The Legend of the Golden Crocodile Pond in Telok Bakong, Bota
Who would have thought that the pond located near the tomb of Sultan Muzaffar Shah I in Padang Marhom Telok Bakong holds its own unique story and legend? Many local residents in the area are unaware of its history, which is increasingly being forgotten as time goes by.
For your information, loyal readers of orangperak.com, in the old days, the depth of this pond was not like it is today; it has become shallower and smaller. There are many mystical stories surrounding the area that have been told continuously from generation to generation. There are rumors stating that this Golden Crocodile Pond contains treasure hidden at its bottom. As a result of these rumors, certain parties have attempted to search for and track down the treasure. However, to this day, not a single piece of treasure has been found. There is also an old tale that villagers could once borrow kitchenware from this pond for feasts. On average, it is quite similar to many stories in other areas. What is the connection between this story and the areas associated with borrowing kitchenware? For your information, loyal readers of orangperak.com, the legend of the Golden Crocodile Pond began in the late 16th century in the Tanah Abang area. At the end of the 16th century, the administrative center of Old Perak, Tanah Abang, was ruled by Sultan Mansur Shah II (the 2nd Sultan of Perak). The story goes that Sultan Mansur Shah II was troubled because he had no heirs despite being married for many years. He became increasingly depressed, to the point where the people and the dignitaries of Perak felt the anxiety of the Sultan they loved. Seeing the increasingly worrying state of Sultan Mansur Shah II, the Bendahara, together with the Datuk Bentara, agreed to find a solution for the Sultan. Therefore, the Bendahara ordered the Datuk Bentara to travel up the Perak River to Kelantan to find and meet Tok Malim Buana. Tok Malim Buana was a person wise in the knowledge of both this world and the hereafter. The arrival of the Datuk Bentara was already known and awaited by Tok Malim Buana. Finally, the Datuk Bentara arrived and met with Tok Malim Buana. Tok Malim Buana stated that the Sultan of Perak should row to Air Mati and pray to Allah SWT there so that he might be blessed with many sons and daughters. The Datuk Bentara then returned and conveyed this to the Sultan of Perak. Without thinking twice, the Sultan of Perak agreed to seek a solution in the way suggested by Tok Malim Buana. Upon arriving at the Air Mati area, the Sultan and the Queen prayed to God to be blessed with many children and made a vow that if their prayers were answered, they would look after their children at all times.
image credit to aisbatu.blogspot.my
After praying, the two returned to the palace. On the same night while sleeping, the Sultan of Perak dreamed of meeting an old man with a beard reaching down to his navel. In the dream, the old man advised the Sultan to go to the Royal Garden when the full moon appeared. Furthermore, in the dream, he was instructed to look for turmeric flowers growing there to be served as a meal for the Sultan and the Queen. The next night, when the full moon appeared, the Sultan of Perak went to the Royal Garden accompanied by the Bendahara. The Sultan then searched for the turmeric flowers and brought them to be eaten with his wife. After several months had passed since that day, the happy news awaited by all the people and dignitaries of Perak finally arrived: the Queen was pregnant. After 7 consecutive years, the Queen of Perak gave birth to princesses. The palace became more lively with the presence of 7 adorable princesses. As the story goes, when the youngest princess turned 10 years old, a strange event occurred where all the princesses of Perak fell ill and fainted. This was very confusing, and the Sultan of Perak prayed to Allah SWT for guidance so that his daughters would return to health as before. Finally, one night in his dream, the old man from before appeared again and instructed the Sultan to build a pond with an island in the middle. Once the pond was built, the feet of all the princesses of Perak had to be washed with water from the pond. There was also a warning given to the Sultan that after they recovered and if the princesses bathed in the pond later, the Sultan must always supervise them, otherwise, something bad would happen. The Sultan's daughters were also forbidden from singing while bathing in the pond because it would bring disaster and great calamity. The next morning after waking up, the Sultan immediately ordered the construction of a pond as seen in his dream. Once completed, all the princesses were carried to the pond and their feet were washed with the pond water. As soon as they were washed, all the princesses regained consciousness, and at that moment, they all bathed in the pond together. As soon as the eldest princess touched her feet to the surface of the pond, a drizzle fell with a shimmering rainbow stretching across the high sky. From the direction of the river, a green crocodile entered through the channel and went straight to the pond. As soon as the crocodile entered the pond, its scales turned golden. It loved to rest on the island in the middle of the pond. Several years later, a prince was born who would become the absolute heir to the Perak kingdom. The Sultan was so happy about this that he forgot and neglected his seven daughters. One day, all the princesses asked for permission to bathe in the pond, and the Sultan allowed it, forgetting to supervise them all. Finally, the princesses went down to bathe together as the 7 sisters. When the eldest princess stepped onto the surface of the pond, a drizzle fell with a clap of thunder, signaling that bad luck was coming. The Golden Crocodile vanished.
image credit to aisbatu.blogspot.my
It turned out that from afar, a Bota (giant) was watching these princesses. The Bota immediately took out its flute and blew a melody. The princesses were enchanted and began to sing while bathing. Indirectly, the main taboo was broken, and suddenly lightning struck the pond, and all seven princesses passed away right there. Singing while bathing was forbidden by the elders of the past because it was considered impolite. Because of this, the folktale has been passed down from generation to generation. Nevertheless, the Golden Crocodile Pond in Telok Bakong still exists to this day. adapted and credit to aisbatu.blogspot.my
