North Sumatra is home to a diversity of tribes that have lived in harmony for centuries, each one with their own rituals and beliefs.

One of the tribes is the Batak Toba people who live on the banks of magnificent Lake Toba, once known as the world’s largest caldera lake, formed by powerful volcanic eruption thousands of years ago. The area around the lake is inhabited by other Batak tribes, such as Batak Karo, Batak Mandailing, Batak Simalungun, Pakpak and Nias.

One of Batak Toba traditions that has been preserved until now is Mangokal Holi, literally meaning, digging bones.

In the Mangokal Holi, the bones of tribal ancestors are moved to a new site, in the form of a monument made of stone or cement.

The ritual takes a long time. Prior to digging the graves, people must ask approval from the wife’s family. All bones, which might have been buried for decades or even centuries, are carefully collected and sorted out before being placed into small boxes.

According to Batak beliefs, death is not the end of the life cycle, but rather a stage on the journey to perfection. The Mangokal Holi is one of the bridges on the way to attaining that perfection.

During the ceremony, descendants are given the chance to show off the fact that they and the Batak people of their generations have managed to lead successful lives and are thus able to pay their respects to the older generations by placing them at more noble sites. [dmr]

JP/ Hotli Simanjuntak