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ALL ABOUT

sandalwood island of Indonesia

" Sumba formerly known as the Sandalwood island of Indonesia, is also known for its race horses and ikat weaving beside the megalithic culture "

Sumba island or know as the sandalwood island is located in the most southern part of Indonesia on the Nusa Tenggara region famous for its horses and ikat textile. The Sumbanese practises trading with the Chinese traders untuk the 16th century, after which the Arabians trader became most important trading partner untuk the early 20th century. This island of Sumba is most famous for its arts and handicrafts, particularly textile "ikat" weaving.

Sumba is one of the 13,677 island of Indonesia archipelagoes, and become part of East Nusa Tenggara province with over 600.000 people live in Sumba from East to West part.

HISTORY OF SUMBA ISLAND

According to an old myth the first humans came down to Sumba on a ladder from heaven and settled on Tanjung Sasar on the north side of the island. Another myth says that Umbu Walu Sasar, one of the two Sumbanese ancestors, was driven away from Java and brought to Sumba by the gods. He also settled on Tanjung Sasar. The other ancestor, Umbu Walu Mandoko, came by boat and settled on the east side. The fact is that the people here are a mix of Malay and Melanese, while the language is related to eastern Sumbawa, western Flores and Sawu. The death and burial ceremonies have significant similarities with Tana Toraja on Sulawesi.

SOCIAL LIFE

The Sumbanese means of  Generally devided in to some  social strata as : MARAMBA ( RAJA OR KING/ HIGH STATUS )  KABIHU ( CUSTOMARY OFFICIAL )  and  ATA ( SLAVE ). East Sumbanese means of: Livelihood are cattle, breeding and some rice field farming. Owning the cattle contributes a social status, more cattle means higher status. According to the statistic, most of the Sumbanese  Christian  ( Katholik and Protestant )  and the other religion. And for the local people they still believe  local religion is : Animisme and Dinamisme.

They how ever are in the fact still intensively influenced by their native original religion name:  MARAPU. MARAPU means: ANCESTOR who are in Prai Marapu ( Marapu Heaven ) and Medium between human being and highest being  ( Creator )  The Spiritual  world consist of two element: NDEWA and HAMANGU, Main Philosophy of the Marapu is: Balance of unuversal  word and life. The Balance make easy to achieve the happiness. AMAKALADA and INA KALADA ( GREAT FATHER AND GREAT MOTHER )  are the symbol of the balance  which is then realized  by Sun and  Moon. The worship the Marapu  is Executed  by the Offering put offer  a stone consist of SIRIH AND PINANG ( Betel Nut )  and  Cattle the image of  Marapu is Made of  human  wood status  is usually put in House yard and customary house.

FUNERAL
Death is seen as  transition between worldly and Heavenly life. Therefore the funeral should be executed in special ceremony, so the human soul can properly proceed in to the Marapu  Heaven. By the Ceremony the relatives and ensure the safety on the human soul.

This ceremonies consist of Two stage :
FIRSTLY: Corpse is dressed up and put in a wood box with 50 Cm diameter. In quatting position. Breaking knees and elbows.Then it is placed in small tend waiting for next stage of ceremony, while guarded by Papanggang  ( Security Guard )

The Day  before first stage ends, there is the ceremony named pahadang led by Rato ( Marapu Priest ) praying for the dead, Ratu speak to the dead  to close the grave stone and ask him not worry abouth the family he has left behind   and to prepare proceed to Marapu.

Before the second stage   the grave stone should be  prepared with the size depends the social status  of the dead. It should be dragged from our side villages started  and ended  in special ceremony, using hundred meters  of rope made of palm fibre. than the second stage  is started.  The Dead carried and marched in a procession with some people riding on the  decorated  horses.
Hundred of People usually faint during  the procession do to spirit, at the cemetery, the dead is placed in a megalithic stone grave, you can see the grave at many village.

TRADITIONAL HOUSES AND STONE GRAVE
A traditional Sumbanese house is though of as representing a human being; the thatched peaked roof is called "the hair and the head, the four main pillars that stand on the ground and reach the peak are known as "the legs". These houses are social units and also serve as clan temples. The verandah function as the place where the guests are received and their betel nut is exchanged. Betel nut exchanged is an important customs and when offered it represents a western handshake, it is an insult to refuse the offer, although it is not necessary to eat it. The houses are also an important ceremonial center for funerals. Here the corpses are kept, prepared and mourned for a while the burials. Since death is the only way to join Marapu, the funeral is the most important and extravagant ceremony. Megalithic tombs with elaborate carvings symbolized the status of the person who will be erected. A great tomb might weight 30 tons; take 40 men two years to prepare and 1000 men to drag it from the quarry to its site.

The megalithic stones represent the first stone given by the creator to Marapu as compass to find Sumba from India. Since the Sumbanese believe the after world is a mirror of this world, status and wealth must be shown. Therefore his possessions will follow him to the grave and his animals will be sacrificed to honor him. Marriage is another significant ceremony filled with dancing, singing, entertainment and gift exchanged. A favorable marriage will give a rise in political or social status. Agricultural ceremonies and festivals are parts of the yearly traditional calendar. Pasola is one such festival in which colorful, spear throwing men on horseback, stage a mock battle between two teams. This is held to welcome the sea-worms, which foretell the coming harvest. It is held after the full moon in February and March.

West Sumba
The western part of Sumba is green and fertile in the wet season. It has a mixed population with two different languages; many still live in their traditional thatched huts. While East Sumba attracts tourists due to it's lovely ikat-textiles, West Sumba can offer more exotic traditions with unique houses, ceremonies and tombs. A traditional village typically consists of two rows of tall houses, with a square between. In the middle of the square there is a flat stone with another flat stone at the top of it. Here offerings are made to the spiritual forces that protect the city (marapu). Similar stones can be found in the fields where offerings are made in relation to planting and harvesting. On the open square there is often stone slab tombs of important ancestors. In former days the heads of killed enemies would be hung in a dead tree in the village square, called 'andung'. It is common today for tourists to visit some of these villages, preferably with a local guide to avoid any offending behavior. We will often be asked to donate a small amount of money; another custom is to offer betel nuts. It is a big offence to say no if we are offered a betel nut, in former days this was a declaration of war. Just accept it and put it away if we don't like to chew it like the locals.

East Sumba
East Sumba has a different climate, it is more dry and mountainous, and the people here belong to one single ethnical group with one common language. Waingapu, the capital, is located here and is a hub for transport to and from the island. There are some facilities here, but the main attractions are located west and southeast on the island. Some traditional villages are located southeast of Waingapu.
This region is better known for its "ikat" weaving. Traditionally only members of the highest clans and their personal attendants only used for special ceremonies and ikat. During important funerals the corpse was dressed in the finest textiles to make a good appearance in the afterlife, and piles of extra textiles was often sent with the dead as well. Later the Dutch started to export ikat to Europe and Java, where it quickly became very popular. Other products from here are horses and cattle. Horses are still used for transport on Sumba and are a symbol of high status; the large grass fields in the interior of the island are well suited for horse rising.

Handicraft : Aside from ikat you can get others artifacts of primitive art in Sumba: Wood carvings, sculptured stones, lime containers, traditional jewellery (Mamuli,Marengo,Tabelo), basket work, long knifes( Parang), traditional bag(Kalieku), primitive musical instrument, household items and artefact for fishing or hunting.
There are 45 different clans (Suku) in Sumba and each one has their own Marapu and their own invisible spirits.

In a traditional Sumbanese house (Uma), you can find wood or stone carvings which are images of Marapu even human or animal representation. In such house the are four pillars: one for men, one for Marapu (ancestor ) one for women and the last one for articles of value (spears, long knives, weawings, jewelry) and special plates, special earthen waterjar for Marapu. In some villages, you can still see skull trees dating from the time they were headhunters.

PASOLA : Pasola is the name of a war game tournament played by two groups of Sumbanese men (ones performing for coastal villages, others for inland villages). Entrants must be brave and skilled enough to provoke opponents flinging wooden spears. Pasola is a traditional ceremony of the Sumbanese held in the way of uniquely and sympethically traditional norms, every year in February and March and has become the focus of attention of the people since it is a part of the sacred homage to the Marapu.
The ceremony occurs during February in Lamboya and Kodi and during March in WanuKaKa and Gaura. The main activity starts several days after the full-moon and rituals take place before Pasola, mostly the night before Pasola coinciding with the yearly arrival to the shore of strange and multicolored sea worms-nyale. The precise date of the event decided by the Rato during the Wula Podu.

So the event celebrate the arrival of nyale, a goddess believed to be the symbol of divinity and fertility blessing on plants and cattle. Colorful horsemen riding decorated horses give rise to this unique tournament: the dashing horsemen gallop around the area challenging their opponents to spearthrowing contests. Government regulation now require the use of blunt spears but injury and death are accepted as possible consequences of playing the game and there is not any prosecution. The atmosphere in this arena grows increasable excited and cries and screams of the public heighten the feeling of keen competition.

WEDDING : First the men have to “knock at the door”: go to the girl’s village and bring animals to her father. He must comes two times again, giving much buffalos and horses at each time. Finally, he is obliged to offer a huge number of cattle and horses to be allowed to take away the girl. If it is not enough, the girl stay in her family; that’s a great deal and a lot of money (or debts) to get a wife in Sumba! Men have to bring horses, buffalos, gold and metalwork; bride have to bring pigs, dogs, ivory
and textiles. Weddings are absolutely impossible between some clan which are in bad terms, even in modern times.

BURIAL : Death is the more important event for Sumbanese and the dead men must enter in the afterworld with all he needs. The body is dressed with several textiles and the wake last some days. During this time relatives have gathered and brought gifts (mostly animals). The last day relatives have an endless talk to determinate the value of gifts: they are bound to a system of swaps and debts all their life. Then they slaughter some of animals one of which is a horse that the dead man’s spirit will ride in the afterworld. The body is buried with things needed and symbols of wealth.
At 19th century, slaves were still sacrificed to follow and serve the king in the afterworld.

POTENTY OF TOURIST OBJECT : A survey on East and West Sumba, Tourist development executed by tourist service  of East Nusa Tenggara Province, has recorded and analysed four types  of tourist object( NATURAL, CULTURAL,EVENT, HISTORICAL TOURIST OBJECT )

" Sumba promises to offer the great adventure travel experience and unusual culture, beautiful landscape, traditional houses, stunning view of white sand beach "