A torogan is raised above the ground by columns carved from massive trees. The walls are made of plywood sticks, while the roof is made of dried coconut leaves. There are no internal partitions, thus it looks to be a large hall. In ancient times, these houses were used as royal courts where laws were debated and decisions were made. Today, they are used for ceremonial purposes or as museums. There are several varieties of torogans around the world. They are found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. The best known type is the Tidarra, which is found in northern Australia. It has 12-20 feet (3.6-6.1 m) high white pillars supporting a flat wooden ceiling. There are also smaller-sized versions of this house called apus or alang-alang. In India, there are temples with torogan rooms. These are usually located near water sources such as lakes or rivers. The torogan room serves as a prayer room where people can go for spiritual advice or counseling. These rooms are usually only one meter high so that anyone who enters them does not have to bow down like in other Hindu temples. In Africa, there are many villages with torogan houses. They are often used as churches because everyone is equal in African religions.