the ubudiah mosque, kuala kangsar - pnm...the ubudiah mosque, kuala kangsar the foundation stone of...

The Ubudiah Mosque, Kuala Kangsar

The foundation stone of the Ubudiah Mosq ue was laid by lI is Royal Highness Sultan Idri s all Friday September 26th. 19\3.

The ce remony look place lo .... ards the end of the week in which the Sultan had been imcslcd wi lh Ihe insignia of the Gr:llld Cross of the Roya l Victorian Order (G.C.V.O.) and in which Kuala Kan~ar \\3S the scene or~o many celebration!> Ihal it bcc,Lmc known as "G.C. V.O . • Wcc~" . The events .... erc described in so n:c detai l by Th omas Fox in Ihc Times of Malaya some months l.lter (in February 1914), The passage describing the Cen::mOlly on Bulil Chandan [0110"5:

The proceedings M Friday had no direct conneclion \\jl h Ihc j",C~liIurc of Ihe Sul tan \\iln the G.ev.o .. but that by no means dcpri\ cd them of a \cry real aSlooci:llion with the happenings or the ""cd. . For several year~ p;l~t Hi s Highne)s has been moved by a desire 10 sec the e rection or a Mosque in dose adjacency to hi ~ palace. ""here he and the Royal Household could ca rry out their deVOtion s. From the idea e\oh.:d the completed scheme which on Friday, September 26th. was officiall y marked by the laying of the rounda tion )tone by His Highness. on a hillock near the Astana Nagara. The ceremony was more or less rormal and was without all the ou tward show and splend our which marked the G.c. V .0. runctions earlier in the week . Beyond a rew Malavs. who. it would not be too much to' assume. had wandered along II ho lly by accident. only a number or invited guestS Ilere present. For the occasion a gaily bedecked stand had been ercctcd. ror the Royal Party and guests. The Suhan arril'ed some ti me before the High Commissioncr. The arrival or His Highness was qui te unostentati ous. With a ge:nera l acknowledgement or the salutes or the assembled guests. he entered the portion or the stand specia lly sct apart ror him . and arter taking a cu rsory glance at two plans or the I\'l osq ue. scated himself at a small table to await the arrival or the

High Commissioner and party. He had not long to ""ail. His Excellency. accompanied by Sir Edward Broc kman , Mr. R.G . Watson. and General Stephenson. walked up the knoll between the tines or gaily attired Malay attendants, whose presenCe lent Ihe only real Oriental touch 10 the proceedings. The Omcials Were (Iccompanied by Lady Evelyn Young. Lady IJrockman and Miss Stephenson. lIis lIighness rose as Ihe part y approached shook hands wi th the High Commissioner and gracerully bowed to the ladies. He then took up hi s position at the lable, with the High Commi ssioner scated on the right and the Others wherever chairs could be found. The Sultan . addressing His Excellency in Malay, gnve a brier outline of the circumstances leading up 10 the ceremony. He mentioned that Ihe idea for the erection of II Mosq ue occured many )ears ago during the omce of Mr. Cau lficld as State Engineer. But the project c\'cntually fell through wit hout anything tangible having been done. and it was allowed to lie dormant till the time when Mr. Marks acted liS British Resident of Perak , G o\'C.,: rnmcnt announced thei r intention to vote S200.000 ror the erection or a Mosque, lind el'entually the scheme which they were carrying out was evolved and plans prep.ared by the Government Archilect. Mr. Hubback, and accepted. !lis Highness before he concluded exprcsscd hi s thanks to His Excellency for a ll he had done in the matter.

The plan is to be an octagon of 60 ft. ror the mosque proper with II wide and imposing verandah a ll rou nd. making the whole octagon 96 ft. diameter.

To the North West will be the mlhrab, to the: Sou th East the tank and fountain ror abluti ons in an octagon 30 rt. in diameter rormed by columns. and to Ihe North E.ast and South West the p4lrches 27 ft . sq uare ror Ihe carriages. The whole will be surrounded by a circula r ornamental wall 135 ft. rrom Ihe cent re or the building. wilh twO approaches and gales through the wall.

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Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 1970 – Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia


Kuala KC"'~9.Yur ,n.;t .

Till' LblltJi(lh ,\fOJqllt', "" 1m/a A'mlgsur, Imdn colI.flruClioll.



The Architect decided on the dt'Sign hci llg in the Saracen ie style wilh domes and minarets. land the whole building ;5 to be constructed en tlrdy of concrete.

The anner mosque \.\,ill he co\'ered with a douhle dome 60 ft. in diameter. con · ~tructcd o n the Kahn reinforced steel ~)~tcm. rising tu it heigh t of 140 rt. and M!rroundcd b) four minaret s 126 ft. in heigh t. containing ~laircilSCS hy which the Imam will ascend to the top (If the mina· reh to call the faithfu l to prayer. There \.\,ill Ix' double dllll1e~ on tne carriage porche~. a balhing encl\1,ure :lI1d the til/lim". \\ hibt ~mall minaret s arc to ~hO\\ at all Ihe corners of Ihc double octagon.

There \\ II I be an illlp(l~ing Mairease in marble between the bathing enclosure and Ihe main buildin g. giving access to the nllnareh.

[t has been decided to h,l\e the whole building on a platf(l rm 4 flo high abO\c ground le\cl. \.\,lln marhle ~lcpS ,ur· rounding il

Onh the ~· h C1cest of It;diiln marble~ are !<l·re UM!d. The outer c(llumn ~ of the \crandah. s t ::irc:\~ and !:oathing enclosure \\ ill re 111 red marble and tbc inner c(llurr.m in Verdc Antica. \\llIb! all columns \\ilt h::\c hronn' caps and bases. ,\11 the l11inaret~ and pier, lire to h:1\e b;lI1ds of rich Illarhlc. the Interna l \.\,alh \\ill he rid-cd out ill mar hie panels alld the milrra" \\ill h:l\e a dado of red 00\ X 7 ft. high \\ith a fl oor of Gred Ci~p()1ino ma rble .

Among lh me pre~el1l :I I the ceremony

II I~ IJ ighnes) the Sultan

Ii i:. Excellcncy the Hi gh Commissioner

General Stephenson

Lad) Evel}n Young

Sir Ed\\:lrd Brockman

Lad y Brock man

Mr. W.P. Hume

Mrs.W. P. tl ume

Thc Sultan of SeI:lIIgor

The Raja Muda

The Dato h ~'Iuda

The Raja Chu lan The Data Sri Adika Raja

Mr. R.G. Watson, the British Resident

Mr. E. Burnside

Mr. E.J . Brewster

Mrs. E.J . Urewster Mr. C.W. llilrrison

M rs. C. W. Ha rrison

" 'r. CD. Rowen Mrs. C.O. Uowen

Mr. V. Hill

Mrs. V. HiIl

Mr. H. Berkeley. D.O. Upper Perak

Miss Stephenson

Mr. W. Hargreaves, Malay College Mrs. W. Hargreaves

Mr. E.C. H. Wolff

Mrs. E.C. H. Wolff Mr. T.W. Rowley

Mrs. T.W. Rowley

The Hon. Mr. E.B. Skinner

Mr). E.B. Skinner

The Hon. Mr. G . H. Da)'

The li on. Mr. W.F. Nun

Mrs. W.F. Null

The Hon. Mr. Eu Tong Sen

Mr. E.A.G. Stuart

Mr. J .E. Kempe

Mr. K.S. Jervoisc

Mr. H. F. Waters

Mrs. H.F. Waters

The proceedings were in charge of Mr. lI ubback. Government Architect and Mr. Huxley. Assistant Government Architect.

The following parlieulars of the a rch i· tectural feat ures of the new mosque show that the building when complete wi ll be on of the most impressive st ructures in tbe F.M .S. and an ornament to an a lready beau tiful to ..... n .

The floo rs of the inner mosque, verano dahs. bat hing enclosu re. steps up to lerandahs stai rcases a re to be in white ma rble wit h black borders. The cei ling over the mai n octagon is to be of fib rous

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TIll' f./hlldiah .\lOS'lI/I' a .1 ir i.J W(/(/I '.

plaster. specially del>lglled fOT the building. made by the Il romsgrol'e Guild of Lon· don. and 10 be c:lfried at the octagonal corner) by marble II jth bron/c caps and bases.

It is the intention to oblalll thc light through eight 1;lrgc l>cmi-circular o rna· mental windows. high up ill the octagon. and glazed wit h rich red ruby gta».

The cost is c~tillmted ;\1 S224.000. and il is expected Ih:1I !he bUl ldll1g \\ill talc about 1\\0 years to complete.

The An:hill-ct b t\ 1r. A.II . lI ubhad. .. F. R.I. II .A .• the Go\·ernlllent ,\rchlleet to !he F.t\I.S .. h~ I\ho~ Lkpartlilellt thc I'oorl 1~ being carned ou\. under the supervLsion of /l. l r. \V.S. Ihale)

The part) than prOl.."'Ceded to the )lillll- .

His II lghness I\as prel>Cl1Ied \\uh a slher

trowel. \\ith which he sprin~lcd a lillie \1 ;lIer ~lI\ the stone bcd. and after praycr~ had been olTered up b~ the MuftI. the ~lOlIe \\as slo\\1\ h)Y.ered Into positio n. and "\\ell and tOfuly laid."

The following \\a<; !he inscription on the !fOl'oet: "Pre)Cnted to Hil> I-l ighnes~ SUI!:UI Idn~ Merl>id-el-I\ai'an Sh;lh. G .c./l.I.G .. G.C.V .O .. on the occasion of the laying of Ihe found.llion stone of the Ubudiah Mosque. Kuala Kangs.u. PeTal. 26th September. 1913."

The )tllne it~elf \Ias al .)o inscribed in t\1:Jla\ to the elTect thaI it \\01.) laid on Septe'rnber 26th :IS a memonal of IIi, Il1ghne<;<; long and succcs)ful rcign. and ats •• h1 ..::tJmmellwrate the prescntation nf tIll' L!1~'gll1a •• f the G.c.\'.O .. conferred ur,ln him by King George the FIfth. and prc"C'lltcd 10 him hy HI.) E\~"'ClIenC) SIr Arthur Young. the lI igh Commil>sioner.

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the ubudiah mosque, kuala kangsar - pnm...the ubudiah mosque, kuala kangsar the foundation stone of...

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