Rumah Gadang

This entry I would share about my hometown west sumatera, Agam. In previous I usually post about place, but in this post I would share about house especially traditional house from Minangkabau. Minangkabau is one tribe in Indonesia, we use matrilineal system it means everthing will follow from women, for example our special tribe, traditional house, heritage and many more.

 

minagkabau royal palace "pagaruyung"

Rumah gadang or rumah bagonjong or in English we can say big house are the traditional homes of the Minangkabau. The architecture, construction, internal and external decoration, and the functions of the house reflect the culture and values of the Minangkabau. A rumah gadang serves as a residence, a hall for family meetings, and for ceremonial activities. In the matrilineal Minangkabau society, the rumah gadang is owned by the women of the family who live there; ownership is passed from mother to daughter.

The rumah gadang is built in one of two basic designs: koto piliang and bodi caniago. These forms reflect different two variations of Minangkabau social structure. The koto piliang design reflects an aristocratic and hierarchical social structure, with the house containing anjuang (raised floors) at each end to permit elevated seating of clan leaders during ceremonial events. The bodi caniago design reflects a democratic social structure, with the floors being flat and on one level.

If you go to West Sumatera our government building also use rumah gadang architecture, that make us still remember about our traditional house.