Telaga Warna
A Folklore from Sunda

Telaga Warna is a lake in Puncak Pass. Telaga means lake and warna means color. People named the lake as Telaga Warna since the color of the lake keeps changing, from greenish, brownish to yellowish. 

Scientifically, it can be explained in two ways. First, it is simply because of the algae that grow inside the lake. Second, it is due to the reflection of the rays of sunlight that comes through the trees surrounding the lake. But some people relate it to the tale of a sinking kingdom at the bottom of Telaga Warna.

Like many other folklores, it is not about whether the tale really happened or not, but it is more about the moral of the story. So, without further ado, here's the legend of Telaga Warna.

The Legend of Telaga Warna

Once upon a time, there was a prosperous kingdom called Kutatanggeuhan. Kuta means place, while tanggeuhan means well-founded or solid. It was ruled by a wise king named Prabu Suwartalaya and his wife, Queen Purbamanah. During his reign, the people of Kutatanggeuhan were thriving and lived peacefully.

However, the king and queen didn’t feel content. They felt something was missing since they had been married for a long time, but they still didn’t have any children. The king and queen never considered adoption. They insisted that their happiness would be completed by having their own child.

One day the king decided to meditate praying to the Almighty to grant him children. Finally, his wish was granted. The queen gave birth to a daughter. They named her Nyi Ajeng Gilang Rukmini a.k.a. Princess Ayu Kencana Ungu. Her parents were ecstatic, they arranged a huge party to celebrate the birth of the princess. All of the people in the kingdom are invited. They partied three days and nights.

The princess grew up to be a very beautiful lady. Her parents and all of the kingdom loved her so much. Unfortunately, they showed their love by spoiling her. Anything the princess wanted, she got it. Her favorite pastime was wearing beautiful, priceless jewelry. She was never satisfied with her collections, she kept asking for more. She would get angry and sulking when people didn’t do what she asked. So, in the end, everybody especially her parents always granted her wishes.

Years went by until the day the princess reached her seventeenth birthday. By then she was spoiled rotten. The king arranged another huge party for the whole kingdom to celebrate it. The people decided to collectively set aside many precious stones and metals to create a beautiful necklace for their beautiful princess. 

At the birthday celebration, people from all over the kingdom gathered in the capital square. The royal family stepped up to the podium in the middle of the square. Then, the representative of the people presented the beautiful necklace as their birthday gift. But when the princess opened the box, everybody was surprised to see her frowned. 

As soon as the king asked her to put on the necklace, her face was distorted with rage. In her opinion it was a tacky necklace, so she threw it to the floor until it was shattered. Saddened by how her ungrateful daughter treated them all, the queen cried gravely.  One by one the people cried too. Suddenly, a spring emerged on the ground. The stream never let up until the kingdom was drowned. Eventually, it became a lake. People called it Telaga Warna since the color of the lake kept changing. It was said the color change was due to the sparks of the shattered necklace at the bottom of the lake.

This tale of Telaga Warna and the myth of two fish inside the lake have increased the popularity of the lake. Many visitors come to enjoy the lake, especially on weekends. But, Telaga Warna is not the only the place of interest in Puncak Pass, there are many more! For example, Gunung Mas tea plantation, Cibodas botanical garden, Taman Bunga Nusantara and don’t miss the old times atmosphere in Puncak Pass resort.