Majegau: The Sacred and Rare Woods

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Majegau is other name of Gaharu. The Latin name is Dysoxylum densiflorum. The specific epithet densiflorum is from the Latin meaning “dense flowers”.

It has many names in different areas. Javanese call it Cempaga. In Sunda, people named it as Kapinango, Maranginan, or Pingku.

Balinese consider this tree sacred. Its functionality is related to religious activities. For instance, it is used as ceremonial firewood. In addition, people use it as temple material. Thus, it settled as Bali’s floral identity. This accompanies Jalak Bali (Leucopsar rothschildi) as the fauna’s identity.

Majegau can be found in the Andaman Islands, Borneo, China (South and Central), Lesser Sunda Islands, Malaya, Myanmar, Nicobar Islands, Sulawesi, Sumatera, and Thailand.

majegau
The Distribution of Majeagu is mostly in South East Asia, China (South and Central), the Andaman Islands, and Nicobar Islands (Image: Kew Science)

Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Plantae

Subkingdom: Tracheobionta

Superdivision: Spermatophyta

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Subclass: Rosidae

Ordo: Sapindales

Family: Meliaceae

Genus: Dysoxylum

Species: Dysoxylum densiflorum

Majegau’s Characteristic

Filolog Sugi Lanus said Majegau is part of Bali’s biodiversity. Cempaga (another name for Majegau) was the natural habitat of this in the past.

Majegau comes under the Meliaceae family. Thus, this species is close to Mahogany. The tree can grow up to 45 meters. The average diameter is 65 cm. Also, the bark is usually gray-green. Also, this tree is characterized by its buttress root. The length can reach 3.5 meters.

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Majegau at Baluran National Park. (Image: Fantastic Ranger Wildlife Photography)

This tree has compound leaves. The shape is usually oval. The size can be 14-20 cm x 5-8 cm. Its color is bright green on the upper and pale green on the lower.

Majegau Leaves (Image: Kew Science)

The epithet densiflorum refers to dense flowers. The flower of this tree is myriad and encircle its stem. The color is usually white.

Furthermore, its fruit looks like a pear. The length can be 4 cm. The leaves are compound with the size of 14-20 cm x 5-8 cm.

Majegau symbolize Bhatara Sadasiwa. Eventually, it was used in religious ceremonies. It is mainly used as pasepan. Pasepan means incense. Balinese usually burn a few blocks of this wood. As a result, it will emit a fragrant aroma. According to Lontar Usana Bali, the aroma can be a medium to invite Hyang Sada Siwa. Besides this, Majegau’s leaves and flowers are useful for canang. Also, the tree bark can substitute for lime. Lime is a component of porosan. Porosan is one of the constituents of canang. In addition, Majegau can also be found in Ngaben Sarat as pengawak (body). The wood will be cut with a length of one hasta and a wide of four fingers. It symbolizes the soul of the corpse.

ngaben
Illustration of Ngaben Sarat (Image: Metro Bali)

Majegau is as beneficial as traditional medicine. Balinese called it Usada. According to Taru Pramana documents, it can treat constipation. Other than that, it is also used as a hereditary drug for skin irritation, hypertension, and urinary tract infection. This traditional medicine has been used until today. Moreover, Majegau is also known for containing terpenoids. This substance is scientifically proven as antibacterial and anti-cancer.

Majegau has a hard and durable characteristic. In contrast, the fiber has a soft characteristic. Hence, many sacred buildings use this wood as a material. For instance, temple buildings. Besides, it is also popular in art carving. Numerous statues use this wood as the main material. Other than that, it is also popular as an interior and furniture material.

Majegau is Protected Due To Extinction

For centuries, Majageu has been the main commodity exported from Indonesia to around the world such as India, Persia, and East Africa. In the market, the price of this wood is incredibly high. Due to its demand, people theft this wood illegally. Consequently, it becomes extinct. Thereby, there is numerous effort to protect this species. One of them is through conservation.

In the past, there was indeed an abundant quantity of Majegau in Cempaga Village, Banjar District, Buleleng Regency. Unfortunately, the felling of this wood was uncontrollable. As a result, the population of this wood is getting rare from time to time.

For almost 50 years from 1930 and 1970, the bust statues are often made from Majegau. The main reason, this wood can generate a fragrant aroma when rubbed.

Bali needs an adequate amount of majegau in the future. The purpose of this wood related to religious ceremonies and temple building makes this wood need to be planted again.

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The Fruit of Majegau (Image: Facebook Info Seputar Bali)

An example of its preservation is in the Pura Batukaru area. This area is natural rainforest. This forest was established as a natural preserve. This is according to the decision of the Ministry of Agriculture in 1974. The official name of this nature preserve is Cagar Alam Batukahu. It consists of three areas: Gunung Tapak, Gunung Pohen, and Gunung Lesung. The area has high biodiversity. Administratively, Pura Batukaru located at Wongaya Village, Penebel District, Tabanan Regency, Bali Province.

Batukahu Nature Reserve has rainforest characteristics. The rainfall is high with an average of 2.000 mm – 2.800 mm per year. In consequence, it also has 155,6 rainy days per year. Located in the highland, the temperature is around 11,5°C – 24°C. Located at 833 meters above sea level, it is spread across 2600 meters square area. This is the largest wetland area in central Bali.

Situated in the mountain, Batuakahu is considered an infiltration area. Many believed that this forest is upstream in Bali so the people should preserve it. Other than that, this area is sacred according to Balinese Philosophy, Tri Hita Karana. One of the three values of this philosophy is in harmony with the environment. This is often used as a foundation for sustainable development.

Other than in Batukaru, Majegau also can be found in Proteced Forest in Jembarana. The location is in RTK 19 Dusun Munduk Anyar, Tegalcangkring Village, Mendoyo District, Jembrana Regency. In area come under West Bali National Park.

Reference:

  1. Pohon Majegau, Memiliki Kedudukan Tinggi, Asap untuk Nedunang Bhatara
  2. Pohon Majegau, Khas Bali
  3. Pelestarian Tanaman Majegau Sebagai Tanaman Upakara Dan Tanaman Obat di Kawasan Pura Batukau Desa Wangaya Gede Kecamatan Penebael Kabupaten Tabanan
  4. Majegau (Dysoxylum densiflorum) Identitas Provinsi Bali
  5. Dysoxylum densiflorum (Blume) Miq.
  6. Dysoxylum densiflorum in Flora of China @ efloras.org

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