Merbok, Kedah, Kedah · 5.7384°, 100.4138°
Malaysia's cradle of civilisation: over 50 excavated candi of the ancient Kedah kingdom on the Straits trade route, trading with Pallava India and the Srivijayan world — Sanskrit inscriptions, Shaiva shrines and Buddhist stupas together. Candi Bukit Batu Pahat, reassembled on its riverside terrace, is the emblem; the Sungai Batu digs pushed local ironworking and monuments to the early centuries CE.
Tamil poetics knew this coast as Kadaram, prize of the Chola overseas expeditions — Rajendra Chola's fleet struck here in 1025, the rare moment an Indian empire crossed the ocean in force, remembered on both shores.
coordinates: wikipedia-corrected-2026-08-26 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Kedah Tua (Old Kedah)