Kete Kesu, Charming Indigenous Tourism Village in Toraja
Kete Kesu is a tourist village in North Toraja Regency which is located about 4 km southeast of Ratenpao. The village that has become a tourist attraction is located nar the hills and rice fields so that the natural scenery presented is very green and beautiful. In Kete Kesu Village there is a traditional Tana Toraja house complex called Tongkonan. This tongkonan is often a temporary storage place for bodies that have been wrapped in cloth before being buried.
In addition, at the top of the cliff of Kete Kesu hill, there are stone graves which are ancient relics that are thought to be hundreds of years old. In Toraja, coffins where corpses are stored are usually placed in certain stone caves without being buried in the ground. Therefore, not infrequently also coffins are also considered as tombs at the same time.
This is Kete Kesu, a tourist village where we can see the traditional customs and life of the Toraja people! via @shaytheglow
At the top of the cliff, there is a stone grave as well as a coffin that resembles a boat. In this tomb in the form of a boat there are skulls and bones of humans who have died tens to hundreds of years ago. At some cliff points, there are also various offerings consisting of cigarettes and various foods and drinks. That said, offerings presented in these graves contain snacks that are liked by those who have died during his lifetime.
Going down to the bottom of the Kete Kesu cliff, you will find graves in the form of houses with very large sizes. In front of this tomb was placed a human statue made to resemble a person who died. Usually, the people who were buried into this type of tomb were only people from certain circles in Toraja.
Kete Kesu is a tourist village in North Toraja Regency which is located about 4 km southeast of Ratenpao! via @celebes_trip
Along the cliff leading to the bottom, there are also tombs covered with iron bars. Inside the tomb covered by iron bars there are corpses of certain family members. In addition, usually the bodies of the family’s belongings were also put in the tomb. Therefore, iron bars are installed with the aim of preventing theft of statues and property of the corpse.
In addition to the shape of a boat and the shape of a hole in the cliff, there are also tombs and coffins carved and carved neatly in the form of buffalo and pigs. Coffins in the form of buffalo are usually reserved for male bodies, while coffins in the form of pigs are usually reserved for female bodies.
The area consisting of eight main tongkonan, complete with rice barns in front of each tongkonan, is indeed one of the best tourist destinations in Tana Toraja! via @ozaverdiansyah45
Turning from the mysteries of tombs and coffins, in the Kete Kesu area there is also a row of special souvenir shops selling souvenirs from Tana Toraja. One of the most famous souvenirs of Tana Toraja is wood carvings with various motifs. The motives attached to this wood carving are usually animal and plant motifs that symbolize goodness and welfare.