Mbuku Bani Offers Cultural and Natural Tourism in Sumba

RRI.CO.ID, Sumba Barat Daya - Kampung Adat Mbuku Bani is a traditional village offering visitors a glimpse into Sumba’s cultural heritage. Located in Ate Dalo Village, Kodi District, the village preserves customs and traditions that remain important to the local community.

Mbuku Bani plays an important role in the annual Pasola tradition, which involves a series of customary rituals. As the elder village of Tossi, Mbuku Bani becomes the starting point for Pasola activities before the schedule is communicated to Tossi.

Traditional priests, known as Rato, perform Marapu rituals in Mbuku Bani to determine the Pasola schedule each year. Before Pasola takes place, residents also hold Kawoking, a traditional event featuring songs, rhymes, and various folk games.

Visitors can also experience the local community’s connection with Nyale, sea worms that appear along shallow beaches around February and March. Rato Nyale preserves the Nyale as an offering to Marapu for the following year.

The traditional village is located beside Bondo Kawango Beach, offering visitors a combination of cultural heritage and scenic coastal landscapes. Its natural surroundings, including white sandy beaches, add to Mbuku Bani’s appeal as a cultural and nature tourism destination.

Mbuku Bani is home to 31 traditional houses known as Uma Kalada, along with 83 ancient stone graves. These traditional structures and burial sites provide visitors with a closer look at the community’s ancestral heritage and distinctive architecture.

The village also preserves various historical objects believed to have belonged to its ancestors. Among them are golden pistols, ancient fabrics, iron chests, golden ducks, jars, and drums made from human skin.

With its living traditions, ancestral heritage, traditional architecture, and coastal scenery, Mbuku Bani offers a distinctive tourism experience in Sumba. Visitors can explore Marapu traditions, Nyale rituals, and Pasola ceremonies while experiencing the cultural landscape of a traditional Sumbanese village.