Batik Lelaku Sulur Wungu Becomes Margomulyo's New Identity
Bojonegoro – Batik Lelaku Sulur Wungu, a work created by residents of Margomulyo Village, Margomulyo District, Bojonegoro Regency, East Java Province, is being developed as a local potential by drawing on the purple yam plant (uwi ungu) and the noble values of the Samin community.
The motif, created by Adinda Putri Febri Susanti, has now gone through the copyright registration process as part of efforts to protect and strengthen the identity of Margomulyo's local cultural products.
The development of Batik Lelaku Sulur Wungu was carried out by the Margomulyo Village Government together with students from the 2026 UNUGIRI KKN PINTAR program, Group 39. Previously, Margomulyo had also been known for its Batik Obor Sewu motif.
One of the UNUGIRI KKN PINTAR Group 39 students, Sandrianto, explained that Batik Lelaku Sulur Wungu not only takes the shape and character of the purple yam plant, but also connects it to the noble teachings (pitutur luhur) of the Samin community.
"The values highlighted include patience, perseverance, acceptance, and not being envious, spiteful, greedy, or slanderous," Sandrianto said on Saturday (8/22/2026).
The name Lelaku Sulur Wungu depicts the growth journey of the yam plant, from planting and tending it through to harvest.
The yam's creeping tendrils, which spread out and continually seek room to grow, symbolize perseverance — the attitude of continuing to strive through life.
Meanwhile, the leaf ornaments represent growth and the continuity of life. The motif of a split yam symbolizes the value of patience, since the plant takes time to grow before it can be harvested.
"That philosophy serves as a reminder that every result requires process, patience, and perseverance," he said.
The yam harvest, whether abundant or modest, reflects the value of acceptance — the attitude of receiving and being grateful for whatever is obtained.
The yam motif arranged in a ceplok (rosette) pattern represents the tubers growing underground, as well as the plant's ability to endure and adapt to its environment.
The supporting grass motif also carries its own philosophy. Grass's ability to grow in various places and coexist alongside other plants reflects the Samin teaching of not being envious, spiteful, greedy, or slanderous.
Sandrianto explained that the motif's development went through several stages. Students first observed the shape of the purple yam and interviewed Samin community elders.
"The process then continued with creating several design alternatives, selecting and refining the motif, strengthening its meaning and philosophy, and finally producing the batik," he said.
This effort was followed by filing for copyright registration as a form of protection for the Batik Lelaku Sulur Wungu work.
The Certificate of Copyright Registration was handed over during the 80- and 81-meter Red-and-White Flag Parade commemorating the 81st anniversary of Indonesian Independence in Jepang Hamlet, Margomulyo District.
Margomulyo District Head, Joko Tri Cahyono, praised the involvement of the 2026 UNUGIRI KKN PINTAR Group 39 students in developing Margomulyo Village's cultural potential.
He noted that the students' presence was not only to carry out their KKN work program, but also to contribute to developing the potential and culture of the local community.
"Hopefully, Batik Lelaku Sulur Wungu can continue to be developed, introduced more widely, and become an identity and source of pride for the people of Margomulyo," he concluded.
