GO SOUTHEAST TROPICAL PARADISE-SUMBA ISLAND

Traveling to Sumba is just like a track back to human’s past where you will step over a very traditional milieu and finding plain smile of the local people who inhabit the dry savannah island. To reach this destination we will have to take a 1,45 minutes flight southeastward from Bali. There are regular flight of domestic – state owned flight of Merpati Nusantara Airlines and some other commercial flight of Trans Nusa or Trigana Air or Pelita Air.

Sumba is one of the three main islands in East Nusa Tenggara province i.e Flores, Timor and Sumba itself; lies on the South East of Bali, West of Timor and South of Flores Island…. The island covers 11.150 square km and it consists of two main regencies; East Sumba with its capital city on Waingapu and West Sumba at Waikabubak. Nowadays the island inhabited by total 550,000 people of both regencies.

The island is famous for its sandalwood, handicrafts and art particularly its best quality of textile ikat weaving and the fame Hingi ikat. Most design of ikat dominantly covered by bold human figures and animals. This oval shaped island is worthy to be named as the island of the ancestral spirits due the island has been the greatest concentration of two-thirds of those who worship to the ancestral spirits in their traditional belief of Merapu and practices incredible tribal rituals such like Pasola – a kind of event showing masculine bravery where hundred horsemen fling spear each other. This ritual is still practiced nowadays once a year and the local government allow it with strict condition that the spear must be blunt. Another ritual is the funeral with the ceremony of pulling stone as the process of building up a giant megalithic tomb followed by pigs or buffalo slaughtering.

Pasola Warriors

Pasola is a thanks giving ceremony to the ancestral spirit of people from Sumba Island–East Nusa Tenggara. More than 50 men riding horses which divided into two groups – from Upper and lower villages. Before they start, the Rato (Traditional priest leader) prays in the space between of two groups, and then he throws a spear to open the game of fighting. Immediately followed by those horse riders race their horse and throw their spears toward the opponent over and over. This is a blood sacrifice…..! You never find it in the world.

This event is rare occurred but in cooperation with RATO the high priest of the Merapu, Atmosfer Indonesia Tours is able to arrange this very special event to the most valuable GROUP of travelers to en-suite its own private time. To be served for group of 10-15 persons.

Megalithic Structures

Sumba megaliths are classified in the living tradition. Almost all of the Sumba artifacts consist of dolmen type burial structures. Their forms range from the simple to the advanced. The practice of ancestral veneration is closely related to the megalithic tradition. In spite of the spread of Christianity since the late nineteenth century, the belief in the marapu is still strongly felt in the western part of the island. Erecting stone tombs accompanied by sacrifices continued to be carried out until recently. In the modern day, the Sumbanese still bury their dead in dolmen-like tombs with modern decorations and structures. Sometimes elaborate forms and styles reveal a blend of Christianity and animistic beliefs.

The largest dolmen measures 500 cm (16.5 feet) in length and 55-70 cm (21-28 in) thick. On the dolmen, a menhir called penji was set up, sculpted with various decorations. These dolmen decorative patterns show human figures, fauna, flora, man-made and natural items and geometric patterns. According to local traditional chiefs, dolmens with statues especially are considered as bodyguards of the dead person’s soul or his own soul personification.

The stones used in constructing a dolmen might weigh tens of thousands of tons so that hundreds or even thousands of men were needed to move the stones from its source to the location where it was to be constructed. Great ceremonies were carried out needing a lot of money. Graves of kings from west and east Sumba are usually very large with a rich decorative pattern.

High Towering Roof of Traditional Houses

One unique characteristic of Sumba is on the art of traditional house. Sumbanese has a unique traditional high peaked thatched roof houses with decoration of huge water buffalo horns and boars tusk of the animals sacrificed during the rituals of years gone by. And the megalithic tombs are on the village plaza site. Sumba island has fascinating wide and scenic panorama of the savannah and pristine white sandy beaches etc..