The Panji tales are a cycle of Javanese stories, centred around the legendary prince of the same name (actually a title) from East Java, Indonesia.

Especially in the environs of Kediri, part of the probable homeland of the tales of Panji, local stories grew and were connected with the obscure legendary figure of Totok Kerot.

[2] Panji tales have spread from East Java (Indonesia) to be a fertile source for literature and drama throughout Indochina Peninsula (a region that includes modern-day Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, South Vietnam).

[3] On the basis of literary references and later Javanese traditions, early twentieth-century scholars conjectured that the figure of Panji may be based on Kameçvara, a twelfth-century Javanese king of Kediri, while the details of Panji's betrothed, Candra Kirana, was based on queen Çri Kirana.

In the Surakarta court poet Rangga Warsita's genealogy Pustaka Radja Mada, the Javanese kings, including Panji, are considered the descendants of the Pandavas of the Mahabharata.

[18] Panji is engaged to be married to Candra Kirana (also known as Sekartaji), the princess of Daha (Kediri), when she mysteriously disappears on the eve of the wedding.

Panji's principal adversary is Klono (Kelana Tunjung Seta), a ferocious king who desires Candra Kirana and tries to destroy Daha to get her.

The story begins with the arranged marriage of Prince Panji Asmoro Bangun to Princess Candra Kirana from the twin neighboring kingdoms of Kediri and Janggala.

The dynastic marriage was meant as a means of a peace agreement to reunite the two warring factions of the once great kingdom under one dynasty again.

During his stay in one of the remote hermitages, the prince fell in love with a beautiful commoner girl, Dewi Anggraeni.

The marriage of a prince with the commoner girl caused an uproar in the royal courts of both Jenggala and Kediri.

After Panji learned about the death of Anggraeni, the prince went amok, fell unconscious, and finally lost his mind.

Princess Kirana, disguised as a man, was later involved in a battle with Panji and finally manages to cure the Prince from insanity.

Surprisingly, Princess Kirana looked exactly like the late Anggraeni, as actually they both were incarnated from the same spirit, Kamaratih, the goddess of love.

Meanwhile, the true Candra Kirana, alone in the forest, is advised by the gods that she must return to the palace disguised as a man to be reunited with Panji.

Panji in his search undergoes many adventures, staying in forests with hermits, working as a servant in different palaces, always hoping to find traces of his lost bride.

Candra Kirana, meanwhile, continues in her male disguise, undergoes her own set of adventures, and ends up as the king of Bali.

There, as witnesses are ordered to leave, she confides to her opponent that she is the bride of Panji, and that the disguise was assumed because of a command of the gods that she could win back her prince only in a face-to-face combat where his blood is made to flow.

Kleting Kuning actually is an adopted foster daughter, and the missing princess of Janggala kingdom, later known as Dewi Candrakirana.

Kleting Kuning arrived late at the river bank after he had taken the others across, and again Yuyu Kangkang offered its service for a kiss.

The tale of Keong Emas takes place after the union of Panji Asmoro Bangun and Sekartaji in a marriage.

Sekartaji is adopted as the widow's daughter and together they set out to reunite her with her husband, Panji Asmoro Bangun.