Mandhip Khol gufa is located at about seven kilometre from Thakurtola village in an area declared as a Protected Forest in the Khairagarh. Mandi means ‘gathering’ and gufa means ‘caves.’ There is a big festival on first Monday after ’Akshay Tritiya’ in Mandhip Khol. Raipur to Mandip Khol distance is around 110 km on the Kanha National Park Road. One can reach Mandip Khol from Raipur through Kumahri, Dhamdha, Kandei, NarmdaThakurtola.February to April is the best season to visit cave because of approachability. Mandhip Kholthe larger of the two caves is characterised by two levels of galleries, of which the upper is, in parts, active during the rainy season (monsoon); the smaller cave, named Python cave, contains a perennial stream, the Swet Ganga, which resurges in the upper reaches of the Seonath valley.

 

The two caves are separated by a little less than 20 metre long sump. Combined, they constitute a single 1030 m long cave system karst with a vertical range of 23m. In Swet Ganga fishes and frogs are found. Bats and insects are found inside the caves. In monsoon stream water enters from Mandhip Khol entrance as Patal Ganga and comes out of Python cave as Swet ganga which is perennial in nature. The karst is developed along bedding planes, so very deep, cave system is developed inside it. Dr Jayant Biswas of National Cave Research and Protection Organisation, Raipur has done the first study of the cave system of Mandhip Khol.

 

The above-described caves have developed in the limestone member of the Chhatrela Formation belonging to the Chilpi Group of Precambrian age as informed by Regional Director, Central Ground Water Board, Dr Prabir Kumar Naik and B Abhishek Scientist. They also informed that because of population explosion there is immense pressure on natural resources like forest, soil and water etc. In Mandhip Khol area, there is widespread burning and cutting of forest for making new settlement by people. There are people coming from adjacent states to settle in that area by clearing forests which has to be taken care by Forest Department, Government of Chhattisgarh and the district administration.