The West Sumatera Pavilion presents five traditional houses: the main house (“rumah gadang”), the traditional hall (“balairung”), the rice house (“rangkiang”), and prayer barn (“surau”); all four traditional Minangkabau houses; the fifth is a Mentawai traditional house. There are also some supporting buildings for offices, canteen and a performance stage (“medan nan bapeneh”) presenting various regional art on Sundays and holidays.
The “Rumah Gadng” is a big house where the family lives with all the traditionally and costumary aspects. In Minangkabau the “rumah gadang” is not the property of an individual but that of all the family clan. As the Minangkabau people adhere to matriarchy, the “rumah gadang” is occupied by a woman with the mother’s brother as the head of the family (“mamak tungganal”). Bachelors are not allowed to sleep in the “rumah gadang”, but must sleep in the prayer house (“surau”) since boyhood.
The basic from of a “rumah gadang” is rectangular, built on stilts and often called “rumah bagonjong” because it has a roof that curves upwards with pointed ends resembling the water buffalo’s horn. The walls that are expanding upwards are called “silek” and function to prevent the rain to seep into the house. The covered staircase is in the front of the house. The “rumah gadang” is divided into a number of rooms called “bilik” which is usually uneven.
The “rumah gadang” at the West Suatera Pavilion has nine rooms marked by a row of poles in the middle serving as a boundary as there are no dividers. The house is used to display and exhibit a wedding dais, handicraft products, agricultural tools, traditional musical instruments – among others the (“talempong”), bells, the Silungkang woven cloth, and traditional costumes from each regency presented by mannequins. The space underneath the house is used to sell souvenirs of various handicrafts among other the “songket Silungkang” (“Silungkang” woven cloth), accessories, painting and various ready-to wear dresses.
The “balairung” is a meeting place for the traditional elders (“penghulu”) to discuss problems of the village (“nagari”). Principally the “balairung” is the same as the “rumah gadang”, with two different models, the “Budi Chaniago” and the “Koto Piliang” model. A “balairung” is an open hall sometimes without no walls at all. The far end is reserved for the elderly (“penghulu peunak”). The “balairung” in the pavilion functions for meetings, exhibitions and performances of the Minangkabau traditional art.
All the traditional buildings have decorations in the form of a variety of carvings: a flat carving, a chisel (“pahat”), perforation and burnt caving; mostly is a design of plants, flowers and animals dominantly in the colors of red, yellow, black, and blue. The carvings beautify and contain traditional Minangkabau doctrins.
The West Sumatera Pavilion has a dance studio providing education and training especially dancing and drum music for children and youngsters.
If visitors want to taste the “Padang” cuisine, there is a canteen serving “nasi padang” (padang rice) with a special menu: “ayam panggang” (roasted chicken), “rendang” (meat simmered in spices and coconut milk), “gulai ikan” (fish curry), “daging cincang” (minced meat), “dendeng” (jerked meat), “ikan asam pade” (sweet-sour fish), “sambal cabe” (chilli sauce) and “sate padang” (small pieces of meat roasted on skewer prepared in the Padang style). All the dishes are delicious and appetizing.
*HERIBERTUS NUGRAHA PRADANA*
*11 IPS*
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