Uniqueness Of Ma'nene - The Dead Walking

Tana Toraja is indeed known for its various rich cultural heritage and certainly has its own uniqueness. the cultural heritage of Tana Toraja was successfully made a part of tourism activities in the Tana Toraja region, making it one of the mandatory destinations that must be visited when visiting South Sulawesi.

Rambu Solo ceremony is an activity that is best known by tourists. the funeral ceremony which was held lively and spent a considerable amount of money had a special attraction for local and foreign tourists. but there is one more ritual from Toraja that is still related to death which is very unfortunate to miss when visiting the Tana Toraja region. Ma'Nene, that's the name of this ritual. This ritual is an activity to clean the bodies of ancestors who have died for hundreds of years. Even though there are not many who do this ritual, but in some areas such as Pangala and Baruppu Villages they still carry out it routinely every year.

the procession of the Ma'Nene ritual began with family members who came to Patane to take the bodies of their deceased family members. Patane is a family grave that resembles a house. then, after the body was removed from the grave, then the body was cleaned. The clothes worn by the bodies of the ancestors were replaced with new cloth or clothing. Usually this ritual is carried out simultaneously in one family or even one village, so the program takes a long time. After the new clothes are installed, then the body is wrapped and put back into Patane. The Ma'Nene procession series was closed with a gathering of family members at the Tongkonan traditional house to worship together. this ritual is usually done after the harvest takes place, around the end of August. The consideration is that in general the families who migrate out of town will go to their villages, so that all families can attend to Ma'Nene's procession together.

Ma'Nene's ritual is more than just cleaning the body and wearing new clothes. This ritual has more meaning, which reflects the importance of the relationship between family members for the Toraja community, especially for relatives who have died first. the Toraja community shows unbroken inter-family relations despite being separated by death. This ritual is also used to introduce young family members with their ancestors.