INFOBUDAYA.NET — Entering the gates of Sade Village in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), feels like stepping through a portal in time. The swift pace of modernization and urban development pauses at the granary-shaped entrance, welcoming visitors into a world where tradition remains vibrantly alive. Here, the traditional Sasak houses—topped with thatched roofs, framed with bamboo walls, and grounded in earthen floors—stand along the Praya-Kuta main road, forming a cultural landscape deeply embedded in local identity. Locals dressed in traditional attire enrich the atmosphere, enhancing the village’s image as a living heritage site, known to travelers since 1975.

Within its 5.5 hectares, homes in Sade are built close together, displaying woven fabrics in rich colors and patterns, jewelry, and beadwork at nearly every turn. Local women, seated patiently at their looms, weave threads that hold not just fabric but centuries of memory. Tourists and residents interact along these village corridors, forming unique cultural encounters shaped by sight, sound, scent, and human connection.

The deeper one wanders through Sade, the more layered the sensory experience becomes. Voices in the Sasak language drift warmly from behind bamboo walls, while the scent of spices escapes from kitchens, revealing daily life in all its texture. The natural materials—thatch, bamboo, earth—do more than build a shelter. They create an aesthetic and philosophical space where the past and present coexist.

More than physical form, the Sade house reflects an intricate relationship with geography, belief, and cosmology. Located in a hilly region 250–300 meters above sea level, the site choice honors the Sasak belief that height brings one closer to the cosmic center. The houses are oriented east to west—toward the rising and setting sun—a symbol of blessing, and continuity, and also a nod to the spiritual power of Mount Rinjani, regarded by locals as sacred.

Every design element conveys symbolic meaning. The sharply sloped back roof and flat front suggest equality before the divine. The low doorways compel visitors to bow as they enter—a humble gesture of respect toward the home and its inhabitants. Inside, the architecture divides space not just by function but by deeply rooted symbolism. The entrance area, sesangkok, has two parts: sesangkok daya, facing Mount Rinjani, is for receiving guests and eating; sesangkok lau, facing the sea, is more private and used as the men’s sleeping quarters. Historically, the deceased were laid in sesangkok lau before burial, their heads pointed north, toward the sacred mountain.

Above, the upper floor—langen dalem—is the women’s domain, divided into dalem bale (used by married women for cooking and sleeping) and bale dalem, a sacred space for unmarried daughters, childbirth, and safe-keeping valuables. Bale dalem symbolizes protection, especially within the context of the bride abduction tradition once practiced in Lombok. With access only through the lower room, this upper space serves as a fortress of care and reverence.

Connecting the upper and lower levels are three or four steps, each carrying meaning. Three steps represent the life cycle: birth, growth, death—or are interpreted as the Islamic Wetu Telu tradition. Four steps signify the connection between humans, parents, ancestors, and God. In some homes, additional steps signal full acceptance of Islam, showing how belief systems continue to evolve within the village.

Sade’s houses are thus far more than shelters; they are living texts of philosophy and social structure. Every architectural choice, from materials to layout, expresses values of balance, humility, memory, and harmony with nature and community. For the Sasak people, the house is a spiritual center and a daily teacher—a guide to remember where one comes from and why.

Recognized in 2010 as an item of Indonesia’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, the traditional Sade house stands as a monument not only of craftsmanship but of cultural continuity. The village today welcomes around 100 visitors daily—double that on weekends—thanks to its location near Mandalika, one of Indonesia’s “Ten New Bali.” Nevertheless, Sade is not merely a tourist stop. It is a living archive of Indonesia’s cultural identity. With mindful stewardship, respectful collaboration, and deep appreciation, Sade can continue to thrive not just as a site of heritage, but as a foundation of sustainable cultural tourism in Lombok and a vital reminder of Indonesia’s rich and diverse philosophical and cultural traditions.

Reference:

PDBI – Rumah Adat Sasak