The Fairy Princess Of GUNUNG LEDANG
JOHOR. Situated at the southern end of Peninsular Malaysia, the state of Johor is also a neighbour of Singapore. It was named after the Sungai Johor (Johor River), the longest river in the state. Its capital city, Johor Bahru is a vibrant and thriving commercial city, offering a host of sporting events, pulsating nightlife, wide-ranging accommodation and a myriad of restaurants. It also offers shopping opportunities in the form of modern malls, arcades, handicraft centres, bazaars and open-air markets. Johor is also known as a golfers’ paradise as the state has the highest number of golf courses in the country. Johor Bharu is also linked to Singapore via its 1,056 metre causeway across Selat Tebrau or the Straits of Johor.
The Gunung Ledang (Mount Ophir) legend tells the tale of the vain Sultan Mansur Shah of Malacca, who wished to marry a woman superior to the wives of any other prince in the world. Obsessed with this notion the Sultan decided to ask for the hand of the fairy princess of Gunung Ledang.
The Fairy Princess of Gunung Ledang was a stunningly beautiful being with the graceful movements that accentuated every curve of her body. Adorned with silk and gold, this legendary beauty resided in a cave at the summit of Gunung Ledang.
The princess’s guardian Dang Raya Rani, one of the four beautiful fairies and a princess herself, was not happy with the Sultan’s proposal. In order to dissuade the Sultan, she set impossible stipulations as a dowry. The Sultan was given the task of acquiring a betrothal gift of seven trays of mosquito hearts; seven trays of hearts of mites; a vat of water from dried areca nuts; a vat of tears from virgin maidens; a bridge made of gold from Malacca to the peak of Gunung Ledang and a bowl of his young prince’s blood.
The cruel and impulsive Sultan agreed to the dowry and severely oppressed his people for his own pursuit. Not even the sacred relationship between father and his only heir could stop his madness. He was willing to kill his only son in order to fulfill his selfish desires.
Just as he was to plunge the blade of his knife or keris into his child the Fairy Princess appeared. She swore that she would never marry a man who was so cruel and capable of murdering his own son.
The Fairy Princess eventually wed Nakhoda Ragam, a renowned seafarer. Unfortunately, that joyful union would too end in tragedy. One day, as the princess was sewing, her husband surprised her by tickling her ribs. Startled she accidentally stabbed him with the needle, killing him immediately. Heart-broken, she made a solemn decision to return to Gunung Ledang and vowed never to set eyes on another man again.
Straddling the Johor-Malacca border, Gunung Ledang is the highest mountain in these southern states. The mountains plateau-like summit peaks at 1,276 meters above sea level and offers a panoramic view of the Straits of Malacca and the Sumatra coastline on a clear day.
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