Kankalimai
The story of how the goddess Kankalimai was established at the place where a skeleton was found after Simroungarh was destroyed.
Kankalimai
King Shivasimha of Simroungarh ordered a Siddha tantric to bring the goddess Kankalimai to his kingdom from Kolkata. Even when the tantric warned that the goddess's fierce form would bring about a catastrophe, the king would not give up his stubbornness.
By his tantric power the tantric dragged Kankalimai's chariot toward Simroungarh. But as soon as the goddess entered Simroungarh, a terrible storm, hailstorm, and earthquake came, and the entire city was destroyed.
When he could not fix the goddess's dwelling place, the tantric offered up his own head, and his head burst and he lost his life. All of Simroungarh turned into dense jungle.
In time, Mansa Ram Baba beheld in that jungle the vision of the divine beauty Kankalimai riding a lion. According to the goddess's command, Mansa Ram Baba cleared the jungle and built a hermitage and established a temple to Kankalimai. By Mansa Ram Baba's penance and the goddess's grace, that desolate land again became green and prosperous.
Note: These are traditional Nepali folk tales (kimbadanti), passed down orally through generations. They may or may not reflect actual historical events, but they are told and believed as part of Nepal's cultural heritage.
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