KANGAR: The discovery of votive tablets in Gua Berhala and Gua Kurong Batang provides physical evidence of a settlement for a protohistoric community in Perlis in the ninth century. These tablets, shaped either circular or pear-shaped, are made of clay and feature Buddhist images and inscriptions. According to Siti Munirah Kasim, the director of Kota Kayang Museum, the archaeologist Dr Alastair Lamb found the tablets in 1962, and their inscriptions were later deciphered by Dr Nasha Rodziadi Khaw, a senior lecturer at the Centre for Global Archaeological Research at the University of Sains Malaysia in Penang. Compared to the pieces found in Lembah Bujang, Kedah, and Gua Chawas, Kelantan, the votive tablets in Perlis are in good condition. They have been kept at Kota Kayang Museum since its opening to the public in 2000.
Nasha explained that the votive tablets found in Perlis contain Buddhist texts that are not found in other sites in Malaysia. The inscriptions, written in Sanskrit using Nagari characters, contain hymns. Similar inscriptions have been found in several other locations, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tibet (China), and the island of Java (Indonesia).
Kota Kayang Museum director Siti Munirah Kasim says the votive tablet is an oval piece of clay that has been dried or baked and stamped with Buddha images.
Nasha also highlighted the significance of this discovery in relation to the development of ancient Kedah and the Lembah Bujang. The votive tablets provide evidence that Perlis was one of the trading settlements and a stopover for Buddhist followers and monks. It also emphasizes the long history of Perlis. During the development of ancient Kedah, with its port centered in Lembah Bujang, the early communities in Perlis had relationships with foreign traders, indicating the economic and geostrategic importance of Perlis at that time.
Wan Badariah Wan Saad, the state Tourism Committee chairman, expressed her hope that the ancient artefacts, including the votive tablets, would attract visitors to Kota Kayang Museum as part of the Visit Perlis Year (TMP) 2024-2025. She also mentioned the need for further research to unravel the secrets of these votive tablets.
– Bernama
Credit: The Star : News Feed
