Wainyapu – West Sumba

Wainyapu is one of the oldest traditional villages in West Sumba and lies on the island’s southern shore, just across a river estuary to the east of much more famous Ratenggaro, one of the most visited and famous traditional villages in West Sumba. Wainyapu is almost a forgotten place and most of its younger inhabitants have left for a more modern lifestyle in nearby villages. Some of the traditional houses have been left to fall apart and today there’s only a few families and elderly living in the village. Once a year, during the traditional Pasola festival the village gets crowded again when those who have left come to visit family and pay tribute to their ancestors buried in megalithic graves spread throughout the village. I stayed a couple of days in the village during the Pasola and was privileged to witness up-close the sacred rituals and ceremonies preceding and following the main Pasola event.