RADAR TULUNGAGUNG – The legend of Nyi Roro Kidul has survived for centuries across Java’s southern coast. Many Indonesians still believe the mysterious Queen of the South Sea rules the dangerous waves of the Indian Ocean and punishes anyone who disrespects her domain. Behind the famous myth about wearing green clothes at southern beaches lies a darker story filled with betrayal, black magic, royal conspiracy, and revenge.

According to ancient folklore from the Pajajaran Kingdom, the story began with a beautiful princess named Putri Kandita, the beloved daughter of King Prabu Siliwangi. Her beauty and intelligence made her admired throughout the kingdom. The king prepared her to become a wise future ruler who could lead Pajajaran into a golden era.

However, Putri Kandita’s popularity also sparked jealousy inside the royal palace. Several concubines feared the princess would secure absolute power and overshadow their own children. Among them was Dewi Mutiara, a woman consumed by ambition and envy.

The Curse That Changed Everything

Dewi Mutiara secretly visited a powerful dark sorcerer living in a remote mountain area. She asked him to destroy Putri Kandita’s beauty through black magic. During a terrifying midnight ritual, the sorcerer summoned evil forces and sent a deadly curse into the palace.

The next morning, the kingdom fell into shock. Putri Kandita woke up with a horrifying skin disease covering her body. Her once flawless appearance transformed into something terrifying. Royal healers and shamans tried countless treatments, but nothing worked.

Prabu Siliwangi became desperate as his daughter’s condition worsened. Rumors quickly spread throughout the kingdom. Royal advisers claimed the illness was a bad omen that could bring disaster to Pajajaran.

Under enormous pressure, the king made the most painful decision of his life. He ordered Putri Kandita to leave the palace and live in exile far away from the kingdom.

Journey to the South Sea

Heartbroken and abandoned, Putri Kandita wandered alone through forests for seven days and seven nights. She survived by eating wild fruits and drinking river water while enduring unbearable pain from the curse.

Eventually, she reached the southern coast and stood before the massive waves of the South Sea. The powerful ocean seemed both beautiful and terrifying. As she rested near the cliffs, she heard a mysterious voice calling her name.

The supernatural voice promised healing and eternal power if she surrendered herself to the sea. At first, Putri Kandita hesitated. Yet after reflecting on the betrayal and suffering she endured, she finally accepted her fate.

Standing atop a cliff under the moonlight, she jumped into the roaring waves below.

Birth of Nyi Roro Kidul

As Putri Kandita entered the ocean, a brilliant green light illuminated the sea. The saltwater miraculously healed her cursed body. Her beauty returned, but she no longer remained an ordinary human.

She transformed into Nyi Roro Kidul, the immortal Queen of the South Sea.

The legend describes her ruling a magnificent underwater kingdom filled with magical creatures, giant sea dragons, and mystical soldiers. She gained the power to control storms, giant waves, and ocean currents.

Although she became a powerful ruler, memories of betrayal continued haunting her. Her anger toward those responsible eventually unleashed terrifying disasters upon the Pajajaran Kingdom.

Revenge Against the Palace

Violent storms struck the kingdom’s coastline. Giant waves destroyed fishing villages and sank trading ships. Fear spread among the people as they believed supernatural forces had become furious.

Meanwhile, the sorcerer who created the curse sensed an overwhelming dark power approaching from the south. Nyi Roro Kidul eventually tracked him down and punished him through supernatural forces.

Her revenge then turned toward Dewi Mutiara and the royal conspirators. Strange disturbances haunted the palace every night. The guilty concubines suffered horrifying nightmares involving a woman dressed in green emerging from the sea.

Eventually, Dewi Mutiara lost her sanity. In front of palace officials, she confessed every crime related to Putri Kandita’s curse. Furious and devastated, Prabu Siliwangi stripped the conspirators of their royal status and exiled them from the kingdom.

Soon after justice was served, the storms stopped.

The Origin of the Green Clothes Myth

The legend later evolved into one of Indonesia’s most famous supernatural beliefs. Many coastal communities along Java’s southern beaches warn visitors not to wear green clothes near the ocean.

Green became associated with Nyi Roro Kidul’s royal color. According to local myths, wearing green may attract the attention of the Queen of the South Sea and cause someone to disappear into the waves forever.

The story also became deeply connected with Javanese spirituality and the Mataram Kingdom. Ancient traditions even describe mystical ties between Javanese rulers and Nyi Roro Kidul as the spiritual guardian of the southern seas.

Today, the legend remains one of the most enduring myths in Indonesian culture. For many people, Nyi Roro Kidul symbolizes both the beauty and danger of nature itself, a reminder that the ocean should always be respected.