|
About
Gupteswar Cave |
|
The
Gupteswar cave shrine is dedicated to lord Shiva is with
enormous religious significance. Gupteswar Jeypore is a
prominent cave shrine visited by pilgrims even from the nearby
state of Chhattisgarh. Gupteshwar is located about 70 Kms from
Jeypore, Orissa. The cave shrine of Gupteswar in Jeypore in
India is devoted to Lord Shiva- the destroyer among the holy
trinity in Hindu mythology. The Temple is situated above about
150 steps from the foot hills of the hill. Many deep and dark
caves are present in the same hill. Just next to the main
shrine there is a cave extension which takes to Kamdhenu. The
way is pitch dark. One can also go above the hill to have a
look of the entire area.
Many people come here for their Manasik(Mannat) and get their
head tonsured, which is a hindu belief. The Shiva ling is
inside a cave in very dark atmosphere. The sacred lingam is
hidden by rocks and is termed `Gupteswar’ or the Hidden God
and is much honored as Gupta Kedar by the people of nearby
Madhya Pradesh who throng the hillside to worship the deity.
On Shiva Ratri the Gupteswar in Orissa is flocked by pilgrims
all day and all night long. Men, women and children visit the
temple on that auspicious day with offerings of fruits,
sweets, flowers, milk, and bhang. The Gupteswar Jeypore offers
quite a feast for the non believers as well, since the cave
shrine offers a panoramic view of the surroundings and makes a
beautiful sight in itself.
Gupteswar Cave is a limestone cave discovered some time ago
and has a number of beautiful spots around. The main
attraction is the gigantic Shiva Linga which is said to be
increasing in size. Pilgrims from all over the country come
here during the Sravana period, because the yearly BolBom
yarta is held in this place. Gupteswar Cave is a natural cave
with Stalagmites. One has to reach the end to view the superb
scene.Devotees walk to the Gupteshwar during BolBom yatra to
bathe in the maha kund, and then sing near the Shiva Linga.
This Gupteswar cave is special for the underground water and
the view of Davis fall from the extreme end of the cave . It
is really worth seeing.
The atmosphere is peaceful and serene as we visited on a
normal day. This place draws a enormous crowds during
Shivaratri. Gupteshwar is situated near the banks of River
Kolab. It flows through huge rocks and the flow is quite good.
It looked little dangerous to take a dip, though a fence has
been created near the ghat for safety. But the whole sight
looked beautiful. Many pilgrims come from the other side to
visit Lord Shiva and they call this place as "Gupta Kedar". |
|
| |
|
Legend |
|
Gupteswar Cave is surrounded by a dense forest of sal trees and
flanked by the Kolab river, a 2 m high lingam stands in the
cave. The shrine is called "Gupteswar" which means the "Hidden
God". It is so named because it was lying hidden in the cave for
a very long period. One can reach it by climbing the 200 steps
flanked with rows of champak trees. The entrance of the cave is
about 3 m wide and 2 m in height. There are also some other
caves nearby. Inside the second cave there is a large
stalactite. People worship it as the udder of God Kamadhenu (the
divine cow) and wait under it with extended palms to collect
drops of water which fall only at long intervals.
Popularly known as "Gupta Kedar" in the vicinity. This sacred
place is endowed with unusual natural beauty, is associated with
Shri Rama of the epic Ramayana. The nearby hill has been named "Ramagiri".
According to mythology, the lingam was first discovered by Lord
Rama when he was wandering in the Dandakaranya forest with wife
Sita and brother Laxman, and later worshipped it calling it "Gupteswar".
The poet Kalidas too, described the scenic beauty of Ramgiri
forest where the cave temple is referred to in his famous
Meghadutam.
However, with the passing of time, the temple was abandoned.
Later, in the last part of the 19th century, a hunter of the
Ramgiri area found the lingam. Since then the lingam has been
worshipped by the tribes of Koraput region. In Shivaratri (a
Hindu festival) Gupteswar Temple draws over 200,000 devotees
from Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. People suffering
from incurable diseases come here to worship the God and remain
here for months in the hope of getting cured. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chat
