Sasak Lombok People

LOMBOK TRAVEL GUIDE – Sasak Lombok people are originally from Lombok, where they represent the majority of the population. Ethnically related to the Balinese, they speak sasak, a distinct language that has 9 different varieties. The sasak language spoken in the Gilis is known as Gangga.

Sasak possesses a system of speech levels and, as Balinese and Javanese, social classes are reflected in lexical differences.

In fact, Since the 14th century, Sasak society has been divided into castes. Intermarriage is allowed but a wmoman who marries a man of a lower caste loses her status.

From the 16th century, the Sasak adopted a syncretic form of Islam (wetu telu), which blends Hindu-Bhuddist influences, Sunni Islam, animism and ancestral worship.

Today, Sasak are known for their traditional pottery, that is the famous technique of “turun temurun“, the typical architecture, namely the pile-built rice barn called “lumbung” and, of course, the “gendang beleq“, the Sasak version of the Balinese gamelan, a dance and music performance featuring drums, flutes and cymbals.

Population : 3.600.000
Language : Sasak
Geography : Lombok
Religion : Islam, Islam (wetu telu), Bodha, Hindu and Christiani

Source : Gililife, June 2016
Featured Image by : www.lombokcarrental.com
Editor : Jackysan