A MYSTERIOUS LAKE

Is cultural immersion important to you when you travel? With tales of a python god and crocodile-infested waters that are safe to swim in, Venda's Lake Fundudzi is a fascinating place to visit and a prime example of South Africa's cultural wealth and beauty, and just one of the gems we discovered on our Ultimate South African Road Trip.

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"A mysterious lake in the world",

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There are many dangerous lakes in the world, whose secret has not been known to date. A similar dangerous lake is in Limpopo province of South Africa, which is known as Lake Funduji. It is believed that anyone who drank the water of this lake does not survive. He soon dies.

According to locals, a leper passing through ancient times was refused food and shelter by the people living here, after which he cursed those people and entered the lake and disappeared.

It is said that the sounds of drums, animals, and people's screams are heard from inside the lake in the morning. Locals also point out that this lake is guarded by a giant python living on the mountains, to which Venda Adivasi organizes a dance festival every year in which virgin girls dance.

Lake Fundudzi and Venda's Vhatatsindi people

Close to Thohoyandou in northern Limpopo Province is mystical Lake Fundudzi, one of the sacred sites of Venda's Vhatatsindi people who inhabit the lush, mountainous and fertile lands in this region. High in the Soutpansberg Mountains, Lake Fundudzi was formed when a landslide blocked the course of the Mutale River. Legend has it that this event was a curse for a kraal who refused to offer food and shelter to a passing leper. The lake's waters covered the kraal, and the cries of the drowned people and bellowing of cattle can still sometimes be heard.

Much like the story of its origin, the enchantment of Lake Fundudzi lies in its mysticism. This lake was formed due to landslides in ancient times due to the flow of the Mutali river being stopped. Now it remains a mystery that the water of this river is absolutely clean, then what is there in it that people die after drinking it.

Several attempts were made to unravel the mystery of the water, but each time the investigators failed. It is said that in 1946, a person named Andy Levine came to know the truth about the water of this lake. He took water and some plants from there and walked, but suddenly he lost the way. This happened to him many times. After this, he threw water and plant, then went and showed him the right path. However, he died after a week.

Whether you believe all that you hear or not, there is no denying that this lake holds a vital place in the spiritual life of the local Venda people. For the visitor, it is a fascinating insight into Venda culture and a chance to explore the cultural diversity of one of South Africa's many people groups.

The mysterious Lake Fundudzi reflecting the mood of the python god.

The water of this lake remains a mystery to the people even today. Most people say the emission of any poisonous gas behind the dangerous waters of the lake, but no concrete evidence has been found so far.

The lake is presently threatened by an increased anthropogenic sedimentation rate. It deserves national and international conservation status and can become a valuable ethno- and eco-tourist attraction provided proper management and conservation are applied. Data are insufficient for management, and a research program focusing on hydrology and limnology should be initiated.

Now, since I came to know this story so I am thinking to find more details regarding the mystery, and also I have a wish to go to this place and try to unearth some more evidence regarding the mystery... I shall also provide some more information regarding the mystery if I find something else regarding the theory of this paradox lake...