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 By
Alh. Ousman Bojang (Current Custodian of Kachikally)
How It All Started: An Oral History
Bakau Village was founded over 530 years ago by the Bojang family's ancestor, Chomping Bojang, on a day when he and his wife Kumba and sons Tambass Bojang,
Jally-Kumba Bojang and daughter Mye Metta Bojang were at their home settlement, 150 meters from the pool. An unknown woman approached the family, and cried for help, she said, “My child fell into a well in the forest”, whereby Chomping Bojang instructed his two sons Tambass and Jally to go together to the well (pool) to rescue the child.
On approaching the pool a child’s cries was heard. Tambas got down into the well and found the child sitting on a rock surrounded by a spring of water.
Chomping subsequently said to Jally Kumba “Lift the child” which he did and gave the child to his sister
 who placed the child on the back of the unknown woman. The unknown woman declared that she was not a human-being but a spirit living in the forest with her parents and relatives. “As you people came first and settled within here and found us, we decided to challenge your family, whether you could be helpful in such a critical situation. But now you have proven yourselves as good
neighbours. This pool belongs to you people."
"The
pool water is naturally blessed for women seeking to bear children and those
wishing to have peace in their lives”. She further said that the pool was to be named “Kachikally”, because the child is being lifted up.
She also instructed them to find an animal to live in the pool. All the secret values were transferred to Chomping
and his family for generations to come. Kachikally is a blessed sacred pool; many come to seek blessings and to have their personal problems solved.
How the Crocodiles Came to the Pool
As explained by one of the Bojang family ancestors, Ansu-Kama Bojang, it happened a day when Tambass and Jalley Kumba went fishing, accompanied by their sister
Mye-Metta, around a swamp area called ‘Tambe-Koba’ which was about 400 meters from the pool. They caught two small
Nile Crocodiles which they decided to entrust to the sacred Kachikally Pool. The spirit of the pool accepted their wish and promised to take care of the crocodiles for generations to come. Tambas and Jalley fed the crocodiles with fish, they also took care of the surrounding forest and the pool whenever it needed re-digging.
Ever since then the original Bojang family have been the custodians of the pool and must never seek to profit from it
personally. |
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Gambia Real Estate |
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© Copyright 2007 Kachikally Sacred Crocodile Pool & Museum. All Rights Reserved.
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