Lembah Bujang Travel Guide provides useful information for tourists and visitors planning a sightseeing trip there
Lembah Bujang (Bujang Valley) is the richest archaeological area in Malaysia. I explored it on the same day a group of AsiaExplorers members and I visited Gunung Jerai. Located between Gunung Jerai and Sungai Muda in south Kedah, near the town of Gurun, Lembah Bujang covers 224 square km. The area in Lembah Bujang where archaeological finds have been uncovered is concentrated around the mouth of Sungai Muda (Muda River).
Lembah Bujang is the oldest entrepôt in Malaysia, preceeding the port of Malacca. Lembah Bujang developed between the 4th and 14th century, when traders from many countries, but primarily Indians, settled here, bringing with them their culture and religion. Sungai Bujang, Sungai Muda and Sungai Merbok, as well as Gunung Jerai (Kedah Peak) all played significant role in the growth of commerce in Lembah Bujang. Gunung Jerai was used by the early traders to guide them to Lembah Bujang.
Ancient candi in Lembah Bujang.
Early Malays were already active traders, making long-distance voyages across the Bay of Bengal. They traded forest products for metal, textiles and other rarities. With the influx of Indian traders into Lembah Bujang led to the "Indianization" of the valley. Archaeological evidence pointed to the establishment of an ancient Hindu-Buddist kingdom in Lembah Bujang from as early as 300AD. Items discovered include inscribed stone caskets, stelae, metal tools and Hindu figurines.
The discovery of Chinese porcelain, stone carvings and Indian tridents in Lembah Bujang attest to the trade that flourished here many centuries ago. Buddhist inscriptions found in the valley showed that there is more than one faith represented here. Lembah Bujang was a safe harbour for traders from the faraway places who had to wait out the change in monsoon, as it was not possible to make a voyage from China to India within one season.
Archaeological excavation had been carried out in Lembah Bujang since 1845. Thousands of artefacts have been discovered here, of which some 1000 pieces are on display at the Lembah Bujang Archaeological Museum. The first temple ruin in Lembah Bujang was discovered in the 1840's. It is called a candi, pronounced "chan-dee", a name that came from "chandika", after the wife of the Hindu deity Shiva (also written Siva).
The candi has two funtions: as a sacred place to pay respect for deceased members of the royal family, and as a place to conduct religious activities. The candi consists of three main sections:
Upapitha - the foot
Adhistana-Stamba - the body
Prastara-Stupi - the roof
The earliest candi in Lembah Bujang, from the 5th to the 10th century, were Buddhist structures while those from the 10th to the 13th or 14th century were largely Hindu. The Hindu candi consists of the vimana, or enclosed sanctuary, where the main icon was kept; and the mandapa, or open sided hall, with a roof supported by pillars. The majority of the candi in Lembah Bujang bear Hindu influences while a small number Buddhist. The discovery of stone pillar bases points to South Indian influences in the design of the candi, especially for temples dedicated to Shiva.
Hindu icons discovered in Lembah Bujang included Ganesh (also written as Ganesha), the elephant-face deity, and Durga, wife of the deity Shiva. 4 terracotta Buddhist images and one of bronze were also discovered in Lembah Bujang in 1976.
The Lembah Bujang Archaeological Museum is located about 2km north of the village of Merbok. On display here are ancient artifacts including pottery shards, ceramics and stoneware. Within the grounds were the ruins of the candi. Unfortunately, rather than leaving the ruins in their original located, they were all restored and regroup within one area at the Lembah Bujang Archaeological Museum. While this enable the authorities to keep a watchful eye on the ruins, it has somewhat weakened the impact of seeing them in situ.
The most well-known candi at the Lembah Bujang Archaeological Museum is the Candi Bukit Batu Pahat. Candi Bukit Batu Pahat is believed to have been built in the 7th Century on the summit of the small hill behind the museum. It contains two principal parts - the vimana and the mandapa. Also discovered here were statues of Indian deities similar to those uncovered at historical sites in India.
The Lembah Bujang Archaeological Museum was officially opened in 1980. It is open daily from 8am through 4.15pm, and closes from noon until 2.45pm on Fridays. For more information, please contact the museum at 604-4572005 or the Tourism Malaysia office at 604-7312322 / 04-7301322 or the State Economic Planning office at 604-7007113.
top: Visitors to the Lembah Bujang Archaeological Museum.
right: A broken piece of the elephant-headed deity Ganesh.
below: Artefacts on display at the museum.
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above: Bas-reliefs similar to those found in other Hindu-inspired archaeological sites, namely Angkor.
left: broken pottery.
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above: A statue discovered in Lembah Bujang.
left: Candi exhibited outside the museum building.
bottom: Ancient boat on display at the archaeological museum.
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Tim in Lembah Bujang
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