Rajong people

Rajong

Ata Rajong
The Rajong people wearing their traditional hats known as rombeng rajong, 2017.
Total population
7,200 [1]
Regions with significant populations
Indonesia (East Manggarai)
Languages
Rajong, Manggarai, and Indonesian
Religion
Catholicism
Related ethnic groups
Manggarai  • Rembong  • Rongga

The Rajong people (Rajong: Ata Rajong) are an ethnic group inhabiting East Manggarai Regency in the province of East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. They are closely related to the Manggarai people in terms of customs and culture, but are linguistically differentiated. The Rajong people speak Rajong language, an Austronesian language.

History

During the Dutch colonial period, the Rajong people had their own local government, known as Kedaluan Rajong. They were one of 38 kedaluan (a type of small kingdom; also known as hameente in Dutch) in the Greater Manggarai region. ^[2]

Distribution

The main geographical distribution of the Rajong people is mainly in the South Elar district which is administratively part of the East Manggarai Regency on the island of Flores. ^[3] The Rajong people originally lived on Tuwit Hill, their first village in the South Elar district, before finally moving and spreading to several other villages. ^[4] Their traditional settlements are Kota Tunda, ^[5] Langga Sai, Walan, Runus, and Rajong. ^[6] However, administratively, it is spread across 5 villages, namely Langga Sai, Mosi Ngaran, Nanga Meje, Nanga Pu'un, and Gising. ^[7]

Livelihood

The Rajong people make their living primarily from farming, planting dryland rice once a year. They don't have rice fields anywhere else besides Gising, so they rely solely on dry land for farming. ^[5]

Culture

Traditional hats

The Rajong people are known to always wear traditional hats called rombeng rajong. The name comes from two words in the Rajong language, namely rombeng which means 'hat' and rajong which is the 'name of the village' and 'their ethnic group'. This hat is usually worn by young people, adults, and parents who do not have a position in the Rajong villages. Meanwhile, people who are traditional elders and traditional leaders in villages usually wear special hats known as sufi. ^[6]

Traditional houses

The Rajong people have a traditional house called the mbaru gendang. It is usually used during important traditional rituals. ^[6] Apart from that, there are several other traditional houses of the Rajong people. ^[8]

See also

• Ethnic groups in Indonesia
• Manggarai people
• Rongga people

References

1. "Rajong in Indonesia". joshuaproject.net (in Indonesian). Joshua Project . Retrieved 24 December 2025.
2. Muntazhar, A.; Saha, R. (2022). "The Office of Religious Affairs' Role in Combating Siri Marriage in Sambi Rampas District, East Manggarai Regency" (PDF). Journal of Family Law and Islamic Court (in Indonesian). 1 (1). Makassar: Muhammadiyah University of Makassar: 52–62. doi: 10.26618/jflic.v1i1.8465 . Retrieved 24 December 2025.
3. Budiman, Waldus (8 December 2022). "Tersingkap! Kisah Mistis Bukit Tuwit Suku Rajong Elar Selatan". www.posflores.com (in Indonesian). Pos Flores. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
4. Rochimawati (17 May 2022). "Hawa Mistis di Tuwit, Bukit Keramat Suku Rajong Manggarai Timur Flores". www.viva.co.id (in Indonesian). VIVA. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
5. Kenaru, Jo (13 May 2022). Kurniawan, Ade (ed.). "Ghan Kosu, Syukuran Panen Padi dengan 18 Ritual serta Menari dari Malam Hingga Pagi". www.tvonenews.com (in Indonesian). TvOne . Retrieved 24 December 2025.
6. Makur, Markus (6 April 2017). "Rombeng Rajong, Cara Menghormati Leluhur di Flores". travel.kompas.com (in Indonesian). Kompas . Retrieved 24 December 2025.
7. "Tokoh Adat dan Tokoh Masyarakat Gelar Ritus Perutusan Paket AKUR di Pusat Peradaban Kedaluan Rajong". www.floreseditorial.com (in Indonesian). Flores Editorial. 20 June 2024. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
8. Gusty (31 October 2024). "Mbaru Gendang: Menelusuri Rumah Adat Pemersatu Budaya Manggarai". www.swarantt.net (in Indonesian). Swara NTT. Retrieved 24 December 2025.