The Legendary Mahsuri Tomb of Langkawi

The Mahsuri Tomb or better known as Makam Mahsuri among the locals in Langkawi is a unique place to visit in Langkawi. This place has, among the most famous Malay story behind it about a beautiful princess by the name of Mahsuri who was accused of adultery and executed. White blood flowed from her body showing her innocence and this legend has been passed on for many generations with the Mahsuri tomb erected for her remembrance, making this place one of must visit Langkawi attraction for visitors around the world.

The whole story began when a couple from Phuket Thailand migrated to Langkawi in search for a better life during the 14th century. Their daughter Mahsuri was said to be the most beautiful girl in Langkawi at that time. A local village chief by the name of Dato Karma Jaya fell in love with Mahsuri and wanted to take her as his second wife but the first wife by the name of Mahura refused. Eventually it was agreed that the chief's son, Mat Deris should marry Mahsuri instead to avoid the conflict. The couple fell in love immediately and gave birth to a son named Mat Arus. This has made the mother in law, Mahura even more jealous of Mahsuri and seeks a plot to get rid of her fast. Her time came when befriend a young lad named Deraman while her husband was away in war with the Siamese. Mahura quickly seized the opportunity to accuse Mahsuri of having an affair with Deraman. This left the village chief no choice but to sentence Mahsuri to death by stabbing. She was tied to a tree and stabbed to death but ironically she survived. Eventually she told them to stab her with her family's Kris and many had said that they seen white blood gushing out from her wounds. This was a shocking sign to show that she was innocent and during her last breath, she cursed the village to seven generations of bad luck. After her death, the place was invaded by Siamese and the local was forced to burn their paddy field to avoid it being taken over. Many locals said that the curse was true as many crops have failed to thrive for decades and the place was invaded by the Siam several times.

The place which the farmers had burnt the paddy field is known as "beras terbakar" or "burnt rice" can still be seen today. The tomb itself is situated 12 km from the Kuah town. It is a white rectangular cemetery with a grave monument depicting the Mahsuri legend. A circular garden surrounds the tomb completes the Mahsuri shrine. On the entrance of the Makam Mahsuri is a huge browned colored traditional Malay house. Among other things to see are a theatre and a museum showing some of Mahsuri's precious jewelries and ornaments, a portrait of the princess herself and the knife which was used for her stabbing. There is also a sacred well within the vicinity and it is said that those who touches the water in the well will be blessed with beauty. There is also some food stalls conveniently located nearby for those hungry visitors of the legendary tomb.

Whether the tale of the Mahsuri legend is real or a hoax one, we should show some respect in terms of not littering and disturbing the tomb when visiting the sacred burial place of the Mahsuri princess. A lot of historical events such as the Siamese invasion, the demised of the chief Dato Karma Jaya's entire family and the dormant harvesting experience in the past in this place should give some hints for those who do not believe in the tale. Picture taking is definitely a must here, to bring back some of the memorable eerie legend of the Mahsuri tomb to respective countries. This special legend has a unique place in Malaysian history and culture as it is among the historical event that is in our local schools' history book.

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