Awaiting Return of \'Mother’s House\'

Kompas/Iwan Setiyawan

A house with bagonjong roofing in the Seribu Rumah Gadang area of Muaralabuh, South Solok regency, West Sumatra, features in this photo taken on Friday (26/1). There are still many houses with this characteristic element of Minangkabau architecture in the area.

Rumah Gadang is the house of mothers, a symbol of the Minangkabau’s matriarchal tradition. The property is of equal value with a rice field, farmland and land prohibited from sale. However, the existence of the rumah gadang is under threat.

Muchlis Sutan Mangkuto, 65, slowly climbed the stairs to the attic of Rumah Gadang Siti Fatimah in Nagari Sumpur, South Batipuh district, Tanah Datar regency, West Sumatra. At the traditional Minangkabau house, he carefully walked along a small wooden bridge to reach the southern end of the attic.

There, Muchlis sat on a chair made from wooden blocks. The man, who lives with his younger siblings at the house, then opened a small window. “Look at the scenery,” Muchlis said.

The scene from the window was breathtaking. Dozens of other houses with the bagonjong (pointed roof finials) were visible among the residential groves. Rice fields could be seen, connected to each other to form a giant carpet extending to the banks of Lake Singkarak.

Muchlis said he couldn’t believe he had been able to return and live in the traditional house and see the scenery from the attic. “This rumah gadang is still new. The old house was totally damaged during a fire on May 26, 2013,” he said.

The big fire also damaged four other traditional houses nearby. Muchlis and his family were shocked. They wanted to rebuild the house, but they had no money.

Luckily, a foundation and several organizations provided assistance to restore the traditional house.

The issues surrounding rumah gadang in West Sumatra is complicated. The centuries-old heritage of the Minangkabau was at a crossroads. Hundreds of old houses were damaged by rain, storms and earthquakes. Added to these were the fires that sped up their destruction.

The rumah gadang where Suswita, 64, lived in Nagari Pandai Sikek, Sepuluh Kota district, Tanah Datar, is a solid example. Half of the 10-by-25 meter house, which has housed 10 generations, was damaged. Only half of it could be lived in. The remaining space was severely damaged.

The earthquake that struck in 2007, Suswita said, had damaged one of the main pillars. The structure now leaned. More than half of the outer wooden wall was completely destroyed. The wall was covered with sheet metal.

“It can be repaired. But it will cost around Rp 700 million. We cannot afford it. The family that owns this house does not care about this house,” said Suswita, who makes a living as a textile weaver.

Kampung Minang chairman Kamrita of Nagari Sumpur said the restoration costs for two houses, including the one belonging to Muchlis’s family, could reach Rp 3 billion.

The high renovation cost has caused Nagari Sumpur, located 99 kilometers north of Padang, to lose many traditional houses. Kamrita said that before, Sumpur had 200 traditional houses. But now, only around 65 traditional houses were left, 40 of which were occupied.

Residents’ initiative

In the Saribu Rumah Gadang (SRG) area of Nagari Koto Baru in Sungai Pagu district, South Solok Selatan, about 150 kilometers from Padang, 134 traditional houses stand. The local residents initiated the self-funded revitalization of the traditional houses.

Zulasri, 66, for example, spent Rp 50 million to restore his house. The renovation work did not include replacing all damaged wood. Only the façade was replaced with borneo and meranti wood. The kitchen wall has not been replaced, as he ran out of money.

The original shape of the house has been preserved. The roof, which was made from wood, bamboo and sugar palm fiber, was replaced with sheet metal. There are no more craftsmen who can build the traditional roof. Even if there were, it would be much more expensive. “The sheet metal is cheaper and easier to get,” Zulastri said.

According to Wowo Adizar, an architect with the Bandung Institute of Technology, the high renovation cost would not be a problem if the homeowners were passionate or enthusiastic. “I have observed some people who built brick houses next to the rumah gadang,” Wowo said.

Andalas University Minangkabau literary studies lecturer Pramono said that when the traditional Minangkabau house was first built hundred of years ago, it already came with a high cost. “Rumah gadang is the local wisdom of the people to make use of the environment. The construction was planned well, considering that it contains some highly valued symbols,” he said.

However, Pramono said, the challenge today was not only the cost. “West Sumatra lacks heritage experts that specialize in rumah gadang,” he said.

Rumah gadang has also seen a shift in its social function. New rumah gadang have been built, but these do not represent the communal customs, and instead belong to rich individuals or successful Minang people.

Amid the current challenge, hope for preserving rumah gadang exists, but in a different form.

Yarnelly, 68, who inherited the Rumah Gadang Suku Panai Tanjuang Simat Dato Rajo Batuah in SRG South Solok three years ago, has turned part of the traditional house, built in the 1800s, into a homestay.

Three rooms are offered as accommodation for tourists visiting the SRG, which is today a tourism icon of South Solok. The other rooms are for himself and his grandchildren.

Every day, there are tourists who rent the rooms, including foreign tourists. “They love to stay here because of the different atmosphere,” said Yarnelly. Aside from him, around 20 other families have turned the traditional houses into a homestay. Sumpur has seen a similar trend.

It has been proposed that the SRG South Solok be named a National Cultural Heritage Site. If this is approved, the rumah gadang will gain greater attention, and if that happens, the “mother’s houses” will be preserved for all time.