Mendaki Bukit Panau (Climbing Bukit Panau)

Note: This article was made at night in Sik, Kedah after the all-Malay version for CATATAN SI MERAH SILU was completed in Baling in the afternoon.

Bukit Panau, bukit penuh lagenda di Kelantan.
Bukit Panau, the legendary hill in Kelantan.

Biar saya bercerita ringkas... Saya sedang kesuntukan masa kerana merancang untuk ke Langgar, Kedah petang ini. Dan saya juga sedang kepenatan akibat sudah lebih seminggu mengembara ke sana ke mari termasuk berjalan kaki berbatu-batu, kalau dijumlahkan, rasanya tak kurang 30km!
Let me be brief... I'm running out of time as I planned to go to Langgar, Kedah this afternoon. And I'm also very tired because of travelling here and there for over a week including walking for miles, if summed up I feel not less than 30km!

Adapun Bukit Panau terletak di dalam jajahan Tanah Merah, Kelantan. Di kalangan orang lama tempatan, ia terkenal sebagai tempat orang dahulukala meningkatkan ilmu persilatan selain membuat pertapaan. Malah ada yang percaya, Bukit Panau itulah sebenarnya Bukit Pancalusa yang disebut dalam kitab Hikayat Hang Tuah sebagai salah satu tempat Laksamana Hang Tuah belajar ilmu perang. katanya dengan seorang mahaguru bernama Adi Putra.
Bukit Panau is situated in the province of Tanah Merah, Kelantan. Among old local folks, it is famous as a place for people of old to polish their martial skills apart from doing meditations. In fact some believe, Bukit Panau is actually the Bukit Pancalusa mentioned in the old Malay text Hikayat Hang Tuah as one of the place where Admiral Hang Tuah learnt the art of war, it is said from a master named Adi Putra.

Menurut sumber-sumber tertentu, Adi Putra juga dikenali sebagai Sheikh Samman atau Sayyid Thanauddin yang merupakan salah seorang ahli rombongan Wali Tujuh. Rombongan yang diketuai seorang Ahlul Bait anak cucu Rasulullah bernama Sayyid Hussein Jamadil Kubra ini dianggarkan datang ke Tanah Melayu dalam abad ke 14 Masihi begitu.
According to certain sources, Adi Putra is also known as Sheikh Samman or Sayyid Thanauddin who is one of the members of Wali Tujuh (the seven saints). The group headed by an Ahlul Bait, a progeny of Prophet Muhammad SAW by the name of Sayyid Hussein Jamadil Kubra is estimated to have arrived at the Malay lands in the 14 century AD or so.

Ada orang menyebut, Bukit Panau juga merupakan tempat duduk Puteri Sa'adong yang terkenal dalam cerita rakyat Kelantan. Pihak lain menyebut, Puteri Sa'adong bersemayam di Bukit Marak (saya pun tak tahu kat mana), ada pula menyebut memang baginda pernah bersemayam di Bukit Marak sebelum berpindah ke Bukit Panau pula.
There are people who said, Bukit Panau was also the place of residence of Puteri Sa'adong, the famous princess in Kelantanese folklore. Others said, Puteri Sa'adong actually lived at Bukit Marak (I don' know where it is), while some said she did stay at Bukit Marak before moving on to Bukit Panau.

Mungkin sang puteri menurut jejak ibu angkatnya Chek Siti Wan Kembang yang pernah bersemayam di sekitar Tanah Merah, dalam sebuah negeri lama yang dikenali sebagai Tanah Sekebun Bunga Cherang Tenggayong sebelum 'bersara' lalu duduk di kawasan Gunung Stong Gunung Ayam di Ulu Kelantan? Apapun, biar saya bercerita perkara yang senang... Tentang apa yang saya rasa apabila mendaki bukit lagenda setinggi 234 meter ini!
Maybe the princess followed the footsteps of her adopted mum Chek Siti Wan Kembang who used to lived in Tanah Merah, in an old country known as Tanah Sekebun Bunga Cherang Tenggayong before 'retiring' to the Gunung Stong, Gunung Ayam area at Ulu Kelantan? Whatever, let me just tell the easy part... About how I felt while climbing up the 234-metre high legendary hill!

Sebaik sahaja sampai ke Tanah Merah dengan menaiki keretapi 5.30 pagi daripada Gua Musang, saya terus disapa pemandu teksi... Tanyanya hendak ke mana, kata saya Bukit Panau. Berapa tambangnya? RM12. Jawab saya tak payahlah, biar saya cari bas... Lainlah kalau berkongsi tambang dengan orang lain kerana saya perlu berjimat belanja...
Upon arriving at Tanah Merah by the 5.30am train from Gua Musang, I was immediately halted by a taxi driver... He asked where do I want to go, I said Bukit Panau. How much is the fare? RM12. I answered back, there's no need, let me just find a bus... It's different if the fare is shared with others as I have to cut down cost...

Saya baru sahaja hendak meninggalkan kawasan stesyen keretapi... Tiba-tiba dipanggil pemandu teksi, ada orang lain juga hendak ke sana, tapi setakat sampai di perkampungan di kaki bukit sahaja. Saya pun menurut sahaja... Dipendekkan cerita, saya ditinggalkan di kaki bukit sebelum memulakan pendakian.
I was about to leave the train station area... At once the taxi driver called, there are others going there too, but only up to the villages at the foot of the hill. I just followed... To cut a long story short, I was left at the foothill before starting the climb.

Kalau diikutkan, stamina saya bukanlah kuat sangat kerana sudah lama tidak bersukan... Umur pun sudah menghampiri 40 dan saya sebenarnya kurang sihat kerana gangguan-gangguan tertentu, tak payahlah dipanjangkan gangguan apa itu...
Actually, my stamina is not that strong as it's been a while since I did any sports... My age is also approaching 40 and I'm actually not that well because of certain disturbances, no need to elaborate what are the disturbances.

Alhamdulillah, saya masih ada kekuatan semangat yang kental serta sedikit petua orang lama yang diamalkan menyebabkan saya mampu bertahan memikul beban tubuh badan serta jiwa yang berat-berat... Dapatlah juga meneruskan pendakian walaupun nafas sudah mula kencang.
Thank God, I still have the strong spirit and some 'old folks' tips' practiced which makes me able to take a huge amount of physical and mental load... At least could continue the climb although my breathing is starting to go heavy.

Bila melihat sahaja pada jalan bercerun sebegini, boleh rasa patah semangat untuk meneruskan pendakian terutama apabila nafas dah tercungap-cungap...
Just looking at such a steep route like this can break one's spirit from continuing the climb especially when one's breathing is starting to get out of pace...

Syukur ke hadrat Ilahi, pendakian dapat diteruskan... Sekitar 15-20 minit begitu, sampailah ke stesyen pemancar menandakan kemuncak hampir dekat.
Thank you God, the climb goes on... About 15-20 minutes later, arrived at the transmission station marking the summit is near...

Dari stesyen tadi, saya tergerak mengambil sebuah denai ke kanan jalan lalu sampai ke tebing curam dengan pemandangan Sungai Kelantan yang sungguh indah ini... Masyaallah! Subhanallah!
From the station, I was urged to take a path to the right until arriving at a steep hillside with a magnificent view of Sungai Kelantan... Truly this is God's doing! Praise be to God!

Tu dia! Cantik bukan!
Look at this! Beautiful isn't it?

Bila diperhatikan dengan teliti cerun tadi, tenyata batu-batunya telah dicat berwarna-warni... Rasanya ini kerja orang Hindu yang ingin memuja sesuatu. Saya pula sempat menunaikan solat Dhuha di atas batu dengan menggunakan wudhuk yang diambil daripada kolam di kaki bukit tadi.
When the steep hill-side is examined, it is apparent the rocks have been colourfully painted... Feels like the job of some Hindu adherents who wants to worship something. I got the opportunity to do the Dhuha (Islamic optional pre-afternoon prayer) using the wudhuk (ritual purification by water) performed earlier at a pool near the foothill.

Tiang pemancar kecil ini menandakan puncak sebenar Bukit Panau. Cukuplah setakat ini ya!
This small transmission tower marks the actual summit of Bukit Panau. Enough ya!