The picture on the left shows a Rongga man with his child, and the picture on the right shows a typical traditional house or rumah adat.
Rongga Culture in Brief
The Rongga people consist of at least twenty two sub-ethnic groups, or clans, called suku , with Motu , Lowa dan Nggeli being the prominent ones. Each clan has its own role, e.g. the traditional leadership is held by the Motu and Lowa clans. Each suku has its own rumah adat , the clan house, where clan heirlooms of different kinds are stored and ritual ceremonies are performed.
Traditional daily and ritual activities of the Rongga people are centered around sa'o ‘house', nua ‘kampong' and uma ‘garden'.
The Rongga people are patrilineal. Inheritance of family's wealth and land goes to the son(s), administered by the father (if still alive) or the eldest son. Polygamy is allowed traditionally, but it is increasingly uncommon nowadays. The wife goes to, and lives with her husband at her husband's house, and loses her rights in the family of her origin. Getting married could be a lengthy process as it involves multiple visits by the representative of the man to the girl's place, and negotiations to achieve agreement with the bride price ( belis ).
The life expectancy is generally around 60 years-old. If someone could live longer, over 90 years or over, then when s/he dies a special ritual ( sedhu mbizha ndoa ngembo ) is performed. It includes, the hitting of gong gendang ( nggore nggote ) ‘gong and drum', firing bamboo canons, animal sacrifice for the digging of burial site ( teka tana ), performance of Mbata and Vera (traditional songs and dancing), four-night ceremonies ( paka zhi'a ), and after one year, a ritual ceremony called toko lulu huki is held. The burial site for the dead is typically at the front yard of the family compound.