Posted in: 1st Oct, 2012 Post Category: Blog of Nepal

Taudaha is a historic lake that lies on the way to Dakshinkali Temple from Kathmandu.It has recently been given a face-lift and has become a popular place to visit among the valley people. The lake was created by God Manjushree as a home for the serpents who lost their home when the valley was drained. Legend has it that the King of the Naga (or Serpents) – Karkotak resides to this day in the epicenter of the lake. The walls of his palatial home are said to be richly decorated with sapphires, rubies and other precious stones.

The Taudaha Lake is believed to be a remnant pool of the huge lake that once existed where now the city of Kathmandu sits. According to mythology, a Buddhist mythical character Manjushree cut the hill in the valley’s south, allowing the lake’s water to drain off, thereby creating land that was duly occupied by people. Folklore suggests that that “cut” in the hill is the Chobar Gorge, a narrow passage from which the Bagmati River exits the Kathmandu Valley. After the water of the ancient lake drained away, a few small lakes and ponds were created beyond the hills. Taudaha is believed to be one of those ponds. When the lake was drained, countless nagas, mythological creatures that were half human and half serpent, were left homeless. This made the Naga King Karkotak livid. In order to allay his wrath, the locals living near Taudaha built an underwater palace, studded with precious stones and riches beyond imagination. The Serpent King was pleased and ruled his serpent subjects in their underwater kingdom. The king also promised to protect the humans living around the lake, on the condition that the tranquility of his water abode never be disrupted. It is due to this that even today locals do not swim or fish in the lake.