ABUI TRADITIONAL HOUSE

Abui Traditional House

Alor is the largest island in the Alor Archipelago located at the eastern-most end of the Lesser Sunda Islands that runs through southern Indonesia, which from the west include such islands as Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Komodo, and Flores. To the east of the island across the Ombai Strait lie the islands of Wetar and Atauro, the latter belonging to East Timor. To the south, across the Strait of Alor, lies the western part of Timor. To the north lies the Banda Sea. To the west lies Pantar and the other islands of the Alor archipelago, and further yet the rest of the Sunda Islands. Traditional Village of Takpala in Alor Island, East Nusatenggara Posted on 7 August 2012 Takpala Village is a traditional village inhabited by Abui ethnic group. It is located in highland of Lembur Barat Village, Alor Tengah Utara District, Alor Regency. Abui ethnic group are the largest ethnic group in Alor Island. They also used to be called Tak Abui means “big mountain”. These local inhabitants still strictly practice the tradition and culture. The word “takpala” derived from the word “tak” means “barrier” and the word “pala” means “wood”. Therefore, Takpala can be described as “a wooden barrier”, but some would prefer to describe it as “a wooden bludgeon (beater)”. The village of Takpala firstly known by European tourists since a Dutch tourist named Ferry exhibited his photographs capturing the life of local people of Takpala in 1973. He also made some of those photographs a calendar while promoting a primitive life in Alor Island.   A group of Abui men are posing wearing traditional clothing equipped with the instruments for a dance performance. A gong and a brass drum called moko are significant music instruments to accompany the traditional rhyme in a dance perfor