BHAIRAVA, Karjat - Dhak (Cave of)
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Description
An »impressive cave« sacred to Bhairava is situated at a certain village of Dhak (note 1) near one of the towns called Karjat (note 2). ETYMOLOGY: Bhairava, literally: The Terrible, the eighth incarnation of Shiva in his demonic form. CULTURAL HISTORY - folklore: Cave legend: »The story of the Umbare Navalakh migration … The patron god Bhairav, called simply Nath (The Lord) came from Konkan via Dhak near Karjat. The first settlement was on top of the hill back of the village, a long plateau which holds water for at least six months a year, and where the village cattle still graze. The original Nath shrine is near the top, above a saddleback pass. The village then moved down to the bottom of the hill; the site is marked by the older Hanuman temple. The final move was a mile further to the riverside, where the village remains to this day about the main Nath temple … The villagers still make the difficult annual pilgrimage to the impressive cave of Bhairav above Dhak, which takes two complete days each way« (KOSAMBI, D D 1962 / 1982, 1993: 124).
NOTE 1: The village of »Dhak« (KOSAMBI) is not identified. The 'Dhak' tree (Butea frondosa) grows in Punjab, Harayana, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. NOTE 2: In the area, there are at least three distinct populated places called Karjat: Karjat N19°42': E075°44' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003), in Aurangabad district? Karjat N18°55': E073°20' near Matheran, in north-eastern Kolaba district, in one Karjat taluk (N18°45': E073°11' to 19°08': E073°33', Everest 1830, IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909), about 100 km north-west of Pune / Poona. Karjat N18°33': E075°00' in southern Ahmadnagar district, in an other Karjat taluk (N18°45': E073°11' to N19°08': E073°33', Everest 1830) about 150 km east of Pune / Poona.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.3 | AMBIVALE, Jambrug (Cave near) | ||
| 11.1 | PANTHER's CAVE, Matheran | ||
| 11.1 | One Kiss Tunnel [Matheran] | ||
| 15.2 | KONDANE CAVES | ||
| 20.4 | KHANDALA RAILWAY TUNNEL | ||
| 20.4 | LOHOGAD CAVES | ||
| 20.4 | KHANDALA SUBTERRANEAN PALACE | ||
| 20.4 | Khandala Pipe Tunnel | ||
| 21.3 | KARLA (Cave at) |