Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The legend of Kusu Island


In the early days of Singapura, the people made their living practicing various trades. There were many who were fishermen. Life for them was not easy and the daily catch often unpredictable. Bad weather even prevented them from heading out to sea. Yet, in order to put food on the table, they had to face insurmountable uncertainties, leaving their families to pray for their safe return.

One day, two fishermen - a Chinese and a Malay - had been out the whole day and their catch had not been plentiful. The others had already gone back. The two fishermen decided to stay out a little longer seeing that the breeze had become stronger, and thought perhaps their luck would change.

Soon, the wind started to pick up, and the little boats were being tossed about. The sky opened up with vengeance and both men struggled to keep their boats afloat. The weather was so bad that everyone on the mainland took cover. All except the families of the two men, who feared for their safety.

Back at sea, the boats of the two men were smashed into bits and they were struggling to hold on to whatever bits of remains left from the wrecked boats. Unknown to them, something was lurking below the violent waves. Something was watching them.

The two men were soon too exhausted to remain afloat and were beginning to lose hope of surviving their ordeal. Suddenly, in the distance, they noticed something approaching them. It had a rough texture.

A giant turtle was headed straight for them. They feared even more and tried to swim away from it. The water moved even faster and all of a sudden, the two men found themselves on top of the turtle.

Slowly the storm began to subside and as it did so, the turtle began to grow bigger and bigger. At their feet, the turtle shell changed, turning into a grainy material that felt like sand. The men realized that the turtle was changing into a small island.

With the skies now clear, the two families on the mainland saw the island and knew that the two men were safe.

Despite their exhaustion, the men rejoiced at having survived the storm and started to explore the new island, where there were lots of trees and plants. In no time, the two men became very close friends and continued to live on the island until they died many years later.

This legacy of racial harmony continues to this day with the establishment of a Chinese temple and a Malay shrine. The temple was built in honour of Tua Pek Kong, the god of prosperity, while the shrine commemorates a hermit, his mother and sister.

KUSU Island

Originally two outcrops on a reef, legend has it a magical tortoise turned itself into an island to save a Malay and a Chinese shipwrecked sailor (hence kusu, Chinese for tortoise).
During the ninth lunar month, the island is swarmed with devotees headed for the Tua Pek Kong Temple to pray for prosperity, good luck and fertility. You can see pieces of cloth tied around trees by children and couples.

You can visit the Malay shrine by walking up 122 steps up a steep hill. Kusu Island is also known as Pulau Sakjiang Pelepah and used to be the island where immigrants who had died in quarantine on St. John's and Lazarus Islands were buried.

More recently, it is also known as Pulau Tembakul (Peak Island) because it has been in-filled and expanded to form an 8.5 hectare island and included three kramats (Malay shrines) that commemorate a 19th-century pious family.

During the quieter months of the year, Kusu Island is a peaceful isle with breathtaking views of the mainland, lagoons for swimming and ideal picnic spots.

No comments:

Post a Comment