Surabaya
Name

Surabaya, from the Javanese " sura ing baya ", means "bravely facing danger"; originally from the union of Pali words " sura ", referring to the " Asura " (Buddhism beliefs), and " bhaya ", referring to "fear", "perils" or "danger". This name for Surabaya alludes to a prophecy of Jayabaya, a 12th-century psychic king of Kediri Kingdom, whose name means "conquering the fear or perils" derived from the Pali words "Jaya" or "Vijaya" (victory or conqueror) and "bhaya" (fear, perils or danger). Jayabaya foresaw a fight between a giant white shark and a giant white crocodile taking place in the area.

The event is sometimes interpreted as foretelling the Mongol invasion of Java, a major conflict between the forces of Kublai Khan, Mongol ruler of China, and those of Raden Wijaya 's Majapahit on 31 May 1293, which is now considered the date of the city's founding.

The two animals are now used as the city's symbol, with the two facing and circling each other, as depicted in a statue appropriately located near the entrance to the city zoo.

Some people consider Jayabaya 's prophecy as being about the great war between native Surabayan people and foreign invaders at the start of the war of independence in 1945. Another story tells of two heroes who fought each other to be the king of the city. The two heroes were named Sura and Baya. These folk etymologies, though embraced enthusiastically by its people and city leaders, are unverifiable.
detectable_format:number_bullet_lists[5]