Nyi Rambut Kasih and the Origin of Majalengka

Once upon a time, there lived a queen in West Java. Her name was Nyi Rambut Kasih.
She was very beautiful. She ruled Sindang Kasih Kingdom, a Hindu Kingdom. In the
kingdom, there were many maja trees. Maja fruits were said to cure many kinds of
ilness.
Near the kingdom, in Cirebon where the people were mostly muslims, the people were
ill and Sunan Gunung Jati asked his student, Prince Muhammad, to ask the Queens
permission to have some of the fruits. The prince was a handsome and well-mannered
gentleman.
So, the Prince went to Sindang Kasih. When he met her in her palace, he said,
Greeting, your highness. Let me introduce myself. My name is Prince Muhammad.
Sunan Gunung Jati has sent me to ask your permission to have maja fruits for the cure
for our ill people.
The queen liked Prince Muhammads politeness and wanted to have him as her
husband. Smiling, she then asked, Dear Prince, you can have as many maja fruits as
you want if you become my husband.
Prince Muhammad was surprised that the very beautiful queen asked him to become
her husband. However, he knew that it was impossible unless the queen became a
muslim like himself.
He said, It is an honor, your highness. Yet, I cannot marry you if you are not a
muslim. Please forgive me.
The queen was disappointed and she didnt want to embrace Islam just for a marriage
sake. Based on the disappointment, she said, If I cannot marry you, I will not let you
have the maja fruits. Then, she ordered her soldiers to cut down all maja trees in
Sindang Kasih and to destroy all the fruits. She was said to disappear without any
trace after the incident.
Prince Muhammad was very sad to see all the trees being destroyed. He couldnt fulfil
Sunan Gunung Jatis order and he was too ashamed to go back to Cirebon. He decided
to stay in Sindang Kasih which was afterwards called Majalengka after he said Maja
Langka which meant Majas were gone in Cirebon language.

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