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Mythology in Nepal |
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Creation Myth - Kathmandu Valley
Nepal's early history is so intertwined with legend, that it is sometimes almost impossible to separate fact from myth. A good example of this mingling of fact and fiction is the legend about the origin of the Kathmandu Valley.Legend has it that the Kathmandu Valley was once a large lake surrounded by mountains. It was known as Nag Hirat - "Tank of Serpents" - as nagas or magical snake-beings were said to guard treasure lying at the bottom of the lake.
The Buddha dropped a lotus seed into this lake, and it bloomed into a thousand-petalled lotus of blazing light. Centuries later, the Boddhisatva Manjushri arrived from the north and with a single stroke of his Sword of Wisdom, cut a gorge in the mountainous ring around the lake. The waters of the lake rushed out, leaving a flat and fertile bowl that is Kathmandu today.
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The scar of Manjushri’s sword can still be seen at Chobar. This is where legend meets science: the hill is actually made of limestone and the lake was drained when water seeped through the soft rock and created a gaping cleft. Either way, Chobar has always been regarded as a holy spot, just like Pashupati and Gokarna where there are similar gorges. The elegant Jalbinayak Ganesh shrine is located at the base of the gorge and the devout used to throng here by the thousands.
The Hindu belief is that it was Krishna who created the valley by throwing a thunderbolt that created the Chobar Gorge. |
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