The Bendera Pusaka Sang Saka Merah Putih (The Sacred Red and White Heirloom Flag) was the first Indonesian flag

Flag of Indonesia

The national flag of Indonesia, which is known as Sang Saka Merah-Putih or Bendera Merah-Putih or simply Merah-Putih in Indonesian, is based on the banner of the 13th century Majapahit Empire in East Java...

. Sewn by Sukarno

Sukarno

Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...

's wife Fatmawati

Fatmawati

Fatmawati is a National Hero of Indonesia . As the first Indonesian First Lady, She was the third wife of Sukarno, the first president of Indonesia, and the mother of the first female president. She constructed the first flag flown by Indonesia.-Life:Fatmawati was born on 5 February 1923 in...

, it was raised for the first time when Sukarno proclaimed Indonesia's independence on 17 August 1945. Although required by law to be housed in the National Monument, the flag is still kept at the Presidential Palace.

History

The Bendera Pusaka was sewn by Sukarno's wife Fatmawati. It was based on a 13th century Majapahit flag, which had nine stripes of red and white.

It was first raised at Sukarno's house at 56 Pegangsaan Timur Street, Jakarta

Jakarta

Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...

, after Sukarno read the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence. It was hoisted on a short bamboo

Bamboo

Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....

 staff by a group led by Captain Latief Hendaningrat; after its hoisting, the gathered crowd sang "Indonesia Raya

Indonesia Raya

"Indonesia Raya" is the national anthem of the Republic of Indonesia. The song was introduced by its composer, Wage Rudolf Supratman, on 28 October 1928 during the Second Indonesian Youth Congress in Batavia...

".

During the first year of the Indonesian National Revolution

Indonesian National Revolution

The Indonesian National Revolution or Indonesian War of Independence was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between Indonesia and the Dutch Empire, and an internal social revolution...

, the Bendera Pusaka flew day and night. After the Dutch took Jakarta in 1946, the Bendera Pustaka was brought to Yogyakarta in Sukarno's briefcase. During Operatie Kraai

Operatie Kraai

Operatie Kraai was the code name for a Dutch military offensive against the newly formed Republic of Indonesia in December 1948 - January 1949...

, the Bendera Pustaka was cut in half and given to Husein Mutahar for safekeeping; Mutahar was told to "protect the flag with [his] life". Despite being captured by and escaping from the Dutch, Mutahar managed to bring the flag to Jakarta, sew it back together, and turn it over to Soedjono. Soedjono later returned the flag to Sukarno, who was in exile in Bangka

Bangka Island

Bangka is an island lying east of Sumatra, Indonesia. Population 626,955. Area: c.4,600 sq mi .There is an additional small island named Pulau Bangka in northern Sulawesi, Indonesia.-Geography:...

.

After the end of the war, the Bendera Pusaka was raised once a year in front of the Presidential Palace during Independence Day

Independence Day

An Independence Day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's assumption of independent statehood, usually after ceasing to be a colony or part of another nation or state, and more rarely after the end of a military occupation...

 celebrations. However, due to the flag's fragile state, beginning in 1968 it has been replaced by a replica.

In 2003, plans were released to relocate the Bendera Pusaka from the Presidential Palace to the National Monument. In 2004, the relocation was expected to cost Rp. 3.5 billion (US$388,889), with the flag being stored in a 24-karat

Carat (purity)

The karat or carat is a unit of purity for gold alloys.- Measure :Karat purity is measured as 24 times the purity by mass:where...

 gold-plated case within the Independence Room of the Monument. However, the relocation has been consistently delayed. As of 2009, its storage at the National Monument has been mandated by law.

Description and symbolism

The Bendera Pusaka consists of two bands, red at the top and white at the bottom, at a scale of 2:3. The red stands for bravery , while the white stands for purity . However, alternative meanings have been proposed, including that the red represents palm sugar

Palm sugar

Palm sugar was originally made from the sugary sap of the Palmyra palm, the date palm or sugar date palm . Now it is also made from the sap of the sago, arenga pinnata and coconut palms, and may be sold as "arenga sugar" or "coconut sugar".-Description:It is quickly gaining popularity in the...

 and the white represents rice, both staples of Indonesian cuisine.

Social impact

The Bendera Pusaka has been used in the name of the Indonesian student organization Pasukan Pengibar Bendera Pusaka (often abbreviated Paskibraka; Bendera Pusaka Flag Hoisting Troop). The organization, which was founded by Husein Mutahar in 1968, provides flag bearers for flag ceremonies.