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Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Langkawi Island - The Legendary Of Mahsuri
The story of Mahsuri is more real and dramatic .She was the daugther of Pandak Mayah, a poor peasant who hailed from Thailand .A series of strange events occuarred when Pandak Mayah entered Langkawi and he son soon became very rich and famous selling birds nest .Soon after Mahsuri was born.As she grew up she blossomed into a young lady of exqisite beauty .Everybody on the island adored her except Wan Mahora (The wife of the chieften - Dato Seri Kerma Jaya ),who grew more and more envious of her .She was married off to a handsome young man call Wan Derus . Wan Derus and Mahsuri had a child an d were very happy and content .One day ,when Wan Derus had to go to Southern Thailand (Siam) for trade ,a poor wandering minstrel called Deraman came to the village.The benevolent Mahsuri took pity and befreinded him .Deraman out of gratitude composed many poems praising her.It was then that evil Mahora took advantage of the situation and plotted a plan to rid her of Mahsuri .A report was lodged with Dato Seri Kerma Jaya ,that Mahsuri had purportedly committed adultery with Deraman .He immediately arrested her .Her plea of innocence was completely ignored ,and she was sentenced to death .The executioner was very suprised when his keris (Malay dagger) ,could not panetrate her flesh .After many attempts ,Mahsuri said "if you have somade up your mind to take my life despite my innocence,so be it",and pointed to a 'sacred keris' that would do the job .When the keris was plunged into her,white blood spurted out .It is believed that this was assign from heaven of her innocence and purity .With her dying breath,she laid a curse upon Langkawi ,that is would not prosper for seven generations.Soon after ,Langkawi was attacked by the Siamese .Dato Seri Kerma Jaya was mercilessly slaughtered .Drought prevailed and Langkawi was soon a barren land .It is trought that this curse was lifted on the birth of
Wan Aishah(Mahsuri's eighth generation descendent),in 1985 .The fact is that Langkawi started developing around 1985 ,as a tourist destination ,to become what it is now.Coincidence or not ,the developing of Langkawi ,does fit in with the lifting of the curse !.Mahsuri's body was laid to rest ,at a place now called MAKAM MAHSURI (Mahsuri's Mausoleum).

She is now treated with reverence and her resting place is considered a shrine to some .

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