Sarong, Selendang, Udeng, Saput — Balinese Ritual Dress

Balinese ritual dress has 4 core elements — Sarong (cloth wrapped at the waist) · Selendang (waist sash) · Udeng (men's headband) · Saput (overlay cloth). Required for temple entry, weddings, tooth-filing, Ngaben, Galungan, Nyepi — every ritual. Foreigners must borrow Sarong + Selendang to enter temples. Balinese ritual dress is an additional layer over secular clothes — not clothing, but ritual signage. Color, fabric, and knot indicate caste, ritual type, and gender.

A. The 4 Core Pieces

1. Sarong:

• Cloth from waist to ankle
• Endek, Batik, or solid color
• About 2.5 m wide, 1 m long
• Wrapped once at the waist and tied
• Worn by both sexes

2. Selendang / Senteng:

• Sash over the Sarong
• About 30 cm wide, 2 m long
• Twice around the waist with a knot
• Holds Sarong + marks ritual

3. Udeng:

• Men's headband
• Square Batik / Endek cloth
• Folded into a knot on the head
• Caste / ritual-specific color, pattern
• White for Brahmana, black for ordinary, festive for celebrations

4. Saput:

• Overlay cloth on top of Sarong
• Waist to knee
• For major rites (wedding, Ngaben)
• Mark of traditional formality

Additional items:

• Kemeja Putih / Safari — white shirt or safari shirt (men's top)
• Kain Songket / Prada — gold-thread cloth (royal / wedding)
• Selop / Sepatu — Balinese slippers or dress shoes

Sources: Sarong · Udeng · Balinese clothing

B. Spiritual Meaning

Tri Angga — 3 zones of the body (same principle as Tri Mandala 3.2.4):

• Utama — head (most sacred)
• Madya — torso (middle)
• Nista — feet (lowest / spirits)

Mapping to dress:

• Udeng (headband) — protects Utama
• Sarong + Selendang (torso) — Madya
• Bare feet or shoes — Nista

Why is Sarong mandatory?

• On temple (Pura) entry
• Bare or exposed legs = irreverent
• Sarong = sacred protection of Madya

Meaning of colors (see 3.1.3):

Meaning of the knot:

• Sarong knot — household / regional
• Right knot (men) / left knot (women)
• Large rites — elaborate knots

Sources: Eiseman F.B., Bali: Sekala and Niskala (1989) · Hobart M., The Art and Culture of Bali (1995)

C. Dress Codes by Ritual

1. General temple visit (Pura)

Men:

• Sarong + Selendang
• Kemeja Putih (white shirt)
• Udeng (optional)
• Foreigners — Sarong + Selendang fine

Women:

• Sarong + Selendang
• Kebaya or modest top (cover shoulders)
• Small flower headpiece
• Foreigners — Sarong + shirt OK

2. Galungan / Kuningan

• Whole family formal
• Sarong + Selendang + Saput
• Men — Udeng + white shirt
• Women — Kebaya
• Tri Datu bracelet

3. Wedding (Pawiwahan)

Groom:

• Payas Agung — gold-trimmed elaborate dress
• Udeng elaborate knot
• Saput Songket (gold thread)

Bride:

• Payas Agung — gold trim, headdress
• Kebaya Songket
• Complex hair-knot + flowers / gold

Guests:

• Sarong + Selendang + Saput
• Kemeja Putih or Kebaya
• Udeng

4. Ngaben / Memukur (funeral)

• Mostly white clothes
• White / black Sarong
• White Saput
• Simple, formal

5. Pedanda eligibility

• White only (after Madiksa)
• Sikha (crown lock)
• Surya headdress

6. Nyepi

• Similar to Galungan
• Family formal
• During Tawur Kesanga / Mecaru

Sources: Bali Post — ritual-dress series · PHDI Pusat — ritual standard

D. Modern Variants and Everyday Dress

Everyday Balinese dress:

• Men — shirts, shorts, jeans
• Women — light Kebaya or regular clothing
• Sarong only for ritual / temple

Casual Sarong:

• Used as beachwear
• Many foreigners — Rp 50–200K at markets
• Bali / overseas souvenir

Endek mandate (2021):

• Bali government — civil servants wear Endek every Tuesday
• Endek = Bali identity
• Schools — Endek uniform
• Bali youth — everyday Endek fashion

Modern designers:

• Putu Aliki, Bin House, Tjok Abi
• Tradition + modern fashion
• International Fashion Week

Overseas Sarong market:

• Australia / US / Europe — as beachwear
• Lululemon / Athleta — Bali-Sarong-inspired
• Overseas export — USD $10–30M / year

Foreigner Bali-style fashion:

• Ubud Festival / Yoga — Sarong
• Bali weddings — formal + Sarong
• Foreigners at rituals — Sarong + Selendang standard

Sources: The Jakarta Post — Endek mandate · Tempo — Bali fashion industry

E. The Foreigner's View — Everything Sarong

1. Mandatory for temple entry

• Most temples — free at the gate, or Rp 5–20K rental
• Major temples (Besakih / Uluwatu) — Sarong + Selendang
• Foreigners with certificates — bring your own Sarong

2. Buying

• Pasar Sukawati / Ubud Market — Rp 50–300K (tourist price, bargain)
• Local Pasar — Rp 30–100K
• Authentic Endek (Klungkung / Sidemen) — Rp 200–500K
• Songket (gold) — Rp 1–10M

3. How to wear

Men:

1. Sarong — up to above the waist
2. Wrap right once
3. Left end over right end
4. Tuck inside waist
5. Selendang — twice around the Sarong with a knot
6. Udeng — optional

Women:

1. Sarong — above chest or waist
2. Wrap left
3. Selendang — waist or shoulder
4. Kebaya or neat top

4. Foreigner ritual participation

• Balinese friends help
• YouTube — Sarong tutorials
• Balinese household — lends Sarong to foreign guests

5. Choosing color / pattern

• Temple general — any color OK
• Wedding — colorful / festive
• Ngaben — white / black
• Galungan — gold / festive

6. Foreigner-resident Bali dress

• Sarong collection (3–5)
• Selendang 3–5
• Udeng (men) / Kebaya (women) 1–2
• Festival / yoga / ritual

7. Taking abroad

• Sarong / Selendang — luggage OK
• Songket (gold) — declare
• Bali Sarong — popular overseas souvenir

Quick Summary

Sources / References

• Wiki — Sarong · Udeng · Kebaya · Endek · Songket
• Official — Bali Provincial Government — Endek mandate 2021 · PHDI Pusat — ritual dress
• News — The Jakarta Post — Bali dress series · Bali Post — ritual dress · Tempo — Endek policy · Bali Discovery — foreigner guide
• Academic — Eiseman F. B. Jr., Bali: Sekala and Niskala (Periplus, 1989-90); Hobart M. (ed.), The Art and Culture of Bali (1995); Vickers A., Bali: A Paradise Created (2012); Howe L., The Changing World of Bali (Routledge, 2005)