Image Credit: The Heartlander Tourist Video Credit: ACG Travel Videos Singapore - Duxton Plain Park
For those expats who worked within walking distance from the majestic Pinnacles HDB flats in Duxton, take a detour to visit Duxton Plains Park, one of the smallest parks in Singapore.
On first glance, it seems less like a park and more like a connector. The park is just a linear green tract that fits snugly between New Bridge Road and Keong Saik Road. It is a weird sight that greets you as you see only the backside of houses as you walk along the park.
This park was established before World War 2 by the British. It was originally called Duxton Plains Parkway and was under the ownership of NParks until 2008 when it was removed from the list of parks under their jurisdiction. The park was created from land previously occupied by the Singapore-Kranji Railway Line.
Completed In 1907, these railway lines extended from the Southern docks to Tank Road, and then on to Kranji. The old line in Duxton used to connect to Pulau Saigon on the south bank of the Singapore River. Running between the shophouses in Duxton Plain, the noisy trains were very unpopular with residents staying nearby to it. Falling defunct in 1914, this section of the railway was eventually dismantled in 1925 after the realignment of Singapore’s rail network.
As you stroll along the park, you will come across an interesting structure erected in green and yellow. This is a ‘keramat’ (shrine), and it lies near the back door of one of the shophouses. Erected with yellow tiles upon a green base, the ‘keramat’ design is typical of Malay royalty in Southeast Asia. Even today, it is still visited regularly by tourists and devotees.
The Keramat’s engraving dedicates the site to Sharifah Rogayah, who was said to be the grand-daughter of Sayyid Noh bin Sayyid Mohamad bin Sayyid Ahmad Al-Habshi (1788 - 1866), also known as Habib Noh. A direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammad, Habib Noh (named after Noah) was Singapore’s most famous Muslim holy man. He was also widely known as The Grand Saint Of Singapore. Many miracles within this region were attributed to him.
Sharifah Rogayah was also betrothed to Saywid Alwi bin Ali Aljunied of the Aljunied family. However, not much else is known about her, and her family had fervently denied that her remains lie in the shrine, and that she was buried elsewhere at Paterson Road. Whatever the story might be, this appears to be the last surviving tomb of a former cemetery, which for mysterious reasons, escaped exhumation.
Urban legend has it that the keramat was said to be revealed to a little boy named Mohd Ahmad Ridhwan in a dream where Habib Nor instructed him to look for his grand-daughter. The keramat is currently still being taken care of by Ahmad, who has been doing so since 1999.
Share your story with me the next time you pay a visit to the park and the shrine.
