Ma’Gellu’ Dance as an expression of Gratitude After the Harvest

One more thing that makes me love Indonesia is a dance that very often I see when I was in Tana Toraja. Beautiful dance dazzling as the faces of the women who perform the dance.......

Ma’Gellu’ Dance performent

Ma’Gellu performed when the harvest is over. 80% of the people in Toraja society in ancient times lives from farming because Tana Toraja geographically is mountainous and easy watering as general area of Indonesia is agricultural. Relating to agriculture in Indonesia is creating diverse culture, interesting to visit.

At night when the moon is in half some people pounding rice in a mortar (Mortar is the name of a tool made of wood that sunken in the middle) and to the accompaniment of the sound of mortar, women come to dance, as a sign of gratitude to the Almighty over the success of the harvest. Ma’Gellu’ describes the farmers harvest the rice by using ani-ani (ani-ani is a tool for cutting rice stalks), which is generally done by women and girls in the village. The harvest activity takes days even weeks, so it is quite tiring, but do not feel tired because they do it with passion, familiar and cheerful.

The Ma’gellu dance was originally developed in the District of Pangalla’ about 45 km to the East of Rantepao city, the capital city of North Toraja Regency. Pangalla’ is the capital city of Rindingallo District where we can find the monument of the local hero, Pong Tiku, who dared to oppose the Dutch government determined to build a stone castle in the Benteng Batu village of  Baruppu’ District.
Ma’Gellu dance is usually performed at the ceremony of Ma’Bua’. Ma’Bua’ is a special ritual ceremony related to the traditional Toraja house (Tongkonan), or a resident family has been performing the big ceremony of Rambu Solo’ (RAPASAAN SAPU RANDANAN). Recently Ma’gellu dance is also performed at the wedding ceremony, thanksgiving harvest, honor and reception events.

Ma’Gellu dance is performed by young women with an odd number and accompanied by a drum rhythm played by four young men. Clothing and accessories that are used specifically for dancers with jewelry made of gold and silver as : Gold Keris/ Sarapang Bulawan, Kandaure, Sa’pi’ Ulu’, Tali Tarrung, Bulu Bawan, Rara’, Mastura, Manikkata, Oran-oran, Lola’ Pali’ Gaapong, Komba Boko’ and others.

If you visit one of the 10 attractions of Indonesia, you can enjoy the dance of Ma’Gellu in the origin of Tana Toraja region, one of the region as a cause I love Indonesia.

image sources : http://www.torajatreasures.com/en/culture/12-traditional-arts/23-dance-a-music

Baruppu ' Society

 I once lived in the area is very beautiful and cool with a culture that is famous '' Rambu Solo’, Rambu  Tuka ' and ' Ma ' Nene. There is also a Community Unity ' Baruppu' which was named  PKB/Persatuan Keluarga Baruppu'.

A. THE HISTORY OF FORMATION
Baruppu is the name of the grass (ruppu '-ruppu ') are used as medicinal plants and ancient society according to the story there was a shepherd who kerbaunya pain and take ruppu '-ruppu ' to treat kerbaunya and finally cured, so the becomes a town currently named Baruppu, the capital of the Subdistrict kecamatannya located in Barereng. District of Baruppu in the form of a Regulation based on The number 5 in 2005.

B. GEOGRAPHICAL LAYOUT

The Total Area
Baruppu district is located in Barereng which has an area of 145,18 Km2 with Geographic Coordinates are at 02o 51 ' 9 "S and 119o 46 ' 50" E
Borders to the North borders on Province Mamuju & town North Luwu, South of abut district  Awan Rantekarua, to the East bordered district Buntu Pepasan & Rindingallo, the West borders town Tana Toraja & Province Mamuju.


C. TOFOGRAFI
Baruppu the State of his subdistrict consists of Plains and mountains has a range of 50 Km from the capital District to the capital.


D. POTENTIAL NOMINEES

1.  Plantations (Coffee, Arabica Coffee Robusta)
2. Cultivation Of Sweet Taro
3. Cultivation of Tamarillo and passion fruit
4. The cultivation of potatoes and Lentils
5. Agriculture (Padi)
6. Forest products (Timber and rattan)
7. Fattening The Buffalo
8. Tourism: Liang Stones, Traditional House Tongkonan, Cultural Tours
9. Cultivation Of Carp

    Sub Barppu ' consists of 4 villages namely:

1. Subdistricts Of South Baruppu '
2. Lembang Baruppu ' Benteng Batu
3. Lembang Baruppu ' North Of
4. Lembang Baruppu ' Parodo

E. CULTURE IN BARUPPU '
Baruppu ' like Tana Toraja in South Sulawesi, with a chain of natural as well as the ritual of adatnya which has unique. The best known, of course, a party Rambu a Solo race held near the cemetery of the honoured. It's just Baruppu ' not so well known unlike the Tana Toraja Regency, while Baruppu ' is part of the Toraja.

1. Rambu Solo’ '
Like other indigenous Toraja in Baruppu ' case also is known for its tradition of ritual refinement of death often called Rambu Solo’ '. I call this ceremony completes the death, because someone who passed away recently would be considered really has died after a whole procession in this completes ceremony. Before filled prosesition, who died only considered being "sick" or "weak", so that his body was still laid out on her bed and her always food & drink served, areca or betel, cigarettes were still even though is certainly not dialogue will vote. Anyway still treated like a person who is not dead yet.

More than that, the Rambu solo ' is the ceremonial supply and offerings to the deceased to step into the realm of the spirit, back to eternity with its ancestors through a villa called the PUYA. Provision and complementary way to immortality is not limited to animals slaughtered victims at a ceremony only, but also on the property in the form of clothing, jewelry, and money is to be conducted along the remains of people who is the deat to the necropolis. To the ancestors who have family the deat much earlier, it can also be as offering sacrifices through relatives who are ceremonialed. In each of the ceremony's loyalty and love of each toraja to its parent, in the life and death.

Torajans believe that after death, the deceased person would travel to PUYA. Puya's own is the name of a village in the southern area of tana toraja. That's where the world where the spirits are, which is then at a later time will be transformed back into a notch deity dwells in the heavens, where human beings were created for the first time. Toraja call to mebali puang.
Back on Rambu Solo’ ' as Yepp refinement of death, all offerings brought on by a meniggal will decide also to the status of the Puya. No provision is appropriate, such a person will not be accepted as feasible when arrive at Puya.

2. Rambu Tuka'

Ceremony Rambu Tuka ' is a show with berhungan ngadain e.g. weddings, harvest home Thanksgiving and the inauguration of the new customs/tongkonan, or renovations; bring all family Grove, from the show make  the bond family in Baruppu ' Tana Toraja is powerful all the ceremony known as Ma'Bua ', Meroek, or Mangrara Banoa' Sura '.

Ceremonies Rambu Tuka ' followed by a dance: Pa ' Pa ' Boneballa, Gellu, Gellu Tungga ', Ondo Samalele, Pa'Dao, Pa'Burake, Memanna, Pa'Tirra, ' Maluya, Panimbong and others. For the art of music namely Pa'pompang, pa'Barrung, Pa'pelle '. Music and dance performed at Rambu Solo’ ' should not be featured on (taboo) Rambu Tuka ceremony '.

3. Ma ' Nene '
In addition to Rambu Solo’, actually there is one indigenous rituals and rare in Toraja, namely Ma ' Nene ', i.e. ritual of cleaning and replacing the relics of the ancestral fashion. This Ritual is only known to the public Baruppu in Toraja inland North.
Typically, Ma ' Nene ' race held each August. When Ma ' Nene ', wagons dead ancestors, and the elderly, excluded from the tombs and stone liang and put in the arena of the ceremony.

There, relatives and his relatives had gathered. Gradually, they brought out the bodies (either intact or living human remains) and replace the clothing that is inherent in the body of the corpses with a new one.They treat the body as if it were alive and remained part of the extended family.




5. PKB/ FAMILY UNITY OF BARUPPU '

People Baruppu ' many who wandered, so living in this area are mostly elderly and children, while the productive age to wander into other areas like to Malaysia, New Guinea, Borneo, Java, Makassar and so on. To deepen family of Baruppu ' in 1979 to form a bond named PKB/unity of the family Baruppu. The event was last held in PKB August 2011 in the field of sports Barerreng.

Marten Encenk Ponglugo Tungga (UNHAS Students) say "according to history, PKB  Meeting, Baruppu Family was held with the aim to utter gratitude may Dr. Protégé . baruppu can succeed,.,.but scholars made ironic by . baruppu not matter.will ward the proof, the way to baruppu for the present paved cobblestone., ...What is the end result of prayer and Thanksgiving for this community in PKB (1 x), so the point Baruppu require a caring figure will be Baruppu., but who is it????,.,. answers on all of us.,. ".

Lola Tandyarang said "it is important ... As long as it can be built and still preserve the culture of, especially Artistry (Tari2an Lah ..- dancers from Baruppu'.) It can Attract Foreign tourists And local to better know our culture, Especially Baruppu!a lot of things we can show such a Ritual ma'nene certainly grave, grave-Stones which are not less interesting By Londa or others, because all this Baruppu ' unknown by foreign tourists. When Baruppu not less Beautiful dibading other areas in the Toraja. Agree what does not? So by the presence of PKB can bring much Benefit to the community Baruppu also if We can Tetep Develop Cultural values For causes is mostly his Sport ... Place Laen Kan is also a lot of Sport so tourists are unlikely to come to see Barrupu cos see SANGRapu (football in Torajans language) (hehehe just kidding) And one more in The Exciting Event Programs Make fun-dong ... so The Home village of no loss Arrived ... hehehe .... "

John Luk Chun Shiong replied "sokong (support) hehe. Actually, a lot of potential that exists in the baruppu ' to make it as the focus on the traveler ... just, as long as it is less exposed (known) by the outside world. with events like this our chances of that’s. as the first .. "


Adapted from various sources.
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I LOVE INDONESIA WITH ALL ITS CULTURAL