The construction of the bungee bridge in Kushma opened the doors of adventure tourism. Tourists who have never seen the mountain come here because of the bungee. According to the information given by Raju Karki, the president of the company that operates bungee, three lakh tourists have come to bungee since 2077. But unfortunately, the tourists coming here are not able to enjoy the nearby natural and religious destination of Gupteshwar Cave.
Gupteshwar Cave can be reached in 5 minutes from Bunji. We have also placed hoarding boards in places. Due to the lack of funds, we have not been able to make a strategy focused on tourists," says Arjunraj Puri, Co-Secretary of the Gupteshwar Religious and Tourism Development Organization, "We have not been able to bring the tourists who come by bungee to the cave. The cave committee, bungee operators and local clubs need to make a tourist targeted program in the cave.
Natural Gupteshwar cave was seen 90 years ago by local Ratna Bahadur Karki. When he went to graze the cows/goats, he saw a big cow and a shining idol in it, and the whole village was in an uproar . "Nagababa, Shiv Giri Baba and Pashupati Baba came from Kathmandu and visited the cave," said Ganesh Bhandari, the former president of Gupteshwar Religious and Tourism Development Organization, "After they put fire in the cave and set fire to it, the name Gupteshwar Cave was established." Organizations working in tourism promotion helped the Gupteshwar Cave with importance in publicity . Even the locals felt proud to have the austerity site of Shiva/Parvati in their place . But now the interest is waning . Netra Parajuli, director of The Cliff, says that the management committee and the local government are weak in this.
'We started bungeeing near the cave . It not only made Kushma's hotel business viable but also changed the identity of the mountain itself. We also tell the tourists who come to us to reach Gupteshwar Cave,' he said, 'Private companies cannot take all the responsibility of Gupteshwar! The local government is . There is a management committee.' He said that it makes no sense to say that the way to the cave is broken and not repaired even after years, that he will not do anything and that tourists did not come and the cave was overshadowed.
A month ago, a group of 12 people, including Rajeev Sharma, who had come from Ayodhya, India to visit Muktinath, were found in the Gupteshwar cave. He said that after going around bungees and high bridges, he arrived at the cave to see Shiva/Parvati. He has reached Mustang before this. He said that the mountain came for the first time.
'We were drinking tea in a shop near Bunji . There were two-four Nepalis. They suggested to reach Gupteshwar Cave,' he said, 'I asked how long it will take to reach the cave, they said it will take 5 minutes and we have come to see the cave.'
President of Gupteshwar Religious Tourism Promotion Organization Prithvi Narayan Sharma claimed that Gupteshwar Cave is the longest and most continuous cave in the world. "You can measure the longest cave in the world, you can also see it continuously," he says. No limestone is formed by melting, so this cave is supernatural.'
No one has reached the end point of the cave. President Sharma said that it will reach the locals up to three kilometers. According to him, there is a shrine within one kilometer. In Hinduism, they are called righteous and unrighteous. It is said that those who practice religion can easily enter through the hole of that religious door, while the unrighteous cannot enter,'' he said while showing the idols in the cave, 'devotees can easily enter the cave.' But in the name of devotees, when those with wrong intentions come, the idols are broken and damaged.' There was a rock with the figure of Bharat bowing his head at the feet of Rama and holding a crowbar. There is a 7-feet high Shivling in the cave, you can see water falling continuously there. Water has fallen drop by drop on other idols,' he said.
Hindus believe that there is Parvati Cave in Kushma Municipality-1 Pang near the birth place of Mother Parvati . Chairman Sharma narrates the legend, "Mother Parvati came from there to Gupteshwar cave and after doing penance to get Mahadev's husband, Mahadev gave darshan."
Cave has special worship on Mahashivratri, Balachaturdashi, Haribodhani Ekadashi, Maghe Sankranti etc. To make the cave a religious tourist destination, the construction of a park with a 78-feet tall Shiva-Parvati statue, Sisamahal and a temple has been started . President Sharma is confident that after the construction of the structure which is going to be built on 15 ropani land, the number of domestic/foreign tourists will increase in the cave.
