Terengganu Trip- Day 2.1: Surau Langgar Rindu

 

The second day of our Terengganu trip came carrying lots of surprises in hand. Although we had seen pictures of Surau Langgar Rindu before going to the actual building, nothing could have prepared us for the way this small building could make us feel so much.

Built by a non-architect, not even a builder of any traditional means, but by a passionate man who sought to provide a place for the orphans in the area to come learn religion, and as a sort of ode to the beautiful timber available. 

Claimed to have been built singlehandedly by Encik Arif Karimi, this surau is described as having taken the natural form of the somewhat-bizarre cuttings of timber, which lends the surau its mystical, whimsical aura. The place itself is quite open and peaceful, with comfortable interiors reflecting the spirit of place.

En. Arif was kind enough to talk us through the process of building the place, and even demonstrated how he used the traditional methods of tanggam and timber bolts to hold the structure together.

Innovation and artistry were married and could be seen in each aspect of the place. From the way an informal land plot along a long, empty road was used for the needs of people, to the way natural resources were utilized in perfect cohesion with the building's design, and the way the timber almost acted as living poetry sparking inspiration in any visiting person.