NYPHU DZONG (Troglodyte settlement of)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A group of m man-made troglodyte rock-cut chambers ('cave' dwelling / settlement, souterrain) excavated from conglomerate are situated in the Tshosher area, about 4 km NNE of Lo Mantang.PEISSEL (1968b: 199-200) reports dozens of black holes in the white-washed rock face below the monastery 300 m above the village of Garphu. Upon entering the most inaccessible cave monastery of Mustang, he ascended with the help of steps and ladders to a small, rough door that was nicely fitted into a hole at the base of the cliff. Penetrating a labyrinth of dark caves and ascending ladders upon ladders leading to countless vaults, he finnally reached a spacious chamber excavated from the rock. This was the meeting hall, closed of from the outside by a red painted mud wall (note 1).A group of m man-made troglodyte rock-cut chambers ('cave' dwelling / settlement, souterrain) excavated from conglomerate are situated in the Tshosher area, about 4 km NNE of Lo Mantang.PEISSEL (1968b: 199-200) reports dozens of black holes in the white-washed rock face below the monastery 300 m above the village of Garphu. Upon entering the most inaccessible cave monastery of Mustang, he ascended with the help of steps and ladders to a small, rough door that was nicely fitted into a hole at the base of the cliff. Penetrating a labyrinth of dark caves and ascending ladders upon ladders leading to countless vaults, he finnally reached a spacious chamber excavated from the rock. This was the meeting hall, closed of from the outside by a red painted mud wall (note 1).