World's biggest archeological mystery: Know about the secret caves of Nepal

New Delhi: An estimated 10,000 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. Some dug into the cliffside, others tunnelled from above are thousands of years old but who built them and why remains a mystery.These man-made caves are one of the world's greatest archaeological mysteries. They are the hidden within the Himalayas and are at 155ft from the ground.Thousands of holes are carved into the fragile, sandy-coloured cliff in a gorge so large it dwarfs the Grand Canyon.The caves believed to be rich and had a collection of valuables in the ancient history but it is believed that looters have raided the caves over the centuries, cutting valuable artwork from the ancient texts. In addition, religious pilgrims have damaged the cave walls to collect souvenirs.Still, the researchers were able to collect and document manuscripts from about 30 volumes, which were then moved for safekeeping to Mustang's central monastery.Preserved by the mountain region's cool, arid climate, the ancient manuscripts contain a mix of writings from Buddhism and Bön, an earlier, native Tibetan faith.Only few have been able to explore the mysterious caves, since Upper Mustang is a restricted area of Nepal that was long closed to outsiders. Today only a thousand foreigners a year are allowed into the region.Today Mustang is depicted as “the end of the world” and is culturally isolated from Chinese-occupied Tibet.The new discoveries now show that Mustang was “for many, many hundreds of years absolutely central—a vibrant, dynamic, culturally rich, and religiously diverse settlement.”