Learn the Culture of Lombok at Sukarara Weaving Village

Everybody loves to spend their weekend to take a trip or holiday. It could be for one day or even more. Many people visit Lombok to spend that moment because Lombok has many destinations that you can explore. Most of the tourists come to Lombok and visit the beaches. But if you want to visit a cultural place that can tell you more about Lombok, you may interested to visit some Traditional Villages in Lombok, one of them is Sukarara Weaving Village.

Where is Sukarara Weaving Village?

Sukara Weaving Village is located at Jonggat, Central Lombok. It takes time around 30 minutes from Mataram, the capital city of West Nusa Tenggara Province and only 15 minutes from the airport. The road from the airport to Sukarara is good, was called ByPass street. It was built to give the comfortable access for the tourists who visits Lombok.

What can you do at Sukarara Weaving Village?

Just like its name, in Sukarara Weaving Village you will see many women weaving a fabric, a Lombok traditional fabric. In almost every house, there is woman weaving. Most of Sukarara people used weaving as their job, to help their economy. Therefore, you have many options of products that you can buy.

The fabrics weaved in Sukarara were divided into two types, “Songket” and “Tenun Ikat”. The difference between them is the motifs, design, colors and the weaver. “Songket” is weaved by a woman and it has more color option than the “Tenun Ikat”. It used light colors and sometimes combined with golden color thread. While “Tenun Ikat” was weaved by a man but for a bigger size, it still the woman who are weaving. For the color of “Tenun Ikat”, it used more like black, grey and brown color. The size of both fabric could be 1 m x 3 m. It need 3 weeks until 2 months to finish one fabric, depend on how hard the motifs are.

Even if majority of the people in Sukarara weave a fabric but the products that they sell is not juts a fabric, they also sell make another products from that fabric, such as tote bag, sling bag, clothes and hat. So you can choose whichever products that you want. Those could be a souvenirs you bring back home as a reminder of the beauty of Lombok Island.

While you are shopping, there are a guide that will tell you much information about the village, fabric and the story behind it. You also allowed to try the traditional “Sasak” ethnic clothes. “Sasak” is the ethnic in Lombok. The clothes were named “Lambung” which means stomach because the clothes size is fit to your stomach. The color of the clothes is black. While for the dress, you will wear “Songket”. This clothes usually wear in the wedding, for the women who come to the wedding.

While wearing the traditional Sasak clothes, you can take a picture at the traditional Sasak building, named “Lumbung”. In the past, Lumbung is used to be the place for the farmer to put their rice after harvesting. But now only plenty of people still build Lumbung for that function along with the modernization. Now, “Lumbung” design used for the design of bungalow and many tourism destination object.

A Story of Weaver Woman in Sukarara Village

Since almost all of the weaver in Sukarara are women, there is a story behind it. All girls in Sukarara are obliged to learn how to weave before the age of 13 years old. They are not allowed to married if they can’t weave. Therefore, while they were kids, they must accompany their mum weaving and learn from that. Learning before age 13 is important because the elder believed that at that age, it will be easier for the girls to learn and understand because their brain is in a productive age that it can remember much memory. If you come to Sukarara, you are also allowed to learn about weaving. The weaver there will teach you friendly.

So, book your trip now with Can Tours Lombok, we have the trip pacakage for 3 days 2 nights that will visit various destinations in Lombok, includes Sukarara Weaving Village. See you at Lombok soon!