Kaganga Script or Surat Ulu, Indonesian Traditional Script in Southern Sumatra

INDEPHEDIA.com - The Ka Ga Nga script (written: Kaganga) is one of Indonesia's traditional scripts originating from the Southern Sumatra region (Sumbagsel).

The Kaganga script by people in southern Sumatra is called Surat Ulu (Ulu Letter) or Ulu Script.

Surat Ulu is the original term used by the local community to name this family of Brahmi scripts.

The scripts belonging to the Kaganga (Ka-Ga-Nga) or Surat Ulu group include Bengkulu (Rejang, Lembak, Serawai and Pasemah), Kerinci and Lampung.

The Surat Ulu script is thought to have developed from the Pallawa script and the Kawi script used by the Sriwijaya Kingdom.

The name Kaganga, according to various sources, refers to the first three scripts in the Panini sequence and is reminiscent of the Pallava script in India.

The term Kaganga was coined by Mervyn A. Jaspan (1926-1975), an anthropologist at the University of Hull, England, in the book "Folk Literature of South Sumatra".

The term used by Mervyn A. Jaspan is not limited to Surat Ulu, but all Brahmi script derivatives.

To note, the Brahmi script family is the Abugida script family which is derived from the Brahmi script from Ancient India.

The scripts from this family are used in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and parts of Central and East Asia.

Not only in Southern Sumatra, the Batak script or Batak letters are also related to the Surat Ulu collection, but the order is different.

It is estimated that in the past the entire island of Sumatra from Aceh on the north end to Lampung on the south end used scripts that were related to this set of Kaganga (Surat Ulu) scripts.

However, in Aceh and in Central Sumatra (Minangkabau and Riau), the Jawi letters have been used for a long time.

The main difference between the Surat Ulu script and the Javanese script is that the Surat Ulu script does not have a partner.

Because the Surat Ulu script is simpler than the Javanese script, learning it is also easier. (*)