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Legend

Pühajärv: the lake of a mother's tears

Near Otepää lies Pühajärv, the Holy Lake, with five small islands in it. One story says a mother had five sons who all went to war and never came back. She wept for them so long that her tears filled the valley and became the lake, and the five islands are her five sons. The lake has been held sacred since ancient times, and in 1991 the Dalai Lama visited it and blessed it.

Open it on the map See the spot on the old maps and as it is today

Eesti keeles

Otepää lähedal asub Pühajärv, mille keskel on viis väikest saart. Üks lugu räägib, et emal oli viis poega, kes kõik läksid sõtta ega tulnud enam tagasi. Ema nuttis neid nii kaua, et tema pisarad täitsid oru ja sellest sai järv, ning viis saart on tema viis poega. Järve on peetud pühaks juba muistsetest aegadest ja 1991. aastal käis seda õnnistamas ka dalai-laama.

Map of the area around Pühajärv: the lake of a mother's tears
58.02810° N, 26.45830° E · Map: Maa- ja Ruumiamet

Source: A folk legend of Otepää.

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