north, carrying their boats to the safety of the hills and inverting them to use as shelter. Others maintain that the north (and the east) are regarded as the sphere of life, the realm of the gods. The high gables are supported by poles and the wall panels are decorated with pained engravings. Each geometrical design has an individual name and meaning. On these panels red is is meant to symbolize human life, as red is the color of blood; white is the color of flesh and bone, and a symbol of purity; yellow represents God's blessing and power; and black symbolises death and darkness. Traditionally the colors were all natural- black is the soot from cooking pots, yellow and red are colored earth, and white is lime. Balok (palm wine) was used to improve the staying power of the colors. Artisans would decorate the houses and be paid in buffaloes. A realistic carving of a buffalo's head decorates the front part of the house. Numerous buffalo horns, indicating the wealth of the family, are attached to the front pole which supports the gable. The beams and supports of Torajan houses are cut so that they all neatly slot or are pegged together; no metal nails are used. The older houses have roof of ovelapping pieces of bamboo, but newer houses use corrugated metal sheets. Standing on thick solid piles, the rectangular body of the house is small in contrast to the roof, and consists of two or three dark rooms with low doors and small windows. If necessary the whole house can actually be put on runners and moved to another location. Torajan houses always face a line-up of rice barns- wealthy owners may have a whole fleet of barns. The barns look like miniatures houses and, like the living area in a house, the rice storage area is surprisingly small considering the overall size of the structure. The barn has a small door at one end, and the surface of the walls and the high gables are usually decorated. The rice storage chamber is raised about two meters off the ground on four smooth columns of wood, polished to prevent rats climbing up them. About 60 cm from the ground is a wooden platform stretched between the pillars, an important meeting place to sit and while away the hours, as well as a shelter from downpours. | ||||
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The toraja have a number of ceremonies connected with the constuction of a Tongkonan. Construction is preceded by the sacrificial killing of a chicken, pig or buffalo; its successful completion is celebratd with a large feast in which many pigs and at least one buffalo are killed. |  | ||
