Chobhar Caves

The Chobhar caves are a large network of natural phreatic caves located in the village of Chobhar, Nepal, 9 kilometers southwest of Kathmandu. Chobhar is also notable for the Chobhar gorge, which drains the entire valley's water. A modest Adinath Sampradaya temple sits atop a neighboring hill. A view of snow-capped mountains may be seen from the temple.

Kathmandu Valley was formerly a lake, according to tradition and the Swayambhu Purana. Manjushree, the bodhisattva, is said to have carved a canyon at Chobhar Ancient Hill Village (sp. also Chovar, chobar) and drained the waters to create a habitable land.

In 1976, research teams from the United Kingdom, Czechoslovakia, and Germany examined these caverns. Explorations of the caves in April 2007 revealed at least six known openings, all of which were confirmed by GPS readings taken by a French speleological team led by Maurice Duchesne. There is currently a map of those caverns available.

Visitors are highly warned not to enter the caves unless accompanied by qualified professional guides who are equipped with a compass and other cave exploration equipment. It is recommended that you take all possible safety precautions. There are no snakes in these Chobhar caves, but there are a lot of bats.

Location: Kathmandu, Nepal