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A krama is a durable traditional Cambodian garment representing Khmer cultural identity, worn by all classes and religions. It is not tricky for Khmer to grasp "What Krama is?" because we were born and lived with it in the past. Nevertheless, regarding the deep history and how to weave the scarf, it is a one-of-a-kind and challenging process. However, Khmer culture saw it as vital to their daily lives and activities. It is more than just a piece of fabric; The significance of identity and cultural features is linked. Krama is special for farmers, workers, and citizens because wrapping, head and body covering, scarfing, and selling as used in everyday activities. Krama can be utilized in the main context of Khmer traditions and culture during Khmer religious rituals such as weddings and other ceremonies, as part of Khmer popular games, and as a unique national identity. Krama is a good keepsake for decorations, garment material, and other equipment in Khmer modern civilization. Given its significant importance, comprehending and sustainably conserving krama research is essential.

History

The origins of the checker pattern krama are unknown; it has been speculated that it moved to Cambodia from south India via Malaysia and Thailand. Another idea of krama origin is that it was introduced as a type of turban from the ancient state of Amaravati in Southern India due to a royal marriage. The ubiquitous unisex checkered krama scarf is a must-have item for Khmer costumes. It distinguishes the Khmer from their neighbors, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos.

According to Hab Touch, Director of the National Museum of Cambodia, the krama may date back to the Pre-Angkor Norkor Phnom era, between the first and fifth centuries CE. Over the period, many Shivas and other Hindu gods wearing the kben have been recovered at the Angkor Borey site (A simple hip wrapper rolled at the waist takes the form of a large krama). A guy was even pictured wearing a krama-style head covering in some instances.

Around 1296-1297, Zhou Daguan (a Chinese envoy and diplomat) spent eleven months in Angkor Thom and wrote a thorough record of every life (1902). He did not keep track of headwear, but he did keep track of people of all ranks, from the prince to the ordinary people, going barefoot, wearing their hair in a bun, having a naked shoulder, and merely wrapping their loins with a piece of cloth. Ladies wore their breasts exposed. Most people covered a smaller cloth with a larger one when they went outside. The most sought-after fabrics originate from the western seas. However, certain high-quality fabrics are also manufactured locally, and others are imported from Champa and Siam. During the period, Cambodians did not raise silkworms, and their women were not skilled in sewing, but they did know how to weave cotton fabric from kapok.

The implication is that their whole hip wraps, known as sampots, were made of cotton and roughly the size of a large krama. Some of the first images of Cambodian clothing, shot before the end of the nineteenth century, include Krama. One of the first people to capture images of everyday life in Cambodia was the young French adventurer and photographer Andre Salles in 1896.

Many Khmer Rouge fighters wore red and white gingham krama scarves during Pol Pot's reign. Krama became an emblem of the Khmer Rouge regime's atrocities. Thousands of Phnom Penh people took to the streets on April 17, 1975, to welcome the triumphant Khmer Rouge troops as they entered the city. The jubilation was short-lived due to the brutal struggle and frigid stares on the faces of the triumphant Khmer Rouge, dressed in red and white gingham-checked krama scarves. Even today, some Cambodians may reject wearing a red and white gingham krama scarf instead of a blue and white gingham scarf or another color; due to the heritage of Cambodian politics during the red and white krama and the Khmer Rouge era.

Notwithstanding its tumultuous history, the krama has become a symbol of a people whose fortitude, strength, and surviving dignity have enabled Cambodians to overcome hardships and suffering. Its fabric had accompanied the Khmer nation through good and challenging times. This modest scarf reflects many virtues associated with the Khmers. It is a trusty companion, always helpful (Cambodians repair their bicycle tires by filling them with krama!), and reliable. Today, the country begins the process of reconstructing its society. The scarf was passed on to the new generation as a legacy and symbol of the spirit it represents.

Krama in culture and the use of context

Krama weaving was generally divided into Thread Scarf and Silk Scarf in Cambodian society. Thread scarves are fashioned with Krapās thread. Silk scarves, on the other hand, are weaved from thread produced by silkworms. According to the observation of the two varieties of the scarf, Khmer people always use Thread scarf more than Silk scarf in their everyday use because this form of the scarf is easier to keep and wash. The Silk Scarf is employed as an ornament item during a celebration.

Silk scarves are popular as souvenirs these days. The Silk scarf cannot be washed as frequently as the Thread scarf because it may break. However, when we look at the Khmer scarf in culture and utilizing context, krama demonstrates the identity and absolute benefits for the Khmer people, as indicated in Mr. Phrum Mainh's poem. In everyday situations, krama can be used for wrapping, head and body covering, and scarfing. In the countryside, middle-aged men wear krama as a skirt at home or when bathing. Middle-aged ladies traditionally wore it on long journeys to conceal their bodies (like a jacket). Men wore it as a belt.

It can also function as a blanket or flooring for seating and sleeping. Furthermore, the large scarf can be used as a hammock for the baby, as well as in various ways such as "Rong Vael," "Sampeay," "Bang Vech," or can be bound as "Bag or Barv" or "kar Rong," or can be used as a rope to tie wood or bunch of sugar cane.

Khmer people, particularly the elderly in the rural, always use krama for scarfing or "Pea Nea" when attending a ceremony or visiting a pagoda. Also, we frequently see older people utilize krama as flooring when the monk delivers the sermon since they believe it is a temperament in sacrificing to a sermon. The Khmer wedding ritual wraps Bai Proloueng, areca "Sla Dok or Sla Kon Saeng," and areca flower. It is used as an object in Khmer popular folk games such as folding to make Chhoung, braiding for Leak Kon Saeng "Hiding Scarf," covering eyes for hit pot clay, and so on. Krama was developed into a dance in 2001 and was formally performed during the National Cultural event on March 3, 2002. The dance is still inscribed in the Faculty of Choreographic Arts training program.

Krama is always present in the Khmer people's minds. Krama is designated for ability and skill level identities in sports such as Bokator (Khmer Martial Art), such as black krama, and gold krama. Krama was used in the martial art's self-defense technique as well. Furthermore, several Khmer superstars use krama as clothing, bags, or ornaments throughout their performances. Krama is used as a window curtain or tablecloth in offices and certain modern restaurants, demonstrating the role of krama in modern Cambodian life.

How to weave krama?

Weaving in the current Khmer civilization can be done in two ways, according to research and observation - traditional and modern. Modern weaving is less complicated because equipment and textile materials are imported from nearby nations, such as silk and dye (Leak). On the other hand, Traditional weaving comprises several complicated steps, and the weaving equipment and materials are manufactured directly by craftspeople. This work reflects each artisan's knowledge, ingenuity, and perseverance to create a krama for sale or use. As a result, we only recommend how to weave krama traditionally.

Generally, after harvesting cotton from the field, the traditional method of weaving must go through numerous processes, and there are many technical and complex phrases to define. However, all phases of ginning the cotton (separating the seed from the cotton, in Khmer Bos Krapas), carding cotton fiber (t'pic), swabbing the cotton, spinning the thread, kong thread, dyeing color, Oy Bai, warping thread on the loom "Arn Torng," preparing the heddle on a loom "tkar," and weaving in the later phases if making a scarf were counted.

"Bos Krapas" is a method of ginning cotton in which the seeds are separated from the cotton and kept in part. The next struck the cotton with the whip, the so-called "t'pic." Outside, they take the thread after t'pic and lightly swab cotton into tiny strips for spinning. This is referred to as the "cotton swab" phase. The cotton swab was then weaved into the thread. The spinning equipment was a wooden wheel composed of wood and bamboo. The looming process is highly sophisticated for converting cotton into fibers.

Following the process of threading the fiber, the thread is rolled onto a tube or bunch (referred to as "Kong" or "Rong Voeng" in Khmer, which is the frame on which the thread is twisted before being rolled on a bobbin) to make a coil that will be used to manufacture the color dye in the following phase. Color dyeing is a crucial stage in weaving, and it is required to have a good understanding of the color texture and dying procedure.

Following threading, the thread is rolled onto a tube or bunch (or in Khmer "Kong" or "Rong Voeng - the frame on which thread is wound prior to rolling it on a bobbin") to produce a coil for boiling water and dyeing pigment in the next stage. Color dyeing is vital in weaving, and understanding the color texture and dying procedure is essential.

Before dyeing the thread, we must soak it in water overnight. In the morning, we must dry the thread, let it for a while, and roll it with worm shapes to make it simpler to dip. Traditionally, not many colors are commonly used for dyeing; only dark blue and white are employed. That is why the krama of that generation is still primarily white. However, because they employ more chemical colors nowadays, they may manufacture more colorful krama than before.

After being dyed, the thread has progressed to the "Oy Bai" stage. Oy Bai aims to make the thread more substantial and valuable than previously. Soak the thread in water with rice (bai) and steam it until tough. Furthermore, the rice is ground into a powder and blended with water and other substances to be used in place of rice.

Following that, it advanced to the "Arn Torng" stage. The purpose of warping thread on the loom is to divide the appropriate number of threads on the wooden teeth (tool) and put the thread into each gap between the wooden teeth. They will need many days and numerous human powers at this level. It then progressed to the "Trokor" stage. To separate threads, we set up nylon to trokor. After flipping the wooden board over, this operation is repeated. They also turn the threads into Korm Krala. Krala Chaktrong (Square Shape), Krala Thnang Om Pov, Krala Kat or Krala Phlous, Krala Kanh Chork, and Krala Sroka Lenh are the five types of Korm Krala.

After they have set up all the tools, the final stage is Weaving. Weaving can be done with Kei (tool). According to the papers, Traditional Kei is around 4 to 5 meters long and is often carved to design on the Kei and Trorl. Indeed, as we can see, traditional Kei was shown at the National Museum. The modern Kei, in particular, is just about 2 meters long. Trorl is vital in weaving since it delivers the threads individually to create the krama. Trorl is designed like a Khmer boat.

Color making

The red color comes from the pith of the sbaèng tree (Caesalpinia sappan) and the seed of the rose apple. Fresh Red is obtained from the scab of the tree (known in Khmer as Krormor Chhuer) or Lac Chum KrorLarng. Light Red is derived from the peel of the Gumtree (Sambork Chhuer Teal). Reddish-bruised (Krorhorm Joim) is derived from the peel of the Smaè tree. Krorhorm Bromeouk uses the peel of the Kandoul tree (Careya sphaerica Roxb). The reddish-gray color comes from the peel of the Papyrus tree (Smarch Tree). Dark crimson is made from the peel of the Narva or Burama Paduak tree (Tnong Tree) and the Ceylon Oak tree (Pong Ror Tree).

Curcuma zeodaria (Preah Angkourl) and turmeric (Rormiet) (mashed with water) provide a yellow color. Garcinia Vilersiana (Pror Haut) provides the old yellow color. Banyan tree, Jackfruit tree, larkspur tree (Changreak tree), Markhamia pierrei (Dok Po tree), Takeo bushwillow tree (Sangké tree or Combretum quardanulare), Om Pil Barang tree, and Arn Chey tree peels are light yellow.

The wild indigo trees (Trum Tree) provide a blue hue. However, depending on how long the dyes from this tree soak in water, they can turn an old blue or green color. If it soaks for one night, it will turn pale green; however, if it soaks for two nights, it will turn blue. They can also use chile leaves, Ivy gourd leaves (Coccinia granis or Sloek Bas), or tamarind leaves to make the blue color.

Swamp Bushwillow (Trors Tree), Derm Phnous leaves, Asian Bulletwood fruit or Spanish Cherry (Pkar Tkol), and Diospyros mollis (Mork Khleur) provide the black hue. To acquire a decent black color, they must first dye the silk or skirt green, then dry it and dye it black. However, they can also use other sorts of plants for the other hues.

World recognition

World recognition of Cambodia as a nation rich in traditional cultures and civilizations, shining on the Angkorian plains, and home to people who live creatively is currently taking place. A group of young Cambodians has launched a drive to break the Guinness World Record for weaving the longest Kramar. The formal record attempt will start on February 14, 2018, Valentine's Day. It is organized by GoGo Cambodia, a youth-founded group that works to foster national pride in Cambodia. The endeavor must produce a krama that is at least 1,000 meters long.

On July 1, 2018, Cambodia earned a new entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for a variation of the Khmer scarf (Kramar) that is longer than 1,000 meters. On Koh Pich island in Phnom Penh, thousands of Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia (UYFC) members unrolled a Kramar so that a Guinness representative could measure it. Mr. Swapnil Dangarikar, a Guinness assessor, said to an enormous audience of applauding spectators, "With 1,149.8 meters, you have set a new Guinness World Record!"