DAMAULI: Bandipur Rural Municipality, Tanahun, is working to promote Siddha Cave, located in Bimalnagar, Bandipur Rural Municipality–4, which is considered the largest cave in Nepal. Despite its immense tourism potential, Siddha Cave has long remained under-promoted.
Surendra Thapa, Chairman of Bandipur Rural Municipality, said that the cave can be reached with just a 20-minute walk from the Prithvi Highway and could attract many more visitors if promoted properly.
“The more it is promoted, the more people will come. This will help boost tourism in Bandipur and increase income for the local community,” he said, noting that current visitor flow has not met expectations.
Thapa added that national-level promotion is essential and shared that the rural municipality has allocated a budget for the cave’s promotion. Plans include painting, repairing structures, and building resting areas as part of wider beautification efforts.
Highlighting the cave’s religious importance, Thapa mentioned that a ‘Bolbam’ fair is held here every year. “Visitors can have darshan of Siddha Baba, and there is a belief that wishes are fulfilled after visiting,” he said. The municipality aims to develop Siddha Cave as a must-visit destination in Nepal.
Although the Siddha Cave Development Committee has been overseeing the site for years, the rural municipality has instructed it to hold a general convention, citing inactivity. Thapa said the municipality is considering taking over the management to ensure integrated development.
With support from the Gandaki Province government, railings have been installed along the path from Bandipur Bazaar to Siddha Cave, and a stone-paved footpath has been constructed. Thapa said beautification works worth Rs 13.95 million were carried out under the Innovation Partnership Fund.
Bandipur Rural Municipality Vice-Chairperson Panchamaya Gurung said a budget of Rs 1 million has been allocated for Siddha Cave in the current fiscal year. Local resident Bhim Ghale noted that the site suffers from a lack of publicity and urged both locals and the municipality to take stronger initiatives to attract domestic and international tourists.
Prem Prasad Poudel, who recently visited the cave, described it as a highly attractive site. “The cave is enormous, and the natural formations inside make it even more fascinating. Since it lies so close to the Prithvi Highway, it has great potential as a tourist destination,” he said.
According to archaeologists, Siddha Cave holds significant religious, historical, and archaeological value. They believe the cave was formed around 3,500 years ago due to natural geological processes and may have been used by prehistoric humans for shelter and safety. The cave is approximately 450 meters long.
Artifacts discovered inside include copper coins with faded inscriptions, fragments of clay water pots, a censer, an incense burner, a lamp, an animal tooth, and terracotta vessels, items believed to date back to the 16th and 17th centuries AD.
Although water can be seen in some sections, the floor is not slippery due to the absence of direct sunlight. After walking about 500 meters inside, the cave expands further.
Visitors can see numerous limestone formations resembling deities, birds, animals, and various other shapes throughout the roughly 800-meter-long interior.
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