This custom home is referred to as "The Old Baganding" by the Batak tribe, the snake-like creature that approximately two-inch length. Long ago the ancestors of the Batak believe that luck and fortune in abundance to carry "The Old Banganding".
Gorga Ruma Ruma Bolon is often called, or "The Old Baganding" is a traditional house of Batak tribe that once a symbol of social status of people living in Tapanuli, North Sumatra. They are categorized as the Batak tribe that includes the six clans, namely: Batak Toba, Karo Batak, Batak Pakpak, Simalungun Batak, Batak Angkola, and Batak Mandailing.
Batak traditional houses consist of two main buildings, namely Ruma (the residence) and sopo (granary). The location of the two facing each other separated broad courtyard that serves as the space activities of its citizens. This custom home with a rectangular floor plan it is an open space with no room or bulkhead dividers. In the past, a large traditional Batak house (house Bolon) occupied 2 to 6 families.
Brush your views on this traditional house whose roof and three-story triangular. Observe how in each peak and the triangles are the buffalo head that symbolizes prosperity for the occupants of the house. The main feature of the triangle-shaped roofs made of woven bamboo (Lambe-Lambe). Usually Lambe-Lambe became the personification of the nature of these homeowners are marked in red, white and black.
Note also the rigor of traditional carving grooves in the walls of this custom home. The outside and front of the house contains a painted carving of three colors: red, black and white. Carving is in fact full of symbolic meanings that displays the cosmological and philosophical views of Batak culture. On the left and right columns have carvings depicting the house as a symbol of fertility breast (odap-odap). There is also carving a lizard as a symbol of the guard and protector of the home (boraspati).
The traditional house of Batak Batak carved with the typical so-called Gorga. Gorga for Batak tribe is the ornament that contains elements of mystical repellent reinforcements. Usually carved Gorga placed in exterior walls.
Ruma Bolon unique design is the inclusion of the decorations on the door frame of carved eggs and darts. Ropes binding sloping wall (string ret-ret) made of palm fiber or rattan that form patterns such as two-headed lizard opposite to each other. The lizard is figured as a guard house and the two heads symbolize the conflicting role of the household has an equal and mutual respect.
In the traditional concept, in fact it is the traditional houses in the archipelago not only has a functional dimension as well as a place to live but also through a certain form elements. Ruma Bolon also shows the position of trust that is banua ginjang this tribe (the world), banua Tonga (middle world / earth), and banua Toru (the underworld or world of spirits).
Toba Batak tribe settlement arrangement follows the pattern berbanjar two face each other to the north south axis and form a village called Lumban or huta. The village has two gates (Bahal) on the north and south. Environment around the 2 meter high wall fenced (piggledy) made from clay and stone. In addition, at each corner is made before the control tower because they were often at war. It's normal if the original shape once the Batak tribe villages like fortresses.
Formerly a settlement made with Batak tribes forming a trench dug around it also planted bamboo as high as 3 meters. Form of settlement that would more resemble a fortress to protect its citizens from attack another tribe.
Batak house designation for adapted to jewelry. Custom home with a wonderful variety of intricate decoration called Ruma gorgasarimunggu or called Jabu. While traditional house that has no leaning or carving called Jabu Jabu god day.
For large Gorga Ruma Ruma Bolon called. Aside from being a place to stay before Ruma Bolon also serves as the venue for religious ceremonies. Meanwhile, the small size of Ruma Gorga called Jabu-balean parbale. In addition there are also two parsantian Ruma, the traditional houses that belong to a younger son.
Ruma Bolon is no longer built by the Batak people remember fewer people are able to build it (Pande). In addition, the fabric of the building is hard to come by and the price will be much more expensive than modern homes.
However, you still can see the whole series of direct value of the traditional house of Batak culture is rich in places like the North Tapanuli Tomok Village, Village Ambarita, Silaen Village, and Village Lumban Nabolon Parbagasan. The villages are so far continues to be a cultural and tourist attraction visited by many tourists.