The Mystery of the Padang Antah Berantah in Beruas
Antah Berantah is a term originating from our neighbor, Indonesia. It implies that something exists only in a fantasy world or within the realm of fairy tales.
Furthermore, its actual location is unknown and it is shrouded in mysteries that remain unsolved. Everything is vague with no precise answer, ensuring it remains a mystery and eventually becomes a myth. Perhaps not many are aware of what the Antah Berantah in Beruas actually refers to. We heard several versions when we visited Beruas and spoke to the elders there. Some say that Antah Berantah was actually a route for merchant ships to reach Kota Beruas from Pantai Remis, while another version suggests it is a field filled with legends and mysteries. Whatever Antah Berantah truly is, it will remain a mystery indefinitely as there is no concrete evidence to present and no authentic sources to study. According to local residents, the Beruas River, which is small today, was once much larger, allowing merchant ships from all over the world to enter and sail all the way to Kota Beruas.
Near the Beruas River area, there is a fairly large expanse filled with dense trees. Many believe that this is the actual location of the legendary Padang Antah Berantah, which is featured in old Malay folklore and often appears in fairy tales involving interactions between humans and celestial beings from the heavens. For our loyal readers at orangperak.com, this Padang Antah Berantah is said to be the actual site of a mass slaughter during a great war in ancient times. It refers to the story of Raja Suran from India attacking the Gangga Negara Kingdom, which was ruled by Raja Gangga Shah Johan. The result of this war was the defeat and disappearance of the Gangga Negara Kingdom from the world. According to the book Sulalatus Salatin, now known as the Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annals), it mentions the size of the army that accompanied Raja Suran in his attack on the Gangga Negara Kingdom. Roughly, it is stated to consist of 1,200 "laksa" people. A "laksa" represents 10,000 people. Therefore, if 1,200 is multiplied by 10,000, the answer is 12 million people! It is unimaginable how vast the army was during that time. This count does not even include the military forces of the Gangga Negara Kingdom. However, the authenticity of this story cannot be proven and it remains merely a handed-down tale. As mentioned before, there is no concrete evidence to refer to and no authentic sources to study. It is likely that it will remain a mystery for all time.
