Patal Bhuvaneshwar

The entrance is a narrow crack in the hillside, and visitors descend perhaps thirty metres through a tight passage, holding chains, into a series of limestone chambers where flowstone, stalactites and columns have been identified over centuries with gods, sages and episodes from the epics; a temple guide from the family that has served the cave for generations names each formation in turn. Water drips continuously and one formation is described as still growing, its progress read as a measure of the current age of the world. Groups enter in turn, and the passages are too narrow for more than single file in places.

History

Legend holds that the cave enshrines Shiva and thirty-three types of demigods, and tradition says the philosopher Adi Shankaracharya visited it in 1191 AD, which marks the beginning of its modern history as a place of pilgrimage. The cave, 160 m long and 90 feet deep from the entrance, was formed by flowing water (Wikipedia, Patal Bhuvaneshwar).

What's there

• The narrow descent - a chain-assisted climb down through a tight crack.
• The named formations - flowstone identified with deities and epic scenes.
• The chambers - a series of connected limestone rooms underground.
• The guided telling - the hereditary temple guides' account of each shape.

When to go

March to June and September to November; the cave is cool year-round but the roads in are affected by monsoon landslides. Entry is in timed groups and queues form on festival days.

Things to know

The passages are genuinely narrow, wet and steep, unsuitable for anyone claustrophobic or with limited mobility. Photography is prohibited inside. Entry is only with a temple guide.

Nearby

Gangolihat lies nearby; Almora is southwest.