RANIKHET MAHAGUFA

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Ranjiv Butalia (indiatravelogue.com/phot/caves.html accessed 2005.10.10) has a Gufa near Jhula Devi Mandir (12.jpg Gufa, Ranikhet), a sacred cave or rock shelter near a -mandir- (temple) festooned with bells and dedicated to one Jhula Devi, a swing & bridge goddess (note 1). SITUATION: About a kilometre in an unidentified direction from Ranikhet (N29°39': E079°25'), the hill station and home to the Kumaon Regiment, which lies about 68 km along the road north of Nainital / Naini Tal (N29°23': E079°27': 1940 m asl). CULTURAL HISTORY - human use: This is perhaps the cave of which YOGANANDA (1946 chapter 34) narrates how both Swami Kebalananda and Lahiri Mahasya remember to have met their teacher Babaji there: In -caves- (consider a case of honorific plural) in a rock face on a hill called Drongiri (note 2) at an Indian walking distance (not far) from the military sanatorium at Ranikhet. It is on Dronagiri, where the story of Karttikeya's disappointment is staged, which was trigered by his parents (note 3) conducting the marriage of his brother Ganesh before his own (note 4): Karttikeya felt deceived and retired hurt to a sulking corner on Krauncha Mountain, where he is believed to -reside- pouting to this day (after JAIN 2004: 206-209).Ranjiv Butalia (indiatravelogue.com/phot/caves.html accessed 2005.10.10) has a Gufa near Jhula Devi Mandir (12.jpg Gufa, Ranikhet), a sacred cave or rock shelter near a -mandir- (temple) festooned with bells and dedicated to one Jhula Devi, a swing & bridge goddess (note 1). SITUATION: About a kilometre in an unidentified direction from Ranikhet (N29°39': E079°25'), the hill station and home to the Kumaon Regiment, which lies about 68 km along the road north of Nainital / Naini Tal (N29°23': E079°27': 1940 m asl). CULTURAL HISTORY - human use: This is perhaps the cave of which YOGANANDA (1946 chapter 34) narrates how both Swami Kebalananda and Lahiri Mahasya remember to have met their teacher Babaji there: In -caves- (consider a case of honorific plural) in a rock face on a hill called Drongiri (note 2) at an Indian walking distance (not far) from the military sanatorium at Ranikhet. It is on Dronagiri, where the story of Karttikeya's disappointment is staged, which was trigered by his parents (note 3) conducting the marriage of his brother Ganesh before his own (note 4): Karttikeya felt deceived and retired hurt to a sulking corner on Krauncha Mountain, where he is believed to -reside- pouting to this day (after JAIN 2004: 206-209).