Special Beautiful Umbrella From Tasikmalaya

        In common, umbrellas usually used to protect the user from rain and the sun light. However, in Tasikmalaya, there are many special umbrella which are used to enchance the confidence of Tasikmalaya young girls. As we know, sundanese girls are very well-known in their beauty. Actually, it because of sundanese girls always pay attention in their appearence. One of the atribbute that are always used in Tasikmalaya namely payung geulis (it common call for beautifull umbrella in sunda language). What a beautifull girls of sundanese !!! i think many people will say that expression when they meet the sundanese girls.

      But now, unfortunately the beautifull umbrella atrributes are not used anymore in the daily life, It started about 1970 year ago, when the japanese umbrella which is made in plastic attack the umbrella market in Indonesia. Gradually, it replace the used of payung geulis (beautifull umbrellas) in Tasikmalaya. Nowdays, we can find the payung geulis ( beautifull umbrellas) only in traditional ceremony such as wedding, parting etc.

         There is my friend who asked me about the difference betwen payung geulis and the umbrella which origin from China. Well, actually there are similiarity between the umbrella, but we can distinguish from the motif, theme, the shape of payung geulis which is more thick, the top of the  payung geulis is more sharp with the leaf motif. Below is the example of payung geulis from Tasikmalaya. 

        The Tasikmalaya government strive to revive the glory of payung geulis, especially in West Java. As i know, just 5 craftsmen umbrella left in Tasikmalaya.One of the government planning among other things by using dance, yah i mean that the governement will revive the payung geulis dance to attract people hence they will be interested in payung geulis. And the government will help to promote this special umbrella. I hope it will not extinct. Hurip Payung Geulis, wish ur glory come back!!!!

rachmasafitri