LAHACHOK (Cave at)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A modified natural sacred cave (temple cave) with speleothems and bats. SITUATION: It is in a steep hillside next to a dry (in November) boulder strewn streambed, and surounded by rice paddies (PATTISON 1979) or, after Pattison (1994 Mss), above the western (orographically right) bank of Seti Khola, almost on the track between Astam (note 1) and Lachak (PATTISON 1979) or Lahachok (note 2), a few kilometres upstream of the confluence (N28°03': E084°06') of Magdi / Mardi and Seti Khola, and some 20 km on foot from Pokhara or 8 km as the crow flies NNE from the Pokhara airport (N28°10'34”: E083°58'56”). CAVE DESCRIPTION: PATTISON (1979) observed an … elaborate surrounding of hewn stone blocks and a stair case up to the arched entrance passageway. … The carved blocks soon gave way to natural limestone and a level dirt [soil] floor, then a fairly spacious flat, man-made area. The ceiling was heavily populated with two distinct species of bats. Decorations were not abundant but inclded reasonable coverings of flowstone and shawls [bacon]. A small waterfall appeares out of a ceiling slot, and quickly drops down a tight hole. Graeme Pattison (1994 personal correspondence) told me how he … went to Nepal with six friends (including two other cavers) in 1979. … The cave was natural but the entrance was modified by man for religious use (?). CAVE POTENTIAL: Several possible leads were followed but did not go to any distance at all. CULTURAL HISTORY: It was explained to us, the cave is used one day in each year on a religious occasion, and that those people who are too afraid to enter have evil spirits with them, while those who do enter must be good, as the evil spirits are afraid of the cave. CAVE LIFE: PATTISON (1978) noticed The ceiling was heavily populated with two distinct species of bats (Chiroptera).ded reasonable coverings of flowstone and shawls [bacon]. A small waterfall appeares out of a ceiling slot, and quickly drops down a tight hole. Graeme Pattison (1994 personal correspondence) told me how he … went to Nepal with six friends (including two other cavers) in 1979. … The cave was natural but the entrance was modified by man for religious use (?). CAVE POTENTIAL: Several possible leads were followed but did not go to any distance at all. CULTURAL HISTORY: It was explained to us, the cave is used one day in each year on a religious occasion, and that those people who are too afraid to enter have evil spirits with them, while those who do enter must be good, as the evil spirits are afraid of the cave. CAVE LIFE: PATTISON (1978) noticed The ceiling was heavily populated with two distinct species of bats (Chiroptera).