Nyi Roro Kidul
- Origin
- Keraton Yogyakarta's court tradition: the palace ties its labuhan offering at Parangkusumo to Panembahan Senopati's meeting with Kanjeng Ratu Kidul and counts itself among the successor kingdoms of Mataram (kratonjogja.id). Kompas (2025) also reports popular belief about her, such as the green-clothing belief. The written sources named in the excerpts are Babad Tanah Jawi and Serat Kandha (Kompas 2023); no date for either is recorded here.
- How we treat it
- Covers the palace's Hajad Dalem Labuhan at Parangkusumo and the popular beliefs about her as living practice. It makes no claim that she exists, and does not extend to the hotel room, films or game characters based on her.
- Routes out
- The Keraton Yogyakarta's own page on its Hajad Dalem Labuhan comes first, the court speaking for its own rite; then Kompas on Parangkusumo's written sources and on the green-clothing belief; then Wikipedia; then the Jakarta Post on the Mobile Legends character.
The ruler of the southern sea, also called Kanjeng Ratu Kidul. The Yogyakarta palace ties its labuhan offering at Parangkusumo to her promise to help Panembahan Senopati and his descendants.
The Keraton Yogyakarta's page on its Hajad Dalem Labuhan tells the legend. While meditating, Panembahan Senopati met Kanjeng Ratu Kidul, ruler of the southern sea, who promised to help him and his line. Senopati went on to found the kingdom of Mataram, and the palace counts Keraton Yogyakarta among its successor kingdoms. The palace says this meeting is why Parangkusumo was chosen as one of the sites for its labuhan offering.
Kompas wrote in 2023 that the recorded history of Cepuri Parangkusumo begins with Petilasan Parangkusumo, which Babad Tanah Jawi and Serat Kandha mention. In 2025 Kompas reported a popular belief that green is Nyi Roro Kidul's favourite colour. People who wear green, the belief holds, can catch the queen's eye and risk being taken to serve her in the unseen world.
Wikipedia reports that the Samudra Beach Hotel in Palabuhanratu, West Java, keeps room 308 furnished in green and reserved for her, under the spelling Nyai Loro Kidul. It says Sukarno, Indonesia's first president, helped choose the hotel's site and shape the idea for it, that a ketapang tree in front of the room was where he drew spiritual inspiration, and that the room displays a painting of her by Basuki Abdullah.
The Jakarta Post reported in 2018 that the online game Mobile Legends had added a character, Kadita, based on her.
"The Samudra Beach Hotel, Palabuhanratu, West Java, keeps room 308 furnished with green colors and reserved for Nyai Loro Kidul.[12] The first president of Indonesia, Sukarno, was involved with the exact location and the idea for the Samudra Beach Hotel. In front of room 308 is one Ketapang tree where Sukarno got his spiritual inspiration.[13] A painting of Nyai Rara Kidul by Basuki Abdullah, a famous Indonesian painter, is displayed in this room."
- Hajad Dalem Labuhan, Keraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat (kratonjogja.id)
- Mengenal Cepuri Parangkusumo yang Konon Menjadi Tempat Panembahan Senopati Bertemu Kanjeng Ratu Kidul, Kompas.com (5 July 2023)
- Nyi Roro Kidul dan Mitos Kain Hijau di Pantai Selatan, Kompas.com (17 July 2025)
- Character inspired by mythical queen of the Southern Sea appears in Mobile Legends, The Jakarta Post (24 December 2018)