THE LEGEND of BANYUWANGI

A long time ago, the island of Java was ruled by a king. The King had a loyal prime minister named Sidapaksa, and this is his story.

Sidapaksa's wife was very beautiful, and he loved her dearly. However, his mother did not like her.

One day, Sidapaksa's mother asked the King to send her son to a faraway place. She thought that while her son was away, she would have a chance to get rid of his wife. Of course, she did not tell the King her true intentions.

The King agreed with her plan and gave Sidapaksa a task. "Go to Mount Ijen. There grows a flower that can keep a woman beautiful. Get the flower for the Queen," the King said.

Sidapaksa went home sadly and told his wife about the task. "I cannot leave you alone. You will soon give birth to our child," Sidapaksa said.

"Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself," his wife reassured him.

The next day, Sidapaksa left for Mount Ijen. It was a long and difficult journey.

A few days after Sidapaksa left, his wife gave birth to a handsome baby boy. She was very proud of him.

One day, Sidapaksa's wife went to the spring. The wicked mother-in-law took the baby away and threw him into the river.

Sidapaksa's wife was shocked when she could not find her baby. "Where is my baby?" she cried.

She searched everywhere for her son, but she could not find him. Eventually, she fell ill because she refused to eat or drink. She grew thin and weak as the days passed.

After two years, Sidapaksa returned home. He could not wait to see his wife and child.

His mother saw him at the gate and said, "My son, your wife is a wicked woman. She killed her own baby. She threw your son into the river."

Sidapaksa was furious when he heard this. He refused to believe anything his wife said and was so angry that he wanted to kill her.

Sadly, his wife said, "I'm very sad because you don't believe me. You don't have to kill me because I will die soon."

Then she ran to a nearby river. Before the current took her away, she said, "My dear husband, if a fragrant smell comes out of this river, then I am innocent."

A miracle happened. From the river, a fragrant smell emerged. In the center of the river, two beautiful flowers appeared—a large one and a small one. The small flower spoke, saying, "Father, I am your son. My mother is innocent. It was Grandmother who threw me into the river."

Sidapaksa cried loudly, regretting what he had done to his wife. But it was too late; his wife and child had turned into two flowers.

The smelly and dirty river transformed into a clear and sweet-smelling one. In Javanese, it's called Banyuwangi, which means "fragrant river." The land around the fragrant river is now known as Banyuwangi, a town in East Java.