Nestled in the Himalayas, in the state of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, lies the entrance to the underground cave city known as Patal Bhuvaneshwar. It is believed that this massive underground city has internal paths which lead to Kailash Mansarovar, Char Dham, Kashi and Rameshwaram.
Spread across 160m and at a depth of 90m, the portal to the nether world invites all.
History of Patal Bhuvaneshwar
In the Treta Yug, Raja Rituparana of the Suryavanshi Dynasty is said to have visited this cave.
He was given a tour of this cave city by Sheshnag himself. In Dwapar Yuga, the cave was rediscovered by the Pandavas and Draupadi during their last trip across the Himalayas.
Later, in 1191 CE, Adi Shankaracharya too meditated in the cave premise. The priest family of the Bhandaris has been performing religious rites and looking after the cave temple premise since the time of Adi Shankaracharya. They also act as guides to the site. The cave has been mentioned in the Manaskhanda of the Skanda Purana.
Visiting Patal Bhuvaneshwar Cave
After an overnight stay in Chaukori, I left to visit Patal Bhuvaneshwar early morning next day. From the parking lot to the temple entrance, one has to walk a distance of 800 m. The railings of the path were adorned with bells and red forehead bands, welcoming the pilgrims to the site of divinity.
One has to buy a ticket and deposit all baggage and electronic gadgets in a locker. Mobile phones and cameras are not allowed within the cave temple premise. If required, prior permission from ASI has to be taken for photography and videography. You can also purchase the images from shops in the premise.
After removing the footwear, a group of 20 people (close to 5 families) was assembled and led into the narrow mouth of the cave with the help of Pandit Bhandari.
While holding the metal chain, crouching in the dimly lit entrance one has to climb down into a sharp 75-degree drop. Manoeuvring on the slippery pathway, crawling from one tunnel to another is definitely a survival of the fittest.
The oxygen level in the cave is very low. Moreover, the rate at which atmospheric oxygen gets replenished is very slow. Hence, pilgrims are split into small batches. In case you feel dizzy, make sure to inform Panditji (priest). They have a few oxygen cylinders inside the cave to help pilgrims acclimatize to the cave’s atmosphere.
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