Nepal: Monsoon clouds gather over the temple dedicated to Shiva in the centre of the...

Rani Pokhari (Queen’s Pond), located off the northern end of the Tundikhel, is one of Kathmandu’s more attractive landmarks. The pond was dug between 1665 and 1670 by King Pratapa Malla to comfort his wife Bhavan Lakshmi over the death of their son Chakrabatindra Malla who had been trampled to death by an elephant. In later years, the pond was used for trial by ordeal, in which the representatives of two conflicting parties had to submerge themselves in the water, the one with the greater lung capacity winning the case. With the beginning of Rana rule the ordeals were discontinued.