Chandannath and Bhairavnath

Once upon a time the Jumla valley was a vast lake, and in its middle was an island named Chaughanchaur. There the king's horse came every day and neighed at a certain spot. When people dug and looked, they found a four-sided slab of stone bearing the footprint of Lord Shiva.

Later, two siddha yogis wandering from Kashmir arrived in Jumla. They began to play a spiritual game of hide-and-seek with one another.

When the first siddha vanished, the second siddha chanted mantras over shrikhand sandalwood and brought the lost siddha back into manifestation. Because he appeared from sandalwood, he came to be named "Chandannath".

Then the second siddha vanished. Chandannath, by the power of mantra, caused him to appear from a bowl filled with water (batuko). Because he appeared from the batuko, he was called "Batukabhairav" (Bhairavnath).

With their swords the two siddhas cut the mountain and let the water of the Jumla lake flow away, creating a fertile valley there. They also taught the people of Jumla the seed of the famous "Kalimarsi" paddy, which ripens even in winter, and the method of cultivating it — a tradition that has continued in Jumla to this day.