CHOKHOPANI - Mummy Alert!

Truth be said, Chokhopani is little more than a one house affair and we would not even have mentioned or marked this place if it weren't for the mummies. While everyone thinks of Egypt when one thinks about mummies, similar burial practices existed here in Nepal too. And as you reach Chokhopani, keep an eye out on the slopes to your left. Right next to some pipelines there, you will see some caves. But unlike the ones you saw near Muktinath, these are caves not made for the living but for the dead. The complex was discovered in 1985 during the work for the hydroelectric project which led to the discovery of the funerary caves. In 1992 a rescue excavation was carried out by Nepali and German archaeologists which led to various grave goods including pottery, jewellery, beads dated to about 777 BC! This was the first case of mummies being discovered in the Himalayas. Subsequently, more mummies were discovered in many caves along the Kali Gandaki River all the way up to Lo Manthang.

We wouldn't, however, suggest you try to scale those slopes to become Indiana Jones, though.