Jokowi's Philosophy Of Dressing Punyimbang Indigenous Pepadun Lampung

President Jokowi and First Lady Iriana Widodo/Instagram Jokowi

JAKARTA - The 76th Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia this time feels very meaningful for the people of Lampung who are in the area or even overseas despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 76th Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia this time is a historic and proud moment for the people of Lampung, because now people throughout Indonesia and even the world can recognize one of Lampung's traditional traditional clothing by wearing Pepadun traditional clothes by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in the ceremony of the 76th Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia. Indonesia.

The traditional clothing from Lampung is not limited to a piece of cloth that is shaped in such a way to wrap the body, but has meaning, philosophy and prayers from the people of Lampung for Indonesia on Independence Day.

Sai Bumi Ruwa Jurai itself has two customs that are adhered to by some native Lampung residents, namely the Sai Batin and Pepadun customs, although they have a number of differences, the two indigenous peoples still live in harmony to build Lampung.

This time the Pepadun custom had the opportunity to present itself adorning the screens and lenses of the mass media in Indonesia after the President wore it to welcome the Sang Saka Merah Putih fluttering on Indonesian Independence Day.

This traditional dress is commonly known by the people of Lampung as the clothes used by "Punyimbang adat (customary leaders) Lampung". Not without meaning, the choice of this dress in the 76th Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia is a form of appreciation and appreciation from the people of Lampung to the wearer of clothing who is a leader of a country.

This was also said by the Chairman of the Regional National Crafts Council (Dekranasda) of Lampung Province, Riana Sari Arinal.

"We should be proud of the wearing of our traditional clothes by President Jokowi today, for the clothes he wore were prepared from here, approximately 10 days. There are two traditional punyimbang clothes that we sent, namely those from the Sai Batin and Pepadun customs," said Riana Sari.

He explained that the two Lampung traditional punyimbang clothes that were sent and one of them was worn by President Joko Widodo had various philosophies and meanings, moreover the clothes were directly sewn by a tailor who lives in the area of Teluk Betung's old town, Lampung, and the cloth was immediately embroidered by his fingers. Lampung traditional cloth craftsmen.

The philosophy in the dress starts from a long-sleeved shirt and white trousers that symbolize purity and uphold honesty in everyday life. Because the white color in the traditional procession of Lampung itself is known as one of the highest and sacred colors.

Then switch to the tumpal cloth which is a special traditional cloth for Lampung men which is a symbol of strength, equipped with a bamboo shoot triangle as one of the Lampung motifs which is embroidered with gold thread manually using the fingers of the craftsmen in the cloth, which illustrates the majesty of each wearer.

The use of the tumpal cloth is not just done, but has a number of rules. Tumpal cloth for married men must be worn below the knee, so that it symbolizes wisdom in thinking, making decisions in society.

"The tumpal cloth worn by the President on the 76th Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia is dominated by red and gold from the thread, the red color is chosen according to the color of our flag," he said.

He continued that the red and gold tumpal sarong was also equipped with a Lampung skullcap with amethyst ornaments, an icon of the Tanjung Bintang area, South Lampung Regency, which adorned the front of the headgear, which was known by the people of Lampung as the Lampung kiket.

The Punai Mekhem Kiket worn by the number one person in Indonesia has its own meaning which symbolizes a leader who protects his people.

Kiket Punai Mekhem (sleeping bird) has a characteristic where there is a circle on the front, while it is quite different for the Sai Batin custom, namely wearing a Jukung Ship Cap with a pointed angle in front of the head.

The sweetener part of the traditional clothing, but also meaningful, is the square scarf or the so-called "final kikat" which is wrapped around the shoulders and chest, has framed the authority of the leader for everyone who looks at it. Meanwhile, a belt known as "fur" is usually used to insert a keris into a mandatory accessory for Lampung traditional clothing.

The wearing of traditional Lampung clothing, in addition to bringing pride to the people of Lampung, also implies a number of messages in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was said by one of the designers and activists of Lampung batik, Laila Al Khusna.

For the woman who is often called Una, wearing Lampung traditional clothing by the highest leadership in Indonesia can indirectly teach the younger generation and the community to love, know, and not be ashamed to wear traditional clothes in their respective regions.

"The president taught that Indonesia is rich in regional clothing that is full of philosophy, so the younger generation or all parties must continue to support so that these clothes can be known, loved, and worn in modern times like today," said Una.

For him, choosing Lampung traditional clothing to appear to welcome Independence Day can be a stepping stone for the preservation of traditional clothing in Lampung.

In addition, by keeping all eyes on the traditional clothing of Pepadun Lampung on August 17, it can also encourage the spirit of Lampung traditional cloth craftsmen to continue to survive and rise despite the ongoing pandemic.

According to the designer who has produced a variety of typical Lampung batik works, this moment is one of the gifts and motivations for Lampung traditional cloth craftsmen to continue to produce works even though they have to continue to compete with various modern cloth products.

"Hopefully the craftsmen will continue to be creative in producing magnificent and beautiful traditional fabrics while preserving Lampung culture," he said.