Bawomataluo (Mountain of the Sun) is a tiny village on Nias island, off the west coast of Sumatra, with hundreds of years of heritage. The town recently welcomed a team of photographers on a ‘Nias Passage’ trip, organized by National Geographic Indonesia and Sony Indonesia, to capture the history and culture of the town.
The group was welcomed with a war dance and the offering of a betel leaf. Local youngsters demonstrated the Hombo Batu (Leaping the Stone), a rite of passage for boys entering adulthood that has previously served as an induction for those seeking to fight in war.
