Gandang Ahung of the Dayak people: More than a gong ensemble, a way of life at risk

Gandang Ahung of the Dayak people: More than a gong ensemble, a way of life at risk

It was first started one morning in 2015. I travelled 109 kilometres from Palangka Raya to a village in the Katingan River basin, Central Kalimantan. When I entered the village, I could feel the sound of the Gandang Ahung, the sacred gong ensemble used in the Tiwah death ceremony, vibrating in my chest. Its frequency filled the entire space, uniting humans, spirits, and nature in a single breath. Some people closed their eyes; even the forest ou…