The Mystery of the 14,000-Year Old Man-made Sky Caves in Mustang Nepal
I am Tsewang Tashi and I have lived here in Lo Mathang, or as you now call it, Mustang Nepal, for all the 102 years of my life. I have seen this plain evolve right before my eyes but for its people, very little has changed over time. I have carried the legacies and stories of my ancestors and have passed it down to my descendants. You see those caves in the mountains there? They used to live there. It is the biggest mystery of all.
Thousands of years ago, my ancestors built these exquisite caves. From the caves, you could see the entire expanse stretch in front of you, beyond the horizon. You must be wondering who were these people and how did they build such marvelous structures. I am as clueless as you are. Little is known about where they came from, what they did and how they managed to create something so seemingly impossible. It is a mystery that might never be unravelled.
Stacked one above the other, these caves were multi-level colonies inside the mountain, like the high-rise complexes that exist in your cities today. Built more than 155 feet from the ground, these intricate caves were carved by man into the gorges by the mighty River Kali Gandaki. The riverside cliffs resemble sand castles that have withstood the test of time.
There are more than 10,000 caves built by humans present here. Their stories encompass more than 20,000 years of Mustang’s history. I have heard tales of these caves first being used as burial chambers, around 1000 BC. I was not surprised at all when those foreigners, I think they were Americans, found the tomb of an ancient community leader in there recently. They found his skeleton buried along with valuables like beads originating from other places like Iran (probably part of a necklace or sewn onto his clothes) and a mask made of gold and silver covering his face. You see how prosperous we were?
His bones had cut marks they said. I believe our practice of sky burials is prevalent from back then. In the burial process, the dead body is sliced into pieces and vultures eat up the flesh, before the bones are rearranged and the skeleton is lowered into the tomb.
My great-grandfather used to say that around the 10th century, due to the flourishing salt trade and Mustang’s favourable location on the trade routes, looting and attacks became rampant, making it very unsafe to live in the region. That’s when the locals created these elaborate mountain colonies, which not only became a safe place to live, but also helped them keep warm during the harsh and unforgiving Himalayan winters.
These mountain villages were multi-level with many passages connecting rooms on each of the levels, some of these levels accommodating up to 15 rooms. These rooms were used as sleeping spaces, kitchens and granaries.
Around the late 1400s, people eventually started setting up villages in the plains by the River Kali Gandaki. Buddhism had already been entrenched into our society by then and our grand, ancient monasteries have been proof of our devotion. However, before these monasteries were built, the lamas (monks) meditated in the mountain caves. Special monastic rooms were created by monks, above the already existing mountain colonies, for this purpose.
Samzdong village was built right at the foothills of these forgotten caves. The caves, hidden away in the mountains, were discovered only after the cliff face collapsed due to natural processes. The villagers used to think I was senile before the Americans came and confirmed what I have been telling everyone all along. These caves tell stories of our rich and varied history and culture.
Today, we see groups and groups of people who visit our village and the caves to know more about Mustang’s history. It makes me so happy to see the fame of my little village spread far and wide. I am glad the world wants to know more about Mustang’s rich heritage. I invite you all to my village and to the Sky Caves to rediscover a long-forgotten civilisation that beckons to you from Mustang Nepal.
Disclaimer: The above story is a work of fiction by the author. Any resemblance to actual persons is purely coincidental.
Originally published at www.guiddoo.com
