Mystery of the ancient kingdom discovered in Nepal where thousands of caves are carved 155ft off the

www.dailymail.co.uk...

I looked and didn't come across this but with the search it seems to be hit and miss. If it's already up then do what needs to be done.

I have no idea what the deal is with these cave but they are interesting. I may have seen a picture on another site or on Ancient Aliens(or whatever show it was I saw this on) that had a Buddha statue in the cave but I may be mistaken. It's not at the link provided. How they got into these caves, why they built them, well, I have no answers.

a reply to: TheSpanishArcher

Wow what a place to live!Or bury your dead but i would assume no dead were found.I so wish i were not afraid of heights!This could be a place to find something so many caves!

An estimated 10,000 of these mysterious human-built caves have been found in the former Kingdom of Mustang in North, Central Nepal. Those who have seen the mysterious caves say the effect of them on the cliff face makes it look like a giant sandcastle.
Hidden within the Himalayas, 155ft from the ground, these man-made caves are one of the World's greatest archaeological mysteries.
Thousands of holes are carved into the fragile, sandy-coloured cliff in a gorge so large it dwarfs the Grand Canyon.
Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk...

a reply to: Char-Lee

LOL! I also am afraid of heights and would never make it up to these caves(heck, I have a hard time getting up on my roof, all of ten feet) so let's give it up to the crazies who found this.

The article is only a year old so it begs the question, what else haven't we found? If this wasn't known until recently there probably loads of stuff we still don't know about. Which is no new thought around these parts but still bears repeating.

a reply to: TheSpanishArcher

I can't imagine these were living places, how would you come and go for water! maybe religious like monk types or something and people brought them things...can't imagine! The one mountain has a section that looks like it may once have been an enclosed shaft...I wonder was there upright tunnels with ladders maybe! So eroded we could be missing a lot there...exciting place!

What a great BOL! Unfortunately, although I am not afraid of heights, it's the crashing to the ground that really bothers me.

Hope nobody in that community ever slept-walked. That could be an issue...
2nd
a reply to: TheSpanishArcher

originally posted by: StoutBroux
What a great BOL! Unfortunately, although I am not afraid of heights, it's the crashing to the ground that really bothers me.

In fact climbing into the caves was so dangerous, Mr Richards lost his footing, fell and broke his back. On another assignment to Mustang the following year, videographer Lincoln Else was hit by a falling rock, fracturing his skull.

Can't imagine they went back to try again the next year!

a reply to: TheSpanishArcher

A scientist scales a fragile rock face to reach the 800-year-old caves, right, while the team hike below some of the entrances

Wait. Are they hundreds, or are they thousands of years old?

I'm thinking rope ladders were used to come and go. I'm also wondering if the abundance of this type of thing, as well as underground cities began as protection from catastrophe and cataclysm that was still fairly recent in their memories.

a reply to: Klassified

The astonishing number of caves, some dug into the cliffside, others tunnelled from above, are thousands of years old but who built them and why remains a mystery. A scientist scales a fragile rock face to reach the 800-year-old caves, right, while the team hike below some of the entrances,

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I'm thinking thousands because it's mentioned several times but hey, we all make mistakes from time to time.

ETA:

OK, I've looked at all the pictures several times and besides the height issue, why would anyone live there? There is nothing around, how did they eat or clothe themselves? Is there a village nearby? Maybe it was for religious purposes, similar to monks or holy men and village people brought them food and clothing.

My theory is that the river was much, much higher and as the water receded, they built the caves.

Thanks OP, this is an awesome find!

a reply to: TheSpanishArcher

Interesting - some of these caves were known before this:

Cave





1993 report that show where the caves are

When I was in Nepal I heard of these caves but also - as noted in the article - they are difficult to get to and the dangerous to enter.

a reply to: Hanslune

LOL again. It was new to me, I could only find a couple of posts about this and no real thread on ATS so here it is. I know no more than what the article states.

I'm not surprised they were known about it seems that until recently no one had been in there. Whatever the case, you guys can argue the details. I'm just a ignorant guy from Vegas who found a neat story.

a reply to: Hanslune
They are meditation caves and have given up mummies from time to time. There is a nova episode about them. Some are just caves, some are painted with Buddhist imagery, and text. Some are also repositories for Buddhist scrolls. I think they date from 6th-11th cent. CE.
The film maker had to bribe the local headman to get access, and the price kept going up each day they showed to film.
The climbed up on the rickitiest locally made ladders one has ever seen.

I have read that many Buddhist will go meditate in caves for very extensive f2f periods of time. I wonder if that was the purpose of these?

originally posted by: byGRACE
I have read that many Buddhist will go meditate in caves for very extensive f2f periods of time. I wonder if that was the purpose of these?

it sure would be hard getting enough water up there with you but you could sure meditate in peace!

a reply to: Char-Lee

I believe they could fly.

originally posted by: deadeyedick
a reply to: Char-Lee

I believe they could fly.

Ah the old 'flying nun' trick eh?

a reply to: TheSpanishArcher

They certainly are not WELL know. I was near the area in '98 and don't recall them at all - but like you I tend to avoid abseiling opportunities. They are interesting and I predict a group of Chinese, Australian or NZ grad students swarming over it in a few years.

nat geo has a couple of documentary's on these caves that are worth checking out. They follow one of the exploration teams as they search through the newly found caves discovering ancient manuscripts and wall paintings of Indian animals like monkeys and such. Maybe they have a copy of one of the docs on youtube?

a reply to: Hanslune

The brooms are with them.
mabye this is a place where different realms come together stacked on top of eachother and this way they do not have to climb up a diminsional ladder when they step outside their rest or they did not want the dogs to eat their bones or maybe it is a way to keep them home. i will go with the realm version because who wants to climb from the crypt and fall.

originally posted by: deadeyedick
a reply to: Hanslune

The brooms are with them.
mabye this is a place where different realms come together stacked on top of eachother and this way they do not have to climb up a diminsional ladder when they step outside their rest or they did not want the dogs to eat their bones or maybe it is a way to keep them home. i will go with the realm version because who wants to climb from the crypt and fall.

or maybe not : ]

Isolation is one thing that hermits crave - and protection from those that would disturb them, you see that in others who sought solitude during our long human history.