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Travel> Kelantan
Treasures of
Kelantan,Malaysia
by Raymond JG
Wells
Published April 2001
Kelantan, located just south of the Isthmus
of Kra, is an exotic corner of eastern Peninsular
Malaysia. The unique state showcases an
enchanting combination of culture, color
and traditional Malay folklore.
There is Kelantanese batik known for its
graceful, stylised motifs, the famous rebana
-or drum -whose powerful beat is heard at
just about all traditional celebrations
be it a family wedding, festival or state
parade and wayang kulit - literally skin
theater - so–called because the intricately
made puppets are made of leather, stiffened
and mounted on sticks to be held-up against
a single bright light. The old puppet masters
in Kelantan are living storehouses of colorful
traditional fables involving captivating
characters from epics which have been handed
down from one generation to another.
Besides batik, rebana and the wayang kulit,
Kelantan is renowned for its perahu -or
brightly painted boats - you will see them
in all their glory in the various fishing
villages dotting the coastline. The Kelantanese
are also skilled in the making of highly
elaborate wau -tasseled kites that fly the
skies with deceptive ease and for famous
filigree silverware. Silverware from Kelantan
is renowned for its very intricate designs
and workmanship. Items range from the functional
to the purely ornamental and include fruit
bowls, tea sets, brooches and bracelets.
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In Kelantan, most of the leading businessmen
are women -tough -headed traders who do
not hesitate to haggle and haggle some more
for every cent of profit. They certainly
add a real dash of color to every market,
with their brightly made-up faces and very
colorful costumes and head-dresses. The
markets in the state capital of Kota Bharu
are hives of activity with all their offerings
of fresh produce, preserved foodstuffs,
dried seafood, and sweetmeats.
Another great Kelantanese product is the
songket - cloth of gold - a proud legacy
of the early Kelantan court. Once used by
royalty the songket is nowadays used for
ceremonial occasions and at weddings. The
songket, richly woven with gold or silver
is the result of the early trade with China,
from where the silk came from and with India
that provided the silver and gold threads.
A songket-weaving factory is located at
Kampung Penambang, just outside Kota Bharu.
Top spinning is a traditional pastime in
Kelantan, especially among villagers after
the rice harvest. There are two main types
of competitions: the ",..spinning contest
.." and the "...striking match..".
The winner is when the top which spins the
longest time - they have been known to reach
two hours. The competitions are made more
exciting by the participants trying to strike
opponent's tops to topple and stop them
from spinning.
There you have it a round up of just a few
of the treasures of exotic Kelantan in Malaysia.
Raymond JG
Wells is a British-born economist and writer
currently living and working in Malaysia,
He has published in various print magazines
such as Day & Night, Frequent Traveller,
The Rotarian, International Living and Far
East Traveler and in electronic publications
including the Literary Review, MadsDogs
Breakfast, BootsNall.com, Zinos.com, Human
Beams and the-vu. His home page is http://www.homestead.com/wellswriter
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