MACHANG, Sept 22 - A unique mosque tower pushing 150 years stands tall in
Kampung Surau, Pulai Chondong, here, having withstood the test of time.
According to a villager, Mohd Nor Mohamad, 68, the 17.37-metre tall tower with
a periphery of 3.8 metres was constructed with "Cengal Batu" timber.
"The strength of the tower was tested when Kelantan was hit by a massive storm
in 1880 when all the trees, small and large, surrounding the tower were
uprooted but, God willing, the tower was unaffected.
"It was built under a gotong-royong concept using machetes, axes and chisels
in 1856 by hundreds of men in the village at that time," he told Bernama
Thursday.
Mohd Nor said the Tok Pulai Chondong Mosque Tower was built by Abdul Samad
Fakeh Abdullah (1792-1874), an ancestor of his who was a renowned religious
figure of his time.
Abdul Samad had acquired religious knowledge from his father, a well-known
"ulama" (religious teacher) from Palembang. His mother hailed from Pattani.
Mohd Nor said Abdul Samad went to Mekah to delve deeper into religious studies
and returned to Kampung Surau and built the mosque.
Since it was built, the only time any renovation work was done on the tower was
in 1958 when the roof tiles of the tower were repaired while the other parts
required no touch-up.
The unique octagonal design of the tower set it apart from other mosque towers.
Its 25.9-metre main pillar, one unjoined piece of wood with a circumference of
1.09 metres at the base and 0.6 metres at the top, is also octagonal and is
believed to have been set 8.53 metres into the ground.
A total of 25 steps in a clockwise spiral with a 0.5-metre gap between each
step was built between the main pillar and the inner wall to enable the "bilal"
(muezzin) to climb up to make the call for prayer in the olden days. A
loudspeaker has been added on now.
The door leading into the tower is of semi-circular in shape with a height of
1.82 metres and a width of 0.57 metres. Mohd Nor said the signages showing the
direction to the mosque had faded, hence making it difficult for members of the
public to locate it.
Since it was built, the mosque has been a centre of religious education for the
villagers.
A "bilal" comes to the tower without fail to make the call for prayer five
times a day.//Bernama
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