Lost in Bukit Purmei’s heart is Keramat Bukit Kasita. It is a royal shrine shrouded in mystery. Have you ever wondered what secrets lie hidden among the HDB blocks?
Keramat Bukit Kasita offers a peek into Singapore’s pre-British history. It provides an intriguing insight. The shrine is thought to have been built around the 16th century. However, some opinions differ. The oldest grave reportedly dates to 1721. Burials continued up to the early 20th century. The small hillock where the Keramat resides was once known as Bukit Kasita. It means sacred hill.
Let’s journey back to 1530. Sultan Alaudin Riayat Shah II established Keramat Bukit Kasita. He referred to it as a sacred hill. The southern part of Singapore was a hilly area then. Temenggong Abdul Rahman’s settlement was at the foot of the hill range. He was the grandfather of Sultan Abu Bakar.
By 1824, Temenggong Abdul Rahman’s subjects had grown. They lived in Malay villages around Kampong Bahru and Bukit Kasita. Today, about 200 tombs rest at Keramat Bukit Kasita. The oldest dates back to 1721. Many graves are draped in yellow. This represents Malay royalty. Hence, it is also known as Tanah Kubor diRaja. This means Royal Burial Ground in Malay.
The wall surrounding the graves blends Malay and European styles. It was built in the late 19th century. The site holds about 50 graves. They are banded in green and yellow cloths. Green denotes Sufi tariqa devotees. Yellow represents royal internees. Some gravestones bear the genealogy of the internee. Many point towards the Johor Sultanate’s royal line. Its roots intertwine with the fall of the Srivijayan Empire.
The Kingdom of Singapura was founded by Sang Nila Utama in 1299. He was a Srivijayan prince. The Srivijayan royal line shifted its court from Singapura to Melaka. Later it moved to Johor. Following Sultan Mahmud Shah III’s death in 1812, the royal line split. One court was in mainland Johor. The other was in the Lingga-Riau archipelago.
Many descendants from this line are buried here. One prominent internee was Sultan Abdul Rahman II. He was the last sultan of the Lingga-Riau Sultanate. The Dutch dissolved the Sultanate in 1911. Sultan Abdul Rahman II fled to Singapore. Stripped of his regalia, he sought to preserve his lineage. He associated with the ancient royal spaces of his forebears. He and his descendants are buried here.
Two graves in the southeast corner belong to Raja Ahmad Raja Said and Engku Fatimah. They descended from Temenggong Abdul Rahman. He was integral to the 1819 Treaty of Singapore. The modern Johor Sultanate descends from him.
Today, Keramat Bukit Kasita is shrouded by vegetation. A small settlement surrounds it. Blocks of public housing overshadow it. Residents are descendants of custodians. A tunku tasked them to oversee the graves’ upkeep. This site reminds us of obscured spaces and memories. They were lost to Singapore’s development after 1819.
Keramat Bukit Kasita stands as a testament to Singapore’s rich and layered history. It is a place where royal legacies and spiritual traditions intertwine. It is a reminder of a past often unseen in our modern city. Remember to be respectful if you visit.