Lake Andraikiba, located between Betafo and Antsirabe, is a magnificent body of water formed in the crater of an ancient volcano. This deep lake, surrounded by a circular road and bordered by a wooded peninsula, is steeped in a poignant legend.
A man named Rakotoarivelo was married to a woman named Rangorivao. After many years of infertility, Rangorivao finally gave birth to a son, whom she named Indrianirina, meaning “the Desired One.”
However, during this time, Rakotoarivelo fell in love with a young woman named Razanaboromanga. He informed Rangorivao of his desire to take Razanaboromanga as his second wife. When Rangorivao categorically refused, Rakotoarivelo imposed a cruel wager: the woman who could swim across the lake and back the fastest, whether it was Rangorivao or Razanaboromanga, would become his favorite.
Weakened by age, Rangorivao lost the challenge and, exhausted, sank into the lake. Just before drowning, she called out to her husband with a heart-wrenching cry: “Veloma, efa kiba,” meaning “Goodbye, I’m dying.”
From that day on, the lake was said to have been named Andrenikina, meaning “the place where a mother died.” Over time, the name changed to Andraikiba, interpreted as “the place where a father silenced himself.”
