The Legend of King Pratap Malla and the Kichkandi

One of the most chilling stories about Ranipokhari involves King Pratap Malla himself. The legend tells of how the king, who had constructed the beautiful pond as a symbol of love and devotion, often visited the island temple located within it for prayer and ritual baths. However, his peaceful visits took a dark turn when he noticed a strikingly beautiful young woman who came to bathe near the temple. This woman, with her enchanting looks and flirtatious behavior, quickly caught the king's attention.

Pratap Malla, known for his romantic liaisons, began a secret relationship with the woman. Their meetings continued for months, though the king's health began to decline. Rumors spread throughout the royal court about the king's mysterious mistress, though no one knew her true identity.
One day, the king met the woman by the pond as usual, but this time, she brought with her a newborn child. She claimed the child was his and, in a horrifying display, strangled the baby in front of the king, stating she had no means to support it. In shock, Pratap Malla looked down and noticed something strange—her feet were backward. Realizing she was a Kichkandi, the king, though terrified, skillfully concealed his fear and continued the conversation as usual before quickly returning to the palace.

Once home, the king called upon a powerful Tantric priest for help. The Tantric, understanding the gravity of the situation, provided the king with a piece of enchanted cotton thread, blessed with powerful mantras. The next day, following the Tantric’s instructions, Pratap Malla returned to Ranipokhari and, during their usual interaction, secretly tied the thread to the woman's garment. After finishing the encounter, the king left, knowing the thread would reveal the Kichkandi’s true nature.

The following morning, the king and the Tantric traced the thread along the edge of the pond. To their horror, it led to a human shinbone lying in a cemetery. The Tantric immediately ordered a funeral pyre to be built, and the bone was burned to ashes, thus breaking the Kichkandi’s hold on the king. From that day forward, the spirit was never seen again, and the king’s health was restored.

The Haunted Legacy of Ranipokhari
Though the Kichkandi was vanquished, Ranipokhari did not remain free of spiritual disturbances for long. According to legend, the spirit of the murdered child—referred to as a balak pisach—began to haunt the area, causing widespread fear. The king once again sought the help of the Tantric priest, who performed a series of rituals to banish the child ghost. During these rituals, the spirit manifested as a ball of rags. The Tantric, using his mystical powers, animated a stone elephant, instructing it to seize the ghost with its trunk. The elephant obeyed, and together with the spirit, was turned to stone.
This statue, located on the south bank of Ranipokhari, remains to this day, showing the stone elephant gripping the spirit of the ill-fated child in its trunk. The story of the Kichkandi and her son lives on in the local lore, though it remains unclear whether the legend was created to explain the statue or if the statue was carved to illustrate the story.

Despite efforts to cleanse Ranipokhari of its supernatural presence, the pond soon fell into disuse. Its eerie history and frequent associations with ghosts and spirits made it an unpopular place for the people of Kathmandu. Over time, the beautiful pond became abandoned, frequented only by those with dark intentions, including those seeking to end their lives. Despite the inscriptions forbidding suicide at the site under threat of severe spiritual consequences, the desolate beauty of Ranipokhari continued to draw troubled souls, further entwining the pond with its legacy of supernatural encounters.