TINJAUAN UMUM BERKENAAN PENEMUAN ARCA AGAMA DI KEDAH TUA (GENERAL OVERVIEW ON FINDINGS OF RELIGIOUS SCULPTURES IN KEDAH TUA)

Abstract

Abstrak

Kedah Tua merupakan sebuah pelabuhan dagang yang wujud dari kurun ke-2 hingga ke-14 Masihi di bahagian pantai barat Semenanjung Tanah Melayu. Perkembangan Kedah Tua telah dibuktikan dengan pelbagai bentuk penemuan arkeologi seperti candi Hindu-Buddha, prasasti, seramik dagang, tembikar tanah, manik dan pelbagai jenis artifak yang terkait dengan perdagangan dan agama Hindu-Buddha. Salah satu aspek kajian penting di Kedah Tua adalah penelitian terhadap arca-arca Hindu-Buddha yang ditemui. Arca-arca yang ditemui di Lembah Bujang terdiri daripada imej dewa-dewi seperti Ganesha, Durga, Buddha, serta para Bodhisatva seperti Hariti dan Bhrikuti. Penemuan ini memperlihatkan kepelbagaian dari segi mazhab agama Hindu dan Buddha yang wujud di Kedah Tua, yang secara langsung membuktikan peranan Kedah Tua, bukan sahaja sebagai sebuah pusat perdagangan antarabangsa, bahkan juga sebagai pusat perkembangan kebudayaan yang penting. Makalah ini memberi tinjauan umum tentang penemuam arca di Lembah Bujang.

Kata kunci: arca, Kedah Tua, Hindu-Buddha, Boddisatva, Hariti, Durga

Abstract

Kedah Tua is a trading port kingdom that exists from the 2nd to the 14th century AD situated on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. The development of Kedah Tua port kingdom has been proven by various forms of archaeological finds such as Hindu-Buddhist temples, inscriptions, trade ceramics, earthenware, beads and various types of artifacts associated with trade and Hindu-Buddhist religion. One of the key aspects of an important study in Old Kedah is the study of the Hindu-Buddha statues. The sculptures found in the Bujang Valley consist of images of deities such as Ganesha, Durga, Buddha, and Bodhisattvas like Hariti and Bhrikuti. This discovery demonstrates the diversity in terms of the Hindu and Buddhist religion in the kingdom of Kedah Tua, which directly proves the role of Old Kedah, not only as an international trade center, but also as an important center for cultural development. This paper provides an overview of the sculptors in Bujang Valley.

Keywords: sculpture, Kedah Tua, Hindu-Buddha, Boddisatva, Hariti, Durga