The Kichkandi
In Nepal, people say a beautiful woman may appear to a man walking alone at night. Look at her feet: they point backwards.
What was reported
The kichkandi is a female spirit of Nepali folklore. She appears as a beautiful young woman, often by the roadside or near water, to men travelling alone at night, and charms them into following her.
Her feet are turned backwards, and she is said to be the spirit of a woman who died unhappy, or unmarried. Men who fall under her spell are said to grow weak and ill.
Explanations offered
Backward-footed spirits are found across South Asia and beyond, and stories like this warn against travelling alone after dark. The kichkandi is a familiar figure in Nepali stories and films.
- When
- Told for generations
- Where
- As told across Nepal
- Witnesses
- Nepali folklore
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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