In Indonesia's diverse culture, there is one story about Laksmana Raja Di Laut who is said to be a descendant of the Siak Kingdom from the Malay tribe. When at school there is a history lesson that tells about the kingdoms in the country, however, as far as I remember, I who grew up in Java, was more in-depth about the kingdoms of Majapahit, Kutai, and Mataram. Rarely was the Malay kingdom explored in the student worksheets.

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Interestingly, I actually memorised the name Laksmana Raja Di Laut from a Malay song sung melodiously by national singer Iyeth Bustami. It has been around since I was a child, and has stuck in my memory until now. Maybe because the singer's voice is so beautiful, and the lyrics are so poetic and unusual. In the song, there was a snippet of lyrics that mentioned the Laksmana Raja Di Laut residing in Bukit Batu. At first, I thought Bukit Batu was a hill full of stones, but it turns out, it was where the Kingdom of Siak was located. Then, until the end of his life, Laksmana Raja Di Laut was buried in Bukit Batu.

You've heard that things we say over and over again, or things we hear over and over again and get stuck in our heads, can one day manifest into reality. Oh, of course that doesn't mean I suddenly become the Queen of Siak. LOL.

Not long ago, I finally met a diorama of the residential house of Lakshmana Raja Di Laut. Even though it's just a mock model, but if you search on your browser, the design and size are 90% similar.

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Laksmana Raja Di Laut's House

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Like the traditional Malay houses in the past, Laksmana Raja Di Laut's house is a stilt house dominated by bright yellow and green combinations. From the front facade, it can be seen that the roof of the house carries a gable roof theme.

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Two stairs are located on the right and left sides, meeting at the same point, which is a spacious terrace. In the diorama, the furniture used is classic but has an elegant impression. Wooden chair seats with high backrests, there are rocking chairs.

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Besides the furniture, you can also see the details of the wood carvings used as the frame of the low-designed door. The combination of the gold colour on the frame and the dominant white door leaf, makes this very luxurious. Of course, in the past, designs like this only existed in noble houses. Antique chandelier ornaments are also sporadically installed at each end of the terrace. Very artsy and pretty, isn't it.

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I took my time here, savouring the designs and carvings that blended together so beautifully. Oh, I almost forgot, even the floors in this house are made of very sturdy wooden boards. The floor is painted a maroon colour that tends to be brown.

After being satisfied, I decided to get off, and continue my destination to another more exciting place, of course, still around the matter of archipelago culture.

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