GANAPA BHAIRAB GUFA
30.216700,78.783300
Description
NOTE 1: Alaknanda River joins at N30°08': E078°36' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) near Devaprayag (N30°09': E078°37') the Bagirathi to form the Ganges on AMS sheet NH44-05 Dehra Dun (U502 series, 1959 edition) and on the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006: 11 G2). NOTE 2: ATKINSON (1882, vol. 11 edited 1991, 2: 346-347) gives excerpts of the Kedara Khanda, a Sanskrit geography claiming to be part of the Skanda Purana. NOTE 3: Srinagar N30°13': E78°47' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) on AMS sheet NH44-05 Dehra Dun (U502 series, 1959 edition) and on the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006: 11 H1). NOTE 4: »Mohendra peak« (ATKINSON 1882) or Mahendra parbat (or so) in the area is not identified as it is neither listed on nima.mil/geonames (accessed 16.11.2003) nor in IMPERIAL GAZETTEER (1907-1909, 25: 337) or in the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006 index).
A »great cave« (in Sanskrit, Hindi: Mahagufa, Maha Gufa), in which Ganapa Bhairab (Ganapa Bhairav) lives and which communicates by a fabulous subterranean tunnel with the bank of the river Alaknanda (note 1), places the "ancient" (medieval?) Kedara Khanda (note 2) somewhere near the Garhwal Srinagar (note 3) on a certain Mohendra peak (note 4). ETYMOLOGY: Bhairava, literally »The Terrible«, is the eighth incarnation of Shiva in his demonic form.
Documents
Bibliography 28/03/2016- Atkinson, Edwin T 1882, 1991.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | JIWANTI MAHA GUFA | ||
| 0.0 | KANDIKA DEVI GUFA | ||
| 0.0 | RATIPUPA DEVI GUFA | ||
| 0.0 | SMASHANESHWAR MUNI GUFA | ||
| 0.0 | GORAKHNATH CAVE, Srinagar | ||
| 7.4 | JHANGROLI | ||
| 7.4 | BRAHMDUNGI (Cave at) | ||
| 10.4 | DHARI DEVI GUFA | ||
| 17.6 | MARKANDEYA, Deoprayag (Cave of) |