Sembah

	This article may require pendet dance movement
Types	Traditional greeting
Ancestor arts	Indonesian
Originating culture	Indonesia
Originating era	Hindu - Buddhist civilisations

Sembah (Javanese: ꦱꦼꦩ꧀ꦧꦃ, Sundanese: ᮞᮨᮙᮘᮃᮠ, Balinese: ᬲᭂᬫ᭄ᬩᬄ) is an Indonesian greeting and gesture of respect and reverence. While performing the sembah, one clasps their palms together solemnly in a prayer-like fashion called suhun or susuhun in Javanese; or menyusun jari sepuluh ("to arrange the ten fingers") in Indonesian and Malay, placing them in front of their chest and moving the pressed palms up to their chin, or all the way up until their thumbs touch the tip of their nose, while bowing slightly.^[1][2][3] Any of these two forms are made depending on the status of the person greeted.^[3]

Sembah is endemic and prevalent in

.

Etymology

In Indonesian and Malay, the term sembah means to pay the honour, obeisance, homage or to worship.^[1][2] It also the synonym with the Javanese word suhun. According to Indonesian writer Hamka in his book Dari Perbendaharaan Lama, the word derives from a Javanese word for position (susunan) of hands in reverential salutation, done with hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointed upwards, and bowing. This arrangement which has some similarities with Indian namaste is called "sembah", which is used to honor and praise. Thus "susuhunan" can refer to someone to give the "susunan" or "sembah" to, or a revered person. Another word for "susuhunan" is "sesembahan".^[4] The term sembah however, curiously sounds similar and cognate to Cambodian sampeah, which suggests their common origin or shared connections.

The word sembahyang in Indonesian and Malaysian Malay today is made

worship".

Origin

.

By early first century, Hindu-Buddhist civilization began to exercises their influences in Indonesia, and by the 4th century early Hindu polities has established their rule in Java, Sumatra and Borneo; such as the kingdom of

temples. From then, the sembah gesture is endemic in the region, especially in Java and Bali.

Social and cultural significance

keraton Yogyakarta by Kassian Cephas

. Sembah is prescribed etiquette in Javanese courts.

The sembah is a prescribed

, where the height of raised clasped-hand corresponds to the social stature of the person in question. The higher sembah hands is raised, the lower the body is bowed, the more higher the social stature of the person revered in this gesture. In Javanese court tradition, the pisowanan ngabektèn (Javanese term sowan bhakti; i.e. "visit to offer homage") ceremony is annually held during Lebaran (Eid al-Fitr), when the Javanese kings—the Sultan of the kraton of Yogyakarta and the Sunan of Surakarta—receives the sembah sungkem from their subjects. Sembah sungkem is a kind of sembah that is performed by bowing the body low, then clasping the hands at the lap or knee of the revered person.^[8]

Sembah also has become incorporated in standard protocol towards Malay royalty where forehead level is preferred;

.

Sembah is also a common social practice in

In Sundanese tradition of West Java, sembah often replacing modern handshake as it done in reciprocated manner; by barely touching each other combined tip of the fingers, then gracefully redraw the clasped hand and raised it to the face until the thumbs touches the tip of one's own nose. Sundanese sembah is also called salam Sunda (Sundanese greetings).^[11]

Within Minangkabau culture of West Sumatra, this greeting gesture is known as salam sembah.^[12] While in Jambi, Sumatra, the gesture is called seloko, or seloko salam sembah.^[13]

In Javanese and Sundanese version, usually no words is spoken during performing sembah. In Balinese version however, the word often spoken with the sembah when greeting somebody is om swastiastu,

that started with: svasti! śrī śakavaŕşātīta 605 ekādaśī śuklapakşa vulan vaiśākha.

Contemporary practice

Today, the sembah greeting is adopted, especially in hospitality industry in Indonesia. Such as performed by Garuda Indonesia flight attendants to greet passenger prior and after the flight,^[17] and also commonly practiced as welcome greetings by staffs in hotels, resorts and spas throughout Indonesia.

Sembah greeting gesture is often performed by prominent figures, politicians, state officials, president, VIPs, or important persons during their public visit to greet the attending crowd. This is usually done when approaching and personally greeting each individual is not possible. During the

In dances

The sembah gesture is often performed in ritualized

pendet

dances.

See also

• Sampeah
• Wai
• Namasté
• Sunan
• Culture of Indonesia

References

External links

• Hundred Sculptures of Sembah - the sculptures by Indonesian artist Purjito
• Sembah dance from Lampung