The fresh Keramat from Pulau Ubin
Inside the 1985, an article on the Malay newspaper Berita Minggu said brand new grave regarding good little princess off Coffee which was located on a hill to your isle. She had “fled so you’re able to Pulau Ubin more 100 in years past”, possibly because of a cracked cardiovascular system or to avoid a decideded upon matrimony. When she passed away, the girl system “turned into an arduous rock shaped including a woman lying down”. She try said to afterwards haunt the fresh slope while the an effective hantu puteri, otherwise ghost little princess, seducing a beneficial quarry staff member away from Johor exactly who satisfied a terrible destiny. 9
The writer, Saadon Ismail, informed me you to quarrying manage the fresh hill expected new grave feel removed and a good shrine was then founded by coastline close, protected of the “several Chinese who become it ought to be was able”. ten The article comes to an end to the earliest acknowledged picture of your shrine. The writer, but not, cited zero source for his information.
A manual published when you look at the 2007 noted that there are an effective datuk keramat toward Ubin where an effective “holy woman” had been tucked. “The rear of brand new shrine has actually an enthusiastic oracle ‘eye’,” listed the fresh new guidebook, “hence legend says have a tendency to blink from the votaries, encouraging to produce the wants”. 11 (Inside Malay, datuk try a phrase regarding regard. On top of other things, it is utilized while the a title for someone within the a great higher standing. A beneficial datuk keramat identifies a shrine that’s worshipped and you may for the world, forest otherwise material spirits, although it may also be the latest spirit of somebody that departed.)
He passed away truth be told there and you will try tucked into granite hill – a story you to lacks normally historic facts just like the German lady facts (to the checklist, Pak Ahmad was actually advised that the German girl dropped of a good cliff on water and had no grave)
Commonly, web sites where these types of datuk comfort alive try worshipped of the Malays once the an excellent keramat. Chinese migrants, familiar with earth comfort, adjusted eg keramat on their individual traditions, increasingly Sinicising her or him throughout the years. Called datuk kong, such as for instance shrines nevertheless appear because of the roadsides all over Singapore. When quarrying is a primary globe into the Singapore, datuk kong shrines was indeed commonly found nearby, so experts you may ask for coverage in the hazardous requirements, and something remains into the Ubin, around the German woman shrine.
The brand new German girl shrine, as well, once endured near a quarrying process. Based on Chia, the latest shrine try to begin with found on Ong Lye Sua, immediately following an effective 190-foot-high (57.nine yards) stone hill who’s got due to the fact been completely eliminated. These days it is the fresh new strong pool out-of Ketam Quarry. a dozen
In another account by the Ahmad bin Kassim, who has lived for the isle because very early 1940s, the fresh grave belonged to an enthusiastic Indian Muslim craftsman away from Johor just who travelled to Ubin to function during the quarry. thirteen
For the an email for the writer in from the are a good mound out-of dirt molded such as for example a great mayat, a good corpse. He had been informed the mound was once included in an effective copper layer along with batu nisan, or grave markers, however these had because started stolen. What was leftover is kelambu kuning, a red netting generally accustomed signify graves as the makam, otherwise sacred. Pak Ahmad together with remembered that there were 99 actions to reach they, a great number in the Islamic structures as there are 99 holy labels to own Allah.
The latest assistant custodian of shrine, Ah Cheng, recalled your shrine was reached from the a journey out of high and thin steps. Ahead, he recalled an enthusiastic “oddly curved stone development you to definitely welcomed exactly what stayed of one’s German woman within the alcove, sheltering this lady regarding the points with the aid of an easy mosquito web, draped over the woman grave”. 14