Batik's pattern and length have a special meaning

JAKARTA (JP): Batik is worn on various occasions, but few people understand that each batik pattern and length of cloth carries a certain meaning and is created for a certain occasion.

According to batik expert Rahmaniar Soeriatna Djoemena, more popularly known as Nian Djoemena, the traditions of using and wearing batik are many and varied and differ from region to region.

Batik has been used as kain panjang (long cloth), sarongs, headgear, kemben, selendang and dodot, says Nian, an ardent batik collector and expert.

In her book Batik dan Mitra (Batik and Other Textiles), Nian explains the customs and traditions of wearing batik.

In Central Java, particularly in Surakarta and Yogyakarta, women wear kain panjang without wiron (pleats).

In the past, members of the Surakarta and Yogyakarta royal families never wore pleated kain panjang. But fashions change, and more and more Javanese noble women now wear pleated kain panjang on formal occasions and unpleated kain panjang at informal events.

The use of kain panjang in these two regions is closely related to various religious and traditional customs. The form and style of batik one wears are in accordance with one's social status, age and also dependant on the particular occasion.

The Sabukwolo style is for young, virginal girls who wear kain panjang or cinde combined with gold lace kebaya (a Javanese blouse).

The Sabukwolo style is also used by young boys who have not been circumcised. The style is also known as cothan.

The Sereddan style of unpleated kain panjang is worn by female members of Javanese royal families. In the royal families, this style is only used by the female members closest to the king, including the monarch's queen, daughters, granddaughters and daughters-in-law.

The Kembaran style is usually worn on special occasions such as a wedding ceremony. The bride and groom wear kain panjang of similar motif and color. The style can also be worn by the entire family at a special event. Such style symbolizes unity.

Another style is kemben or semekkan. This style is usually worn by noble women in the courts of Yogyakarta and Surakarta. When wearing this style, a woman should wrap her kain panjang around her body from the left to the right side. The kemben is combined with silk or other textiles which function as breast covers. The style is usually worn by noble princesses or noble girls and brides-to-be.

A bride-to-be often wears the semekkan sindur style for the midodarenan ceremony, which takes place on the night before the wedding. The sindur cloth used as kemben symbolizes fertility and prosperity. The sindur cloth is worn with kain panjang with the truntum motif, which symbolizes eternal love.

Female servants of the courts also wear kemben but with different motifs. They wear folded kain panjang as kemben which is called ubet-ubet.

Batik is also worn in the dodot, dodotan and basahan styles. Dodot is the formal attire of both the Yogyakarta and Surakarta royal families and is worn at important ceremonies such as jumenengan (the coronation of the king).

Dodot is divided into two types -- dodot ageng (large sized dodot) and dodot alit (smaller size dodot). Wearing a dodot requires a lot of effort and certain skills. It takes about two hours to put on the dodot. The way of wearing a dodot ageng is related to one's status.

Men wear dodot over cinde lancingan or trousers, while women wear it over the cinde or kain panjang. Dodot is worn with a belt called selepe. For men, the buckle or ceplok is square, while women wear oval ceplok. Noble men must wear dodot ageng accompanied by a kris (dagger) fixed to the back of the waist, and noble women wear an udhet (sash) at the front.

A dodot is a long kain panjang folded in accordance with a required style. The left end of the dodot is gathered in the front and tied at the waist. The remaining part of the dodot is swept around (samparan) to the back to form layers (cincingan) and trails (konca). If the wearer is a king or a prince, the layers of the dodot should be placed in a high position between the knees and waist. The trails of his dodot should be long enough so to sweep the floor. During a royal ceremony, a number of courtiers should walk behind the king to hold the trail of his dodot.

Lower-ranking royal officials are only allowed to wear dodot without a trail. The cincingan (layers) should be placed in a low position, between the ankles and knees.

Other styles of wearing dodot, ini addition to the batik's motif, also indicate a person's rank in society. The style of dodot ngumbar konco is only worn by kings, princes and married princesses, and noble couples at their wedding ceremonies. Sri Sultan Hamengkubowono, the current sultan of Yogyakarta, was dressed in dodot ngumbar konco at his wedding ceremony. He wore dodot with a parang rusak barong motif combined with a pelangi motif in the middle. Such a motif is sacred and is only worn by Javanese kings. Dodot ngumbar konco is longer than dodot worn by low-rank society so that it can sweep the floor.

Another style of dodot ageng is dodot sampir konco. It is worn by regents and other court officials. The motif of batik worn in dodot sampir konco can be varied as long as it doesn't use any forbidden patterns such as parang rusak. This kind of dodot is shorter and it is worn without it touching the floor.

Aside from the different styles, people should also pay attention to the colors and motifs of each batik. Each color and motif carries deep philosophical significance.

Just how seriously batiks were regarded as signs of the wearer's social standing was demonstrated by the fact that in the second half of the century, the sultans in Surakarta and Yogyakarta issued a law that prohibited the general use of certain batik patterns, permitting their use only by people of a certain rank.

In Surakarta, the patterns included parang rusak, cemukiran, and the sawat. The latter depicts a pair of wings with an open tail in the middle and symbolizes the Garuda, the mythical bird, and the holy riding bird of the Hindu God Wisnu. The mythical Garuda is now the symbol of the nation.

Although these patterns are now available on the market, many Javanese people still regard it impolite to wear these forbidden patterns.

Many of the batik patterns from Central Java show elements of Hindu-Javanese beliefs such as the Garuda bird, the holy mountain meru and the mythical dragon naga. According to these beliefs the naga is a female symbol identified as fertility, rain and the ocean. It also symbolizes the underworld. The mountain meru is related to both pre and post-Hindu Java. Javanese believe that the higher, wooded mountain regions are not only the realm of the gods, but also the souls of their ancestors.

There are several motifs which are thought to have special meanings. Kain panjang with sidomukti motifs are often worn by a bride and a groom. The motif sido (always) and mukti (happiness and prosperity) symbolize happiness. It is expected that the couple can build a happy family life.

Kain panjang with the truntum motif is usually worn by parents of the bride and groom. During the wedding ceremony, the parents wear kain kembaran truntum sawat which symbolizes their willingness to lead the couple into a new life.

Colors

In addition to the motifs and patterns, colors also play an important role. The light-green called Mayang Mekar is worn by young virgins. Green-white or Godong melati, the color of jasmine leaves, is regarded as the color of Nyi Roro Kidul, the legendary queen of the South Seas. In the past, Javanese people would not dare wear the color when visiting the coastal areas in southern parts of Java. They believed that the queen reigned in these areas. Many people wearing green clothes drowned in the sea and were believed to have been sacrificed as offerings for the queen.

Times have changed. People now wear batik for various purposes, thanks to the efforts of famous batik designers like Iwan Tirta and Prayudi, who helped popularize batik nationwide. Batik is tailored as a daily wear or elegant night attire. It is also used for interior decoration.

Djoemena, however, feels concerned about the change, saying, "People may wear batik in any kind of style, but they still have to understand the philosophy behind each motif, otherwise we will lose our valuable heritage. Batik is our pride." (raw)