My Trash Bin: WARUGA, Minahasan Ancestors Crate Corpse

My trip to North Sulawesi was so memorable and particularly, there was no intention to show off about it..but my eyes were opened wider about the wonderful Indonesia, so I decided to write it down here, to remind me about the trip in the future and if you read this, I hope you will be triggered to travel around Indonesia to explore this country heritage. North Sulawesi is not only about Manado and Bunaken and this is one of the story..

Waruga is a name of sarcophagi and made of stone to store the dead body of Minahasan ancestors. The Waruga complex is located in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The name of the village is Sawangan, the same name of an area that you could find in Depok, West Java. The local people said that it is same because the name of Sawangan area that is located in West Java was given by a Minahasan people.

The process how Waruga was made

Waruga was carved by the ancestors by using simple tools as they were in megalithic era. When you go to the complex of Waruga, you will find a relief that tells us about the process of how Waruga was made and about the living of the ancestors.

Man carried the body and the top of Waruga at once. How strong they were!

The dead was put in squatting position

At the top of waruga, the ancestors made a story about the job of the dead when he/she was alive. You need not to worry because there was no dead body again in these Waruga. It has been a long time ago, that the grave in Waruga method was prohibited. It was banned because the smell of the dead could spread out of the stone and it could be source of cholera disease. So, all of the ash of the dead has been removed and stored at Manado Museum.