The Torajans are an ethnic group indigenous to a mountainous region of South Sulawesi, Indonesia.
The Toraja are ethnically different from the people in Sulawesi. Anthropologists believe Torajans are descended from voyagers who sailed from southern China as early as 3,000 B.C. They had no writing system of their own so most of what is known about them is from Buginese and Makassarese sources.
The Toraja are believed to be descendants of speakers of Austronesian languages who overran Celebes long ago and absorbed or exterminated the aboriginal population
Torajans are renowned for their elaborate funeral rites, burial sites carved into rocky cliffs, massive peaked-roof traditional houses known as tongkonan, and colourful wood carvings. Toraja funeral rites are important social events, usually attended by hundreds of people and lasting for several days.
Torajan, who follows the ritual of ancestors, believes that the dead have not been considered dead but are considered as sick people so that the dead are still served food and drink with trays and cups every time people eat the same as when they were children.
