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Jakarta Post

Handmade Boyolali sarong an Idul Fitri tradition

Sarung goyor from Giriroto village are sold at the Islamic product center at Kliwon Market, Surakarta, Central Java with prices starting from Rp 400,000 (US$27.92). Traders in Kliwon Market also sell sarung goyor abroad, even to countries in the Middle East.

Stefanus Ajie (The Jakarta Post)
Boyolali, Central Java
Mon, May 13, 2019

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Handmade Boyolali sarong an Idul Fitri tradition A signature 'goyor sarong' design produced in Giriroto village, Boyolali regency. (JP/Stefanus Ajie)

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ach region in the Indonesian Archipelago has its own unique way to celebrate the coming Idul Fitri. For the people in Boyolali, Central Java, sarung goyor, a traditional handmade fabric for men, is an important part of the Muslim tradition.

Tayem, 74, had been producing sarung goyor since the 1950s in her wooden workshop in Giriroto Village, Boyolali. 

“The tradition to make sarung goyor has been around since I was a young girl. Now my two daughters continue the tradition to produce sarung goyor,” Tayem told The Jakarta Post recently. 

According to Tayem, the process to make sarung goyor including the thread spinning, weaving and sewing can take 10 to 15 days to complete. The threads are colored using a manual dying process. Crafters use cotton threads mixed with rayon and silk as variation. After the coloring, the threads are woven according to the symmetrical patterns that characterize sarung goyor. 

Read also: Eight must-visit destinations in Boyolali

In the production, Tayem is assisted by 15 weavers who each get a fee of Rp 90,000 (US$6.27) for every piece of cloth woven.

The finished products are sold at the Islamic product center at Kliwon Market, Surakarta, Central Java with prices starting from Rp 400,000. Traders in Kliwon Market also sell sarung goyor abroad, even to countries in the Middle East.

In Indonesia, sarung goyor is valued as a quality gift and fashion item during the fasting season and Idul Fitri celebration. (gis/mut)

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