List of the most famous caves in Nepal
To date, more than a dozen dungeons of different size and extent have been registered on the territory of this country. The most famous caves in Nepal are:
- Mahendra;
- Gupteswar (Gupteswar Gupha);
- Shamer, or Bat (Bat Cave);
- Celestial caves (Sky Caves);
- Chobhar;
- Asura;
- Yanglesho (Yanglesho).
Cave of Mahendra
This dungeon got its name in honor of the King of Nepal Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev. It was discovered in the late 50s of the last century and since then has enjoyed immense popularity among tourists. This limestone cave of Nepal has many stalactites and stalagmites, striking with its beauty and solid age. Many of them are given the image of Shiva - the deities of southeast Asia. But to see these stalactites, you need to go through the Davis Waterfall, which covers the entrance to the dungeon.
The Mahendra Cave is located on the bottom of a hill covered with dense greenery. Local residents use this place for grazing mules and horses.
Cave of bats
No less remarkable is the cave of Nepal, called the "house of bats", or the cave Bath. For a long time these representatives of the fauna have chosen this place to create their nests, which accumulated a great many. The dungeon itself is very dark and frightening, and its walls are literally teeming with bats.
Mustang Caves
Relatively recently, about 10,000 man-made caves were discovered on the territory of Nepal, which were excavated in the mountains of the Mustang district. During archaeological research, they found partially mummified human bodies, whose age is at least 2-3 thousand years. Many of these caves were hollowed out in the rocks at a height of 50 m above the ground, therefore it is impossible to reach them without climbing equipment.
According to studies, these caves of Nepal belonged to the ancient Kingdom of Mustang - a developed settlement, whose inhabitants were engaged in science, art and trade. It is still unclear why the caves were created. It is only known that their walls are covered with ancient texts and Buddhist frescoes.
Cobhar Caves
In the 80-ies of the XX century, Czech and German scientists discovered in 9 km from Kathmandu a vast network of natural dungeons. Later, a team of French scientists using GPS equipment found out that these caves in Nepal have at least six entrances. Some areas are filled with water from the Bagmati River, so they should be visited only accompanied by a professional guide. And, although the dungeon maps are available for public access, there is no special speleological equipment here. In addition, a large number of bats also live in the caves.
The total length of the dungeon is at least 1250 m. That's why the Cobhar Caves are the second largest in Nepal and the third in Asia.
Caves Parpinga
Not far from Kathmandu is located the picturesque village of Parping , which in ancient times was considered an important place of Buddhist pilgrimage. Despite the beautiful nature, many lakes with crystal clear waters and mesmerizing views of the Himalayan foothills, the main sights of this region of Nepal are the caves - Asura and Yanglesho. According to legends, they were blessed by the famous Indian teacher of Buddhist tantra - Padmasambhava, or Guru Rinpoche.
The entrance to the cave of Asura is decorated with prayer flags, and its most important relic is the handprint on the stone, which Padmasambhava himself allegedly left behind. Here, after long meditations and tantric practices, he attained the highest spiritual level, Mahamudra Vidyadhara, and subdued the local demons. In addition to the image of Guru Rinpoche, which in itself is a powerful blessing, an altar and statue of Padmasambhava is installed in this cave of Nepal.
According to local legends, in this dungeon a tunnel is hidden, through which you can get to the cave Yanglesho. It is the second most important place of Buddhist pilgrimage. They say that in ancient times Pancha Pandava even visited her.
Visit these and other caves of Nepal can be in the framework of excursions or independently. On the outskirts of Kathmandu you can travel by bus or taxi. In the daytime, the fare is a maximum of $ 1.