Burung Petala Procession
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The Burung Petala Processions (literary "Celestial Bird Processions") ( ms, Perarakan Burung Petala; Jawi:ڤراراكن بوروڠ ڤتالا) referred to a series of imperial parades to commemorate the
circumcision Circumcision is a surgical procedure, procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin ...
ceremony of the
Kelantan Kelantan (; Jawi: ; Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate'') is a state in Malaysia. The capital is Kota Bharu and royal seat is Kubang Kerian. The honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' (Jawi: ; "The Blissful Abode"). Kelantan is located in the ...
ese nobility. During the grand cavalcade, the prince and his royal entourage were celebrated around Kota Bharu via a large bird-like processional cart, notably the grand chariot of 1933 known as Burung Petala Indra and '' tandu'' Burung Petalawati of 1923. The processions were held three times between 1919 and 1933.


Origin

The celebration is rooted in the historical grand parades observed during the pre-Islamic era of the northern coast of
Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula (Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...
. As noted from the old records from Chi Tu, the Chinese ambassador of the kingdom would be paraded under a similar fashion upon their arrival to the city state. This largely originated from the custom that holds every state delegations should be celebrated akin to the return of the gods from their heavenly abode. The kingdom managed to obtained strong diplomatic relationship with ancient China derived from the epic celebrations for its delegations. The birds were mobilised for official use, including during the enthronement of the prince, arrival of state delegations and during royal circumcision celebrations. While not in use, the bird would be nestled in a special chamber, with a courtier delegated with a task of conducting rituals to guard her spirit. There are several variants of the bird in Pattani, including ''Gagak Suro'' (raven), ''Karawek'' ( kalaviṅka), ''Merak Mas'' (golden peacock),
Garuda Garuda (Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ Garuḷa) is a Hindu demigod and divine creature mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. He is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garuda is a ...
and ''Burung Singa'' (lion bird). The procession was later recorded in great detail upon the arrival of the British colonial administrator in Kelantan from 1909.


Malay customary practise

In the traditional Malay custom, a child would usually be carried on the shoulder of his dad from his abode to the place where his circumcision will be held. But for the more affluent Malay families, the ceremony would be more lavish, the child would be transported on a processional carrier, in a form of boat or a small mosque-like structure by a group of men, a philosophical correspondence of a
rite of passage A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. It involves a significant change of status in society. In cultural anthropology the term is the Anglicisation of ''rite ...
from boys to men. More elaborate practise of the celebration would include a march of men with weapons, musical performance and even ceremonial foods being included in the parade.


Early 20th century Kelantan

Based on the record by Ghulam-Sarwar Yousof, it was narrated that the sultan had a dream about the Burung Petala Wati, the traditional guardian of Kelantan. Following the account, he ordered the construction of the mystical Thunderbird for his prince. Another version of the origin of Petala Wati denotes a far more secular account, as it was believed that the construction of the ark was mainly to illustrate the grandeur of the Kelantanese monarch and to please the British colonial resident at that time, who were intrigued by the local Malay culture, heritage and
folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...
.


Construction


Ornaments

The design of the chariot emulated many ornamental figures derived from ancient
Malay mythology Malay folklore refers to a series of knowledge, traditions and taboos that have been passed down through many generations in oral, written and symbolic forms among the indigenous populations of Maritime Southeast Asia ( Nusantara). They include a ...
, kingship and the tales from Malay hikayats. Based on the narration by Paul J. Coatalen in his interview with a local Malay Bomoh (
shaman Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritu ...
) about a parallel Kelantanese imperial vessel, he asserts that the ceremonial vehicle is a symbol of Malay mysticism adopted based upon the legendary promise made between the ancestors of the Kelantan king with a loyal warrior known as Isma Dewa Pekerma Raja. While based on the record between Coatalen and Haji Mubin Sheppard in “Processional Birds Of Kelantan” and “The Giant bird”, he asserted that there was a strong correlation between the
Royal barge A royal barge is a ceremonial barge that is used by a monarch for processions and transport on a body of water. Royal barges are currently used in monarchies such as the United Kingdom, Sweden and Thailand. Traditionally the use of royal barges w ...
of Pertala Sri Kelantan with the
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
epics, deriving Helang, Burung Camar Laut,
Garuda Garuda (Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ Garuḷa) is a Hindu demigod and divine creature mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. He is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garuda is a ...
and Jentayu as a source of identity and inspiration. This was heavily owed from the fact that the
Malayalised Malayisation ( Commonwealth spelling) or Malayization (North American and Oxford spelling) is a process of assimilation and acculturation, that involves acquisition ( ms, Masuk Melayu, literally "embracing Malayness") or imposition ( ms, Pemela ...
Hindu literature was highly celebrated during the period and the tales of Hikayat Maharaja Wana, Ramayana, Isma Dewa Perkerma Raja were often transmitted into the form of Malay theater and Wayang kulit, thus become a norm by the Kelantanese Malay society. Based on Coatalen, despite the design and the name of Hindu mythologies were adopted in the bird art, it doesn't necessary bear any Hindu religious
syncretism Syncretism () is the practice of combining different beliefs and various school of thought, schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or religious assimilation, assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, especially in t ...
, instead the adoption was solely for cosmetic factors, he added.


Assembly

It would take 3 months to built each of the Petala Birds. The last of the birds was built long after the end of the
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, solely constructed as a display upon the request of the
National Museum of Malaysia The National Museum ( ms, Muzium Negara) is a museum located on Jalan Damansara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The museum is situated in close proximity to the Perdana Lake Gardens and it provides an overview of Malaysian history and culture. It ...
. The tandu was named Pertala Indra Maha Sakti and completed in 1963, constructed by the son of one of the assistant craftsman that built the earlier royal birds, Mohamed Noor bin Daud (Weh Burong); he was assisted by Awang bin Sulong and under the supervision Ismail Bakti. The resurrected bird was by far dwarfed in comparison of all her predecessors, nonetheless fine details in the woodcraft remains. Being the sole surviving Kelantanese artist with such expertise, it was largely emulated based on the artisan's childhood memory of helping his father constructing the bird. As of 2017, the sculpture is stored in the Kelantan Heritage Trust in Kota Bharu.


Design


Petala Indra

The Burung Petala Indra of 1933 stands 20 feet tall. It was constructed for Tengku Yunus, a 12-year-old, the third son of the crown prince, Raja Zainal Abidin. Reid, a photographer for The Straits Times Annual in Kelantan noted that several large trees in Kota Bharu have to be removed earlier, in order to maneuver the colossal monument during the celebration. A painted 10 foot square wooded pavilion was erected above colossal bird replica, holding with its
Singgora Songkhla ( th, สงขลา, ), also known as Singgora or Singora (Pattani Malay: ซิงกอรอ), is a city (''thesaban nakhon'') in Songkhla Province of southern Thailand, near the border with Malaysia. Songkhla lies south of Ba ...
-styled roof. A pair of ornamental
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carved with naga motives are attached onto each bargeboard and the roof tiers. The pavilion can carry up to 6 passengers inside. There were many prominent woodcarver involved in the project, including Encik Ismail, the head artisan for Petala Indra and Encik Long, a royal sculptor from the neighbouring Kingdom of Besut.


Petalawati

While the smaller pair of 1923 tandu Petala having a similar pavilion-styled platform with 3 tier
hipped roof A hip roof, hip-roof or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope (although a tented roof by definition is a hipped roof with steeply pitched slopes rising to a peak). Thus, ...
with a crest. The beak of the replica was painted in gold and her fangs were made from elephant tusk. The bird was seen biting a venomous snake known as Ular Naga Bora that coiled around the bird's neck while her eyes were made from precious stones. The bird's main body was decorated by golden
Tinsel Tinsel is a type of decorative material that mimics the effect of ice, consisting of thin strips of sparkling material attached to a thread. When in long narrow strips not attached to thread, it is called "lametta", and emulates icicles. It was o ...
wraps. The fur on her head and neck were tailored from various
velvet Weave details visible on a purple-colored velvet fabric Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed, with a short pile, giving it a distinctive soft feel. By extension, the word ''velvety'' means ...
and
silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...
s, while the feathers on her wings and tail were cast from various glossy papers based on the hue of the rainbows. The bird shiny stood underneath the ray of sun.


Inspiration

There are two conflicting accounts for the identity of the bird, based on the characters in the assemble.


Hikayat Isma Dewa

Many believed that the processional cart was a personification of Sarung Dewa Purba Raksasa, a gigantic bird from the epic Raja Isma Dewa, a local Kelantanese Malay lore. This is supported by the incorporation of a crowned white
monkey Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as the simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes, which constitutes an incomple ...
that stood beneath the Burung Petala Wati of 1923, the white monkey itself was a character from Hikayat Isma Dewa, a companion of the heroic character. The function of the monkey was to persuade the young prince to be as brave as his favourite hero in the saga.


Hikayat Mahabharata

Another view traces it to the mythical
garuda Garuda (Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ Garuḷa) is a Hindu demigod and divine creature mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. He is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garuda is a ...
, particularly an account from the
Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...
. The act of the bird eating the serpent is a philosophical symbolism of destroying the evil. Based on this understanding, instead of Isma Dewa, the main idol in this version was
Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
. This notion was largely observed by Haji Mubin Sheppard.


Procession


The Grand Parade

They day of the
parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float (parade), floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually ce ...
was the highlight of the month long festival. The carnival lavishly commenced from the palatial gate of Kelantan and continued throughout the main avenues of Kota Bharu to an area known as Batu Peringatan in Padang Bank, passing through various government complex and the residence of other prominent members from the Kelantanese nobility. The grand parade was divided into 38 parts, with some of the performances were held on a moving stage. There are 300 members of the Malay regiment accompanying the chariot, it begins with a unit of speared men from the imperial court who wore black, followed by candlestick bearers wearing a red uniform and a unit of riflemen that would fire celebratory gunshots during the procession. Behind the military contingent was a group of female palatial maids wearing a yellow shoulder cloth, holding a pedestrial tray with ritualistic yellow
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known as ''nasi semangat'' to strengthen the prince's spirit before the
circumcision Circumcision is a surgical procedure, procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin ...
. The maidens were followed by a royal guards armed with weaponry of Keris and
sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...
s, while at their back was a group of maiden carrying a plethora of royal insignias: ceremonial box, handheld fan, silver container, Royal betel box, incense burner, silver water container and a multitude of other items from the imperial regalia. Following the royal entourage was an open platform of 5 Malay orchestras, staged by a Menora and Mak Yong performance. While the closed platform behind was occupied by the court dancers, elegantly posed in their classical Asyik and
Joget Joget ( Jawi: جوڬيت) is a traditional Malay dance that originated in Malacca. It was influenced by the Portuguese dance of Branyo which is believed to have been spread to Malacca during the spice trade. In Malacca, it is better known as ...
costumes. However, in contrast to the preceding Menora and Makyong performers, they do not openly dance during the gala. Behind the court dancers was a Wayang Kulit performance and a Silat troop. The towering bird came after the performance. The climax of the imperial cavalcade, it ferried the prince together his two younger brothers with a senior religious clerics and the British resident at that time. The princes were seen to be donned under a richly woven ceremonial attire made from silk, they wore fine gold and jewelry with a keris nicely tucked around their waist. The chariot was mobilised by hundreds of men, all reciting the Islamic prayers and selawat. The men were all individually selected by their village headman from their respected
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throughout the kingdom. The entourage ends with a platform for the
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
and the Great Kelantan drum, Known as "Rebana Besar". Trailing behind the men was dozens of sons from the noble families of Kelantan and the older relatives of the prince, all were attending to usher the circumcision carnival.


Developments after 1933

The Burung Petala Indra of 1933 was the last of its kind staged in Kelantan. Following the consultation from the local Kelantanese
ulema In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...
, it was firmly advised that the element of deviation from the Islamic teaching was present in the parade. Hence, following the verdict, all of the birds were destroyed by the authorities. The tradition however, is still survived although is under the verge of extinction across the border in Pattani,
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
. It is celebrated by the
Thai Malay Thai Malays ( ms, Orang Melayu Thai, th, ไทยเชื้อสายมลายู: Jawi: ملايو تاي; Pattani Malay: Oré Nayu, Jawi or Bangso Yawi; Songkhla Malay: Oghae Nayu), with officially recognised terms including 'Malay ...
community in the form of Burong Gagak Suro (; ), albeit it is usually celebrated in a smaller scale compared to its historical predecessors.


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * {{Authority control Malaysian culture Cultural anthropology
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