Hidden away in the rolling mountains of Kumaon in Uttarakhand is this magical cave temple.
It is a surreal, underground world that encapsulates the myth, mythology, and mysticism of India. This piece is going to be a roller coaster one. If you are not brought up on the essential dose of mysticism that one gets in Indian society, this would sound like magical fiction.
I am on a trip that takes me around the Kumaon region. Having been to Almora, Kausani, and then to the magnificent Panch Chuli range at Muniseyari (read about the drive here), it is time to circumvent back.
The idea was to drive back to Mukhteswar. The map indicated 9 hours of driving on the winding mountain roads. It would have been difficult after the arduous drive the day before from Almora to Muniseyari. A bit of a search and the internet threw up the name Chaukori. It seemed to be a quaint hill station with a great view of the Himalayas. It did look idyllic in the pictures, and the choice was made.
We left Muniseyari after breakfast. The morning sun lit up the mountainside; the road climbed, dipped, and meandered along the mountain roads. There was a strange chill in the air; it was cold, but still, the sun helped being comfortable. I could sense a dry palate, a sure sign of a common cold around the bend. By the time we reached the hotel in Chaukori (it turned out to be a place called Gangolighat), it was mid-afternoon. I was tired and decided to stay in the hotel for the night and head back to Mukhteswar the next morning.
As I chatted with the hotel manager, he informed me that I could use the afternoon to visit a temple nearby. I had been to many temples in the last 10 days and thought I could give it a pass.
The manager Vinod insisted I visit the temple. It was his words that got me. In the soft Kumaon style that I had started liking, he said.
“Eisa aap ne mandir dekha na hoga sahabji” , mein ziddh kara raha hun aap jaye (You would not have seen a temple like this, sir, I insist you go).
It is just a mile from the hotel, he said, and he assured me that I would surely thank him later.
He had sold the idea, and I went.
Exactly a mile later, the gray-topped road dipped, turned, and climbed away into the mountains. On the left, as the road went up, a small cluster of buildings could be seen. A road forked away into the cluster. The buildings were hugging the mountains, and a few cars were parked further along the route. Just beyond the last shop, a walkway appeared, which a board said would lead to the temple. No temple was to be seen; all I could see was a 10-foot-high building that looked like a gateway. It leaned against the hill and surely would not lead anywhere, I thought.
It led somewhere, and what a place it led to. It was surely the most surreal place I have visited in my life.
The temple was called Patal Bhuvaneshwar, and beyond the last shop there was nothing to suggest what lay beneath the mountain.
In Sanskrit, Patal refers to the subterranean realms, while Bhuvaneshwar means the Lord of the Universe. The temple’s name itself hints at a journey beneath the earth into a sacred cosmic realm.
A surreal world and a few stories
The small gateway covered what seemed to be a hole in the mountain. One was supposed to crawl into the hole and go down. There are temple priests who take tourists down the hole in groups. These priests fill you in with the stories as they show you around.
The hole is hardly four feet in diameter, and it has irregular but thankfully smooth rocks. There is a metal chain that you hold on to and crawl in a sitting position. Small incandescent bulbs provide enough light as you slide down. The air is moist, the rocks are cold, and the natural narrow tunnel goes down about 80 feet before it drops you into a huge cave.
One is now inside the belly of the Patal Bhuvaneshwar temple in Gangolighat. The guide priest starts his monologue, and you are transported to a world where the normal concepts of time are irrelevant.
There are multiple branches that go off the cave; some wide, some narrow. Hindu mythology and stories that are just magical and unimaginable emerge as the priest gets into his stride.
If you are one of those who tend to rationalize everything you hear or read, then this might make you cringe. But then mysticism is not for everyone, and you might well be off putting the modern cap of logical thinking aside for a while. So here we go on a mind-boggling journey into Indian mythology. This cave temple is a cauldron of symbolism, connecting it to the mythology stories whose timelines stretch back millions of years.
The Beginnings
This cave, it is said, was first discovered by King Rituparna of the Surya dynasty, who ruled Ayodhya in Treta Yuga. The four yugas, as defined by Indian scriptures, total about 4.3 million years, with the start to Treta Yuga placed 2.5 million years ago. The King, while in the jungle, met Adhishesha, the King of Serpents, who took him inside this cave. In the cave he is said to have seen Lord Shiva and all the gods who resided in this temple.
Then it was the Pandavas who discovered this cave in the Dwapar Yuga (about 1.2 million years ago). They were said to have worshiped the gods in this cave. In the Kali Yuga, it was again discovered by Adi Shankaracharya. He added a metal plate to the Shiva linga (the form in which Lord Shiva is worshiped.) and performed rituals.
Now to what you see in the caves. It is mostly stone formations that take the shape of various stories from mythology.
The Celestial Doors
The Dwars (the doors): The temple is believed to have four gates (more like an opening in the cave)—Ranadwar, Papdwar, Dharmadwar, and Mokshadwar. As per mythology, when King Ravana was killed, the Papdwar (door of sin) was closed. After the war of the Mahabharata, the Ranadwar (the door of war) was also closed. The other two openings can be seen, and the priest explains that no one has gone through those openings to be able to explain what lies behind them. The Mokshadwar (the door of salvation) beckons invitingly, but then…
Ganesha’s severed head
Symbolically, the severed head of Lord Ganesha is here in this temple. This is referred to as the Adiganesh. Water keeps dripping on this as if in offering.
The End of the World :
On an elevated stone ledge stand four small stone protrusions, representing the four yugas. The three that represent the years that have passed are shrunk. The one that represents the current Kaliyuga is said to be growing.
Legend has it that when that rock form touches the roof above the ledge, there will be a catastrophic flood, which will mark the end of the world.
Adi Shankara’s Shivalinga :
Adi Shankara is believed to have stayed in the cave for some time he covered the shivalinga, which he worshiped while he was here. It has a metal cover, which indicates it to be a comparatively recent addition. There is a rock outcrop on the roof above from where three drops of water fall on separate parts of the idol. They drop one after the other and in a sequence. This is water dripping from the cave roof, but the accuracy and the order in which they fall is baffling.
Adisesha : the one who holds the universe up.
A stone formation resembling the hood of a King Cobra. This is symbolic of Adishesha, the celestial king of snakes, who is said to hold the whole universe in his hood.
An hour of unbelievable stories later, I went back up the tunnel. As I stepped out of the cave, my feet were cold from walking barefoot in the cave. My mind was fuzzy; I had no idea what had hit me. While the rational side of my mind argued incessantly, the symbolism and the mystical tales won the day.
It was as if the lifespan of the universe was encapsulated in a huge cave. One may call it a story from an imaginative mind or a realm that the humans are incapable of understanding.
The panoramic views that Chaukori promised were ignored; they stood no chance when pitted against this magical journey.
The Patal Bhuvaneswar has to be on your list of places to visit, if you are in Uttarakhand, the Land of Gods. (Read more here).
A footnote in jest: The stone had a long way to go to touch the roof, so I presume we are safe for now!!
A Travel Guide
The nearest airport to Patal Bhuvaneshwar Cave Temple is Pantnagar Airport (244 km), while the closest railway station is Tanakpur (154 km) on the Bareilly–Kathgodam line. The nearest bus connectivity is from Gangolihat (14 km).
The best time to visit is March–June and October–November, avoiding the monsoon. Within 150 km, you can explore Mukteshwar, Almora, Binsar, Joshimath, Berinag, and Pithoragarh.
🏞️ Other nearby Places Worth Visiting
Within 150 km of Patal Bhuvaneshwar, you can explore a mix of pilgrimage sites, hill stations, and natural retreats:
- Mukteshwar (56 km): Famous for its temple and Himalayan views.
- Berinag (30 km): Known for tea gardens and serpent temples.
- Almora (90 km): Cultural hub with temples and scenic landscapes.
- Binsar (95 km): Wildlife sanctuary and panoramic Himalayan views.
- Pithoragarh (37 km): Gateway to the Himalayas, rich in history and culture.
- Joshimath (129 km): A spiritual town, base for Char Dham and Valley of Flowers treks.
- Kotmanya (25 km): Known for musk deer sightings and serene beauty.
