Kohla Sonpre Toh: An Ancient Site of Tamu Tribe

Kohla Sonpre Toh is a ancient settlement of the Tamu (gurung) people and is believe to be their last collective homeland before dispersing to lower elevations across the Gandaki region of western Nepal. It is situated at 3,300 metres on the foothills of the Annapurna and Lamjung Himal ranges, holding significant historical and cultural value.

The site is divided into three main areas: Tu Kohla (Upper Kohla), Pa Kohla (Middle Kohla) and Mu Kohla (Lower Kohla). Near Tu Kohla, a cave known as Chyhmsyo Wu located at 3,800 mitres, is believed to have served as a monastery for unmarried female. Mu Kohla is the largest section, with over fifty houses ruins, including structures thought to be the palace of the King and the communal meeting hall (Chhonj Dhee). Other remains include water mills (Pani-ghatta), traditional grinding tools (Dhinki/Okhal), a large stone believed to have been used by the village crier, and a pole like stone possible used for tethering horses, though some interpretations differ.

Formal study of the site began only in 2000, when a research team including PPC Yarjung Kromchhe Tamu from the University of Cambridge conducted the first archaeological and anthropological survey. Their findings suggest that the Tamu (Gurung) people have inhabited the area between AD 1000 and the 1300s, abandoning it around the 1400s, although exact dates remain uncertain due to limited evidence.

Source: Gurung, J. (2018). Pilgrimage to 'Kohla Sonpre Toh'- ruins of an ancient Tamu/Gurung settlement, https://nepalitimes.com/banner/the-tamu-trek-trail.