Tinanian Stone in the Old Village of Kotamenara

MANADO, ZONAUTARA.com – The citizens believe that existence of Kotamenara Village have been present since hundred years ago.  This village located in East Amurang District, South Minahasa Regency, North Sulawesi Province.

It is evidenced by the existence of Tinanian cultural site. The Head of Kotamenara Village Joyke Sondakh explains that the existing of cultural sites in the form of stones that believe as a place for ancient Minahasa custom rituals.

“Although I myself do not understand about the meaning of Tinanian, but the information from village elders, which means the place of the village founders held a customary ritual,” said Joyke.

According to him, customary ritual is to protect the village from danger, and the resist disaster. Because it is considered a sacred place, if visiting this location people are banned noisy.

Intrigued by its existence, accompanied by two youths of Kotamenara village Yesaya Sondakh and Falio Sepang, and Zona Utara journalist team visited this location. On the land measuring 2.5 x 3.5 meters there are four pieces of stone.

Each stone is flat and towering with a height of about 75 centimeters (cm) and two flat stones in front of it. The size is rather short with a diameter about 20 to 25 cm. These two flat stones are likely to be a means of placing offerings to the Creator of Heaven and Earth.

While on the front of both types of stone, lies a stone the size of an adult human fist which comes out to the ground surface, it stone is just a small piece of a large stone chunk which still buried in the ground until now.

From Falio Sepang’s statement that he got from his grandfather, Tinanian stone had been on this place since the 1800s. But over time lost and covered land, without having been recognized by the citizens. The allegation of Falio is true because based on the history of the village, the first inhabitants who became the forerunners of Kotamenara Village residents have existed since 1868.

“A few years ago, a cattle owned by residents moored here and be died for no reason. After some residents did custom rituals to find out the cause of the cow’s death, then revealed about the existence of long-lost Tinanian stone covered the ground. After we dig, just about half a meter, eventually came these stones,” he said.

Finally, the villagers were get information by customary rituals, before the village of Kotamenara was formed in 1954, there were residents of Kanonang stay here.

Falio added apart from the true legend of the old Kotamenara  Village of Kotamenara, they  as young people are  called to preserve the cultural sites from ancestral heritage.

Editor: Eva Aruperes