Article : Indonesia’s Kebaya, India’s Sari

          What is the first thing that comes up in your mind when you hear “Indonesia”? How about “India”? It is over and over again to find people think that Indonesia and India are the same country, because of their look-alike names. However, if you look at the map or recall a little history lesson that we have learned in the past, you will absolutely state that both are actually different countries, yet some similarities do exist. Besides lying in the same continent, Asia, these countries are on the top list of the most populous countries in the world and have the largest economies for countries in Asia. Moreover, the two countries are known for their amazing nature and varied cultures, such as food, language, dances, or traditional apparel. India has a garment that consists of a drape varying from five to nine meters in length and 0.6 to 1.20 m in width, that is typically wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder, baring the midriff called the sari. Meanwhile, Indonesia owns their kebaya, which is a traditional blouse-dress that consists of the blouse (kebaya) with the central opening of the blouse fastened by a central brooch (kerongsang) where the flaps of the blouse meet. The sari from India and the kebaya from Indonesia are the traditional clothes made from silk or cotton. In some ways, they have other certain comparable stories about their origin and spread in popularity for neighboring countries, their variety of names and the way to wear them in each province, and their functions in the modern lives. These three points will lead us to see the similarities that are actually found between India and Indonesia, from a side of traditional wear.

          The first raised point to consider is the origin of these two clothes. Not every traditional costume in a country was invented initially in a native land or made by one nation’s history. However, it does not happen to Indonesia and India. Conversely, the kebaya, as well as the sari is made for women as the national clothing that originates from both countries. The kebaya is associated with a type of blouse worn by Indonesian women in the 15th or 16th century. In the history of Indian clothing, the sari is traced back to the Indus Valley Civilisation, which flourished during 2800–1800 BC around the western part of the Indian subcontinent. All the same, the kebaya and the sari are the traditional female garments that kind of worn by neighboring countries too. In Southeast Asia areas, the kebaya is likewise found in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia and the southern part of the Philippines and Thailand. Instead, the sari which is always related to elegance does not only belong to Indian culture. It is widely considered as a symbol of another sister country, for example, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lanka.

        Equally, India and Indonesia are the nations with a territory divided into many provinces. For that concern, you will discover the different ways of how people wear the costumes, the sari and the kebaya. In real facts, every part of each country also has a dissimilar name for both. In place of the kebaya, each island or region will call the same thing with diverse words or combine it with some accessories or lower clothing. In Sumatra, Flores, Lemata Timor, and other islands commonly, they work with kain of ikat and songket. In Lampung, the kain is the traditional tapis, an elaborate gold thread embroidered ikat with small mica discs. Nevertheless, in Java, Bali and Sunda, people match it with kain batik (rectangular cloths with batik motif) which can be a plainly stamped cotton to elaborately hand-painted batik embroidered silk with gold thread. Meanwhile, the sari is habitually used over a petticoat which is called as ‘parkar’ (परकर) in Marathi lahaṅgā or lehenga in the north. In the west, people use pavadai in Tamil, pavada (or occasionally langa) in Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Chaniyo, Parkar, Ghaghra, or Ghagaro. The term of shaya exists in eastern India. Generally, it will be fitted with an upper garment known as a blouse or ravika in the South and choli in somewhere else.

    Furthermore, the kebaya and the sari again shares the likenesses in this modern era, especially in performing its use. The kebaya as the national costume of Indonesian women was often highlighted by an Indonesian first lady. Former President of Indonesia, Megawati Sukarnoputri is a public champion of kebaya and wears fine red kebaya in public forums. Same conditions happen to all wives of the male presidents in Indonesia too. This pride fashion is also chosen by Garuda Indonesia, the Indonesian national airline for their flight attendants. The female uniform is basically a more authentic modern interpretation of the kebaya. The kebaya is designed in simple yet classic kebaya derived from the 19th-century kebaya of Javanese noblewomen. The kebaya made from fireproof cotton-polyester fabrics, with batik sarongs in parang or lereng gondosuli motif, which also incorporate garuda’s (Java Eagle) wing motif and small dots represent jasmine. Another use is in the hotel business, where you will find easily the female staff wearing the kebaya. In the same way, loose-fitting tailoring is preferred by women that must be free to move as their duties require in India. For this given reason, we will find the suit of a choice of air hostesses on Air India, the national airline of India is sari. To achieve the perfect “air-hostess” image, they choose a complementary U-shaped blouse that covers the upper body which completely gives a very elegant and formal look. Not only that, saris are also made as uniforms by the female hotel staff of many five-star luxury hotels in India as a symbol of culture. Correspondingly, the female politicians of India usually show the professionalism by wearing the sari.

        To sum up, these two traditional costumes keep the same ideas. Both essentially originate from its land, India, and Indonesia, but also, worn and found in neighboring countries. Even in its own country, these dresses are mentioned with several terms and combined with a various way. By the same token, nowadays, these two dresses get more popular in the modern era. These two apparel are now shown by its purpose in flight attendant’s uniform, hotel staffs, as well as clothed in by some women in a political field. Both sari and kebaya have been a source of pride for their states. The two clothes are meant to be used by native women to show the beauty of culture. I will say if these two countries which often misunderstand as the same country by its mention are actually equal enough when we see how they see the beauty that owned by their traditional apparel.

You may also want to see “India’s effect on Indonesia’s culture” in this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cVDy33VV_s

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Thank you!

Sella Lametta ♡