“I am the Atma abiding in the heart of all beings. I am also the beginning, the middle, and the end of all beings.” ― Anonymous, The Bhagavad Gita
Patal Bhuvaneshwar, situated 13kms from Gangolighat in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand state, is a mystical cave is 160m long and 90 feet deep where limestone rock formations have created various impressive and awe inspiring stalagmite figures. It is also believed that worship at Patal Bhuvaneshwar is equivalent to worshipping at Char Dham of Uttarakhand. It is believed that the cave is the abode of 33 crore Gods and Goddesses.
This mysterious and spiritual place of Uttarakhand is situated at an altitude of 1350 mts above sea level. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Patal Bhuvaneshwar is a limestone cave and the way to the Patal Bhuvaneshwar cave goes through a long and narrow tunnel. Besides Lord Shiva, his varied forms of Sheshnag, Kal Bhiarav, Ganesha and several other gods are deeply revered in Patal Bhuvaneshwar.
Almost every god that you would have heard of resides in this mystifying cave. One can see the gateway of the great ages in Patal Bhuvaneshwar. The cave comprised of four entrances which are namely, 'Randwar', 'Paapdwar', 'Dharamdwar' and 'Mokshadwar'. The Paapdwar was closed soon after the death of Ravana and the Randwar, literally, the road to war, was closed down after the great Mahabharata war. At present there are only two gateways that are opened.
One can be completely transfixed by the impression such as the tongue of Kali Bhairav, Aravati of Indra, hairs of Lord Shiva and several other wonders formed on the rocks, inside the caves of Patal Bhuvaneshwar.
It is said that a visit to Patal Bhuvaneshwar is worth morte than thousand times the visit to Kashi, Baidyanath or Kedarnath. The Chapter 103 of Manas Kanda in the Skanda Purana describes the greatness of this shrine. The cave is 160 m long and 90 feet deep from the point of entrance. Limestone rock formations have created various remarkable stalactite and stalagmite figures of several shades and shapes. This cave has a slim tunnel-like entrance that guides to a number of caves. The cave is effusively well-lit electrically. There is a legend that the Pandava brothers passed their time here during exile. The flowing water cut the rocks in such a fascinating way that it looks some sculptor artist had carved statues within the cave and the walls.
Patal Bhuvaneshwar is not just one cave but is a conurbation of caves. The 1-km long main cave in Patal Bhuvneshwar is 90 feet below the ground level and there are caves within caves, steps leading to another steps, each one unveiling deep enigmas from inside. The road ends half a kilometer before the entrance. One has to go down nearly hundred steps in order to arrive at the sanctum sanctorum that offers an awe-inspiring sensation of entering the Earth’s Centre.
In the core of the Patal Bhuvaneshwar village there is a temple that dates back from the Twelfth Century A.D, and is supposedly built by the of Chand and Katyuri kings. Legend has it that this underground cave houses Lord Shiva and 330 million Gods and goddesses described in the Hindu mythology.
According to popular belief King Rituparna of the Sun dynasty (Surya Vansha) discovered the cave during the Treta Yug. Statements bearing testimony to this are found in ancient scriptures. As per popular belief, some doors which are now inaccessible were unsealed thousands of years back. The caves have yet to be fully explored. It is also believed that this cave is internally connected to the Char Dham’s.
It is believed that Adi Shankaracharya stayed in this cave in 1191 AD
