Kak Nyingba

Just 2.5 km south of Kagbeni is a village by the name of Ekle Bhatti or old Kagbeni because this is where the settlement used to be. One thing to be aware of are the petroglyphs (rock engravings) which one might easily miss out. These ancient rock art are engraved in the sandstones next to the Kali Gandaki a few minutes to the north of the settlement. However, given the age of these petroglyphs, they are a bit hard to see without the shadows cast by the morning sun. Or you will have to look very very carefully. It has happened to us that even when we knew the art was there, we did not see it during an evening and the very next morning, it was right there where we were looking the day before. It might sound like an Indiana Jones story but it is true. It is a pity that this historically important site is left abandoned and now the engravings are slowly fading away. The engravings include cup marks, human and animal figures, decorative elements/patterns and Tibetan Buddhists inscriptions. Till date, 1,189 petroglyphs have been identified. The petroglyphs were carved into flat sandstone banks on the left of Kali Gandaki river. There is no confirmation about how old the petroglyphs are but research suggests that these petroglyphs are more than 3000 years old.