Controversy Of Rambu Solo

Controversy Of Rambu Solo

Rambu Solo is a big funeral ceremony. This ceremony does by TORAJA people when one of the family members passed away. The purpose of this ceremony is to make the body get an easy way to go to the “heaven”. This ceremony came from their ancestors and did from generation to generation. Rambu solo procession consists of several shows. The show is divided into two processions, which are a funeral procession and the art show. Funeral procession consist of wrapping corpse, decorate the coffin with gold and silver and parade the corpse to the cemetery. The art show consists of Buffalo parade, traditional dance and local music performing, and sacrifice Buffalo. This ceremony is a must for the left family members. TORAJA people believe that after death there is a new “world” of eternity. They also believe if the perfection of transforming the spirit depends on this ceremony. So, if this ceremony didn’t do by the family members the spirit can’t reach the new world, they call PUYA. However, the family will do this ceremony maximally to held this big funeral ceremony. In reality, there is a “problem with Rambu Solo. They need to spend a lot of money to hold this ceremony. It did simply depend on the ability of financial of their family members. From time to time the purpose of this ceremony changed. The purpose is about theology, but on its journey, it becomes a tool to keep the existence in society. This ceremony spends a lot of time, power, and money in large amounts. The discrepancy of It was realized by millennial that is TORAJA. This discrepancy caused by the ceremony itself that different from the purpose that their ancestor means. There are three main reasons why Rambu Solo becomes controversy: high cost, prestige, and changes of meaning.

High cost, to hold this big funeral ceremony the left family members spend money in large amounts. There are many requirements to hold this ceremony. The family needs sacrificed buffalo and fig in large numbers, the price for one Buffalo about twenty till fifty million rupiah. The kind of buffalo for this ceremony is “kerbau bule” which is the expensive price. The amount of buffalo and pig based on social class. They need to sacrifice Buffalo about 8-10 and pig 30-50 for intermediate social class and 25-150 Buffalo for upper social class. Not only that, but the coffin also needs to decorate by accessories that are made from gold and silver. Inside the coffin, the corpse is given money or something precious things as “provision of travel” to heaven. No wonder to held this ceremony spends money about 4-5 billion rupiahs. In the young generation, the expensive of this ceremony becomes a big problem. The young generation of Tana Toraja who live in Jakarta. When they passed away they must hold this ceremony based on the custom, it means they must go back to Toraja to held Rambu Solo and spend much of money. In another side, they have a problem to buy a house, based on the survey, the price of house in Jakarta about 250-400 million rupiahs,46% young generation has salary 4-7 million rupiahs per month, and just half of the young generation can buy a house and they must work until the age of 75. The effect of this ceremony becomes pro and contra. On another side, they realize to continue this Rambu Solo, but they got a problem with the big amount of this ceremony.

Prestige, in Tana Toraja there are many big prestige ceremonies, every ceremony is held heavily. Many people in Tana Toraja spend much money to held every ceremony, so does Rambu Solo. In their belief, when the member of the family passed away, it must celebrate joyfully and they are very respected. Everybody who has good financial indeed shares a joyful for the death of a member family. sometimes, when the left family members held Rambu Solo they do everything to stand their existence in society, they willing to owe to other members' family and this creates a negative effect. Sometimes conflict happens between family members about owe and moral duty when they can’t pay it. Base on the witness from TORAJA person, he saw that the prestige is more important than the final situation, the family is willing to hold Rambu Solo in a festive for their existence in society. They don’t want society talking about the family who didn’t do Rambu Solo. So, they prepare to hold the ceremony in a festive.

Changes of meaning, the TORAJA’S ancestor teach about simplicity in organizing Rambu Solo. Base on their ancestor believe “Aluk Todolo”, Rambu Solo held by appropriate of the family, they don’t hold in hilarious and leave big owe, it’s wrong. In the past, the family who held Rambu Solo is just family from a noble family but slave didn’t allow to hold this ceremony, they’re buried directly and sacrifice some fig. but at this moment, the people who have money can hold Rambu Solo and sacrifice many buffalo about one hundred and some figs. in fact, in the past we just need 24 buffalo to sacrifice in Rambu Solo ceremony, others differences from past and now are: society attend the funeral wearing white clothes, the corpse is preserved by organic herbs and plants but now community attent the funeral wearing black clothes, it’s affected by Dutchman and the corpse is preserved by formalin. The thing that people held Rambu Solo in a hilarious because if the family held this ceremony, it’s a sign that family is a successful family and increase prestige in society.

So, Rambu Solo itself is a culture from TORAJA people, this funeral ceremony held when the member of the family passed away and to respect their ancestor, they need to sacrifice buffalo and fig, this ceremony is divided into two processions: funeral and the art show. Behind of controversy of this ceremony they can fix it with continuing the ceremony with adjustment, such as they can reduce the day of organizing of Rambu Solo, the amount of Buffalo and fig and they can bring it all back to a genuine ceremony like their ancestor told. So, Rambu Solo back to his real value.

by Dwi Lakshono