Discover Batik in South Kalimantan

The variety of Sasirangan Batik in Irma Batik Workshop, South Kalimantan (photo: Irma Sasirangan)

The Sasirangan Batik workshop in South Kalimantan (photo: InfoBatik)

The Mangosteen fruit (Garcinia mangostana), as one of Batik motif inspirations in South Kalimantan (Photo: @BatakIndonesia)

The Batik for Healing and Protection

Sasirangan (batik) cloth is the identity of the Banjar community, South Kalimantan. Other than believing that the cloth is able to treat diseases if they wear it, the Banjar tribe also believes that Sasirangan fabric has the magical ability to expel the forces of evil spirits and protect its users from astral disturbance.

The Socio Cultural Values of Batik in South Kalimantan

The traditional batik cloth from the Banjar tribe of South Kalimantan is called “Sasirangan”. It is believed to have the ability cure diseases if you wear it. The colour of the cloth that given to the patient to wear is different to the purposes of the health treatment. For example, yellow is used to cure jaundice, red to treat headaches or insomnia, green for paralysis or stroke; black for fevers and itches, purple is useful for curing stomach aches, and brown for curing mental illness or stress.

The Legend of Sasirangan Textile in South Kalimantan

Calapan cloth, the forerunner of the Sasirangan batik, was developed slowly from the 12th to 14th century. Calapan cloth is closely associated with the story of Patih (Prime Minister) Lambung Mangkurat. In his youth, Lambung Mangkurat went on a raft and meditated for 40 days and nights in order to be able to find a king he could serve. At the end of this period, the river bubbled and a lady’s voice told him that he would find his king with her help. All he had to do was help her get to the surface by building her a royal boat to transport them both to the king, build her a palace with the help of 40 unmarried men, and weave her a cloth woven with the mature ears of rice (“padi waringin”) motif dipped (“calap”) in many colours for her wedding costume with the help of 40 virgins. The cloth made with the multiple-dip-dyeing (“calapan”) technique and woven in a single motif repeated in rows (“sasirangan”, “sa” = “single”, “sirangan” = “row”) is what is now known as the “Calapan” or “Sasirangan” cloth.

Batik Motifs in South Kalimantan

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Batik Villages in South Kalimantan

local batik workshop

Batik villages are the region where the Batik producers mostly reside. You could buy the Batik textiles from the artisans and participate in the making process of Batik on the site.

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South kAlimantan

Visual Journey

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Batik Production in South kalimantan

The Land of Thousand Rivers

South kAlimantan

Rimpi Hill in Pelaihari Regency, South Kalimantan (photo: @egrafis)

About South Kalimantan

Given its unique topography, South Kalimantan is known as the land of thousand rivers. This area is mostly inhabited by the Banjar tribe. As one of the largest ethnic groups in Indonesia, the Banjar tribe receives significant cultural influences from Hindu, Buddhists, and Islamic kingdoms since the 5th Century. For example, they live together in great clans in the “Bubungan Tinggi” traditional house. This way of living is copied from the way of the royal family who lived there a long time ago.

Facts about South Kalimantan

South Kalimantan Province is located on the island of Kalimantan. The capital city is Banjarmasin. It borders with Central Kalimantan Province in the west, Makassar Strait in the east, the Java Sea in the south, and East Kalimantan Province in the north. The total area of South Kalimantan Province is 37,530.52 km² with a population of 4,120,000 in 2017. The native tribes that inhabit this province are the Banjar (74.34), the Javanese (14.51%), and the Bugis (2.81%). The majority of the population are Moslems (96.23%), with a small number being Hindus (1.61%) and Protestant Christians (1.26%).

One of the famous scenic place in this region is Matang Kaladan Hill, which is located in Banjarbaru city (Photo: Rekreasialam). Bekantan or long-nosed Borneo monkey is an endemic fauna of the region. It is a national protected fauna in Indonesia.

Highlights on Culture

South Kalimantan was a territory of the Kingdom of Tanjung Puri in the 5th-6th century. Javanese knights later built the Negara Daha Empire and ruled the region in the 14th century. In 1526, the kingdom of Banjarmasin emerged in the region and developed into a major maritime kingdom until the end of the 18th century. South Kalimantan was dominated by Dutch and British colonialists from the 17th to 19th century. A typical intangible cultural heritage from South Kalimantan is the Baksa Kembang Dance, performed during ritual ceremonies of Banjar community.

Another typical intangible cultural heritage from South Kalimantan is the Baksa Kembang Dance. This dance is performed during ritual ceremonies of Banjar community in South Kalimantan (photo: house_of_sunaa).