This small and isolated
village was recognized for its rebuilding of the traditional Mbaru
Niang traditional house based on the spirit of community cooperation
towards a sustainable tradition, while at the same time improving its
village welfare.
Wae Rebo is a small, very
out of the way village. Located some 1,100 meters above sea level,
where the air is cool and the village completely surrounded by panoramic
mountains and the dense Todo forest. This tropical forest is rich in
vegetation, where you will find orchids, different types of ferns and
hear the chirping of many songbirds.
Founder of the village
and, therefore, their main ancestor who built the village some 100 years
ago, was a man called Empu Maro. Today, the inhabitants are his 18th
generation descendents.
Wae Rebo’s main
characteristics are their unique houses, which they call Mbaru Niang
that are tall and conical in shape and are completely covered in lontar
thatch from its rooftop down to the ground. It appears that at one time
such kind of houses were quite common to the region. But today, it is
only this village that continues to maintain the typical Manggarai
traditional house, without which these unique houses would have been
completely fazed out.
The house has five levels, each level designated for a specific purpose. The first level , called lutur or tent, are the living quarters of the extended family. The second level, called lobo, or attic, is set aside to store food and goods, the third level called lentar is to store seeds for the next harvest, the fourth level called lempa rae is reserved for food stocks in case of draught, and the fifth and top level, called hekang kode, which is held most sacred, is to place offerings for the ancestors.
One special ceremonial
house is the community building where members of the entire clan gather
for ceremonies and rituals. They are predominantly Catholic but still
adhere to old beliefs. In this house are stored the sacred heirloom of
drums and gongs.
With a small population
of around 1,200 inhabitants only, the village comprises 7 houses, with
half of these falling into disrepair. Thestaple diet of villagers is
cassava and maize, but around the village they plant coffee, vanilla,
and cinnamon which they sell in the market, located some 15 km. away
from the village. Lately, however, Wae Rebo has grown in popularity as a
touirst destination for international eco-tourism enthusiasts, and this
has added to the economic welfare of the village. The people of Wae
Rebo warmly welome visitors who wish to see their village and experience
their simple traditional life. (Indonesia.travel)
No comments:
Post a Comment
your comments are now being moderated