Ranipokhari
Encyclopedia
Ranipokhari, meaning Queen's pond, is the artificial square-shaped pond with the temple of Shiva
in the middle. Ranipokhari lies in the heart of Kathmandu, with 10–15 minutes walk from Kathmandu Durbar Square.
Ranipokhari, has constructed using water from various pilgrim places like Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gosaikunda
, Muktinath
, and Kaligandaki and so much other places.
The pond was constructed during the reign of King Pratap Malla in memory of his son Chackrawotendra. It was a token of consolation to his wife, drowned in sorrow of their son's death. In the south of the pond, there is a statute of Pratap Malla and his family riding in a White Elephant
. There is some mysterious story of Kichkanya(female ghost in man-faced with reverse legs) with Pratap Malla linked with Ranipokhari.
The pond is fenced with iron bars and opened once a year during Bhaitika, the fifth and final day of Tihar
.
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
in the middle. Ranipokhari lies in the heart of Kathmandu, with 10–15 minutes walk from Kathmandu Durbar Square.
Ranipokhari, has constructed using water from various pilgrim places like Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gosaikunda
Gosaikunda
Gosaikunda, also spelled Gosainkunda and Gosain Kunda is an alpine freshwateroligotrophic lake in Nepal's Langtang National Park, located at an altitude of above sea level in the Rasuwa District with a surface of...
, Muktinath
Muktinath
Muktinath is a sacred place both for Hindus and Buddhists located in Muktinath Valley at an altitude of 3,710 meters at the foot of the Thorong La mountain pass , Mustang district, Nepal...
, and Kaligandaki and so much other places.
The pond was constructed during the reign of King Pratap Malla in memory of his son Chackrawotendra. It was a token of consolation to his wife, drowned in sorrow of their son's death. In the south of the pond, there is a statute of Pratap Malla and his family riding in a White Elephant
White elephant
A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable but burdensome possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth...
. There is some mysterious story of Kichkanya(female ghost in man-faced with reverse legs) with Pratap Malla linked with Ranipokhari.
The pond is fenced with iron bars and opened once a year during Bhaitika, the fifth and final day of Tihar
Tihar
Tihar is a five-day Nepalese festival celebrated in late autumn, which comes soon after Dashain. Two of these days incorporates the Hindu festival Deepavali, where one day is celebrated for goddess Laxmi and the other one is celebrated to worship brothers for their long life. However, all ethnic...
.
See also
- Malla Dynasty of NepalMalla (Nepal)The Malla Dynasty was a ruling dynasty of Nepal from the 12th to the 18th century. Malla kings of Nepal visited Lumbini in the 11th and 12th century. It was during their reign the people living in and around the Kathmandu Valley began to be called as "Newars" . The Mallas were the ruling clan of...