Udeng, Balinese Male Headband

As with other areas in Indonesia, Balinese also have traditional clothing. One of them is udeng, the headband worn by Balinese men. Shrimp is commonly used by people from all walks of life. Whether it's royalty or ordinary people, from children to elders, the whole Balinese people wear this headband.

Shrimp are usually made of cloth with a length of approximately half a meter. Making this udeng requires its own expertise, hence generally only produced in certain areas only. The craftsmen udeng and also other fabrics made from cloth are produced in the area of Karangasem. One of the most famous villages for fabric crafts is Sidemen Village.

In this Sidemen Village, can be found udeng in a variety of motives, ranging from plain, metallic ornaments, batik style, and other more modern patterns. The shrimps have a bilateral asymmetrical shape with the right side higher than the left side. This asymmetrical form has a philosophical meaning everyone should strive to do righteousness.

Balinese men use udeng in many of their daily activities. Communities usually use the good udeng in informal meetings, formal events, to religious rituals and ceremonies. When worshiping at the temple, this udeng is used to prevent hair loss and can violate the sanctity of the temple. Shrimp used at the time of worship is generally plain white.