Kathmandu: In the early morning mist, Taudaha looked wild and endless. The fog made the pond seem larger than it really was. But when the first light of day touched the water, its true size appeared smaller than before.
Around its edges now stand restaurants and “resorts,” built where birds once lived in peace. Thatched huts for visitors have taken the place of quiet corners where coots searched for food and egrets waited for fish. Slowly, the beauty and calm of Taudaha are being pushed back by walls, noise, and human greed.
As we walked along the edge, a tall tree appeared through the mist a faint shape, almost like a dream. Soon, the first birds of the morning began to sing, though they were still hidden. It felt like another secret world existed behind the fog.
Old legends say Taudaha was born when the wise monk Manjushree cut open the hill at Chobhar with his sword to drain the great lake that once covered Kathmandu Valley. The serpents, or nagas, who lived in that lake begged him not to destroy their home. Out of kindness, Manjushree created Taudaha for them. It is said the serpents still live beneath its calm waters, guarding it through time.
But today, as concrete grows closer and the pond grows smaller, Taudaha’s quiet spirit seems to fade like mist under the rising sun.
