Kota Palu

TRADITIONALCULTURE IN CENTRAL SULAWESI

There are some traditional culture that we can find in Central Sulawesi, such as Dance or  Ritual dance (Balia), Motahalele, Mosuna/Mokeso, Mocera.

a.      Dance

There are some dances that we can see in Palu. They are Pamonte dance, The dance of Poso Lake Princess, and Pokambu dance. In the past time, these dances have their own function, like Pamonte. It is used to celebrate the harvest moon. Nowdays, these dance are used to welcome the guest who come to Palu.

b.      Ritual dance (Balia)

Balia is a ritual dance which is used to entertain a sick person, so he/she will get the spirit to be healthy. It is a ritual dance for the dancers use a magic in performing it. They move like a mad persons and do something which is very danger, such as walking on a fire. They do that with magic. Now, this ritual become controversial. Some people say that doing this ritual to help the sick person by magic of some spirits, without asking the God to help the sick people

c.       Motahalele

Motahalele is one of the culture that usually done by people in Palu. Motahalele is the way of the people to send their prayer and their thanks to the God. Not many people in Palu do it for many reasons.

d.      Mosuna and Mokeso

Mosuna is coming from Arabic word, “sunnah”. It means to do what the Prophets did in their ages. This thing is done by Muslim people to keep their body clean and it is done only for boys in age eight or more than eight. it is almost the same with what people do in other places, the difference is only the way they prepare for the ceremony. In Palu, the boy who will do Mosuna is brought to the river or the place for taking a bath, to clean their body. And them the boy will be taken by someone or his father on the shoulder to home. Before doing Mosuna, the boy will be brought to go around the house in three times, after that the ceremony can be done.

Mokeso is almos the same ritual with Mosuna, these things  have the same function or aim. The difference of this is Mosuna is for a boy while Mokeso is for the girl. This is done to girl which is still a kid.

e.       Mocera

Mocera is also one of the ritual that still exists in the society in Palu. This occasion is porposed for asking the helps of the God, so in doing the activities that we want, will be easy. The way to do this ritual by using a chicken. we take a little of the chicken blood as the media of the ritual.