Kumal Grottoes

Kumal Grottoes

Kumal Grottoes

In 1979, the Hotan Regional Cultural Relics Protection Office investigated and evaluated the Kumal Grottoes, designating them as a county-level cultural heritage site, and the People's Government of Hotan County officially issued a document confirming this status in 1999. The Kumal Grottoes are situated in Buidui Village, Laike Township, Hotan County, about 30 kilometers from Hotan City, on the northern cliff of the third mouth of the Karakash River. At the top of the cliff, there are three tombs and a newly built mosque. The exact location is in Buidui Village, Laike Township. Legend has it that a large tomb houses the remains of a hermit named Huji Muhedin. He was originally from Yemen and made a living hunting in the area in ancient times. After being moved by a snake deity, he secluded himself in a cave midway up the cliff to practice asceticism for decades, eventually passing away and being buried at the mountaintop. People come here to worship him. The other two tombs are smaller—one contains the remains of a snake that died 45 years ago, and the smaller one holds the remains of a snake that died four years ago. These snakes are believed to possess great spiritual powers and occasionally display miraculous signs. The grottoes are circular in shape, divided into upper and lower levels, connected by a newly built wooden ladder, showing clear signs of artificial excavation. The interior of the caves is blackened from smoke, and new Uyghur script can be seen on the stones. This site has long been a place of pilgrimage.