KUKKUTAPADAGIRI, Gurpa, 1st (Cave on)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

The lower one of a pair of modified natural rift caves (apparently originating from gravitational mass dislocation) which are used as temple caves sacred to Hindu believers (note 1) and associated with Buddhist legends (note 2). SITUATION: The hill Gurpa (1653 feet = 504 m asl, NG45-13, 1962 edition) lies a walking distance of 1.5 km due south of Gurpa Railway Station (N24°33': E085°18' at kilometre 40 (mile 25) on the railway from Gaya to Katrasgarh) and about 35 km in a direct line east of Bodhgaya (Budh Gaya). APPROACH: To get to Gurpa take the Fatipur [Fatehpur] road from Gaya via Fatipur to Gurpa, a distance of about 33 kilometres over fairly good roads. It will be a long days journey from Bodh Gaya so leave early. […] When you arrive at the village of Gurpa, cross the railway line and take one of the paths that lead to the mountain. From its foot a rough and rather steep path leads up. This path will eventually stop at the base of a sheer cliff which has a huge narrow crack n it. Enter this crack and proceed upwards. Don't forget to bring a torch, you'll need it. After emerging from the dark into the open again keep climbing and soon you will come to another cave (buddhanet.net/e-learning/pilgrim/pg_07.htm accessed 28.09.2003). CAVE DESCRIPTION: Babu Rakhal Das Banerji (in: BANERJI & BLOCH 1906) provides a sketched location map, a cave plan, a photo, and notes a single slippery path leading on the north side to the top of the hill surrounded by thick woods: In the middle of the chain there is a sharp rising of about 300 ft. [90 m] which divides itself at the top into three sharp peaks; after this, at a distance of about 500 ft. [150 m], it ends abruptly. […] There is a sort of wood-land track up to the back of the hill, i.e., up to the base of the highest peak, going across the hills to the south-western or other side and ultimately loosing itself in a rough upward incline at the base of the highest peak. Here is a small Ahir shrine consisting of sixsmall mounds of earth well plastered with cowdung and marked with vermilion, which is known as Dvarapala, the gate-keeper of Gurpasinmai. Here, concealed among the shrubbery, appears the mouth of a tunnel or cave 4 ft. [1.2 m] wide and 6 ft. [1.8 m] in height. At a small distance from the entrance, it branches into two parts, one south-westerly going downwards and choked with large bricks, stones and rubbish, and the other 2 ft. [0.6 m] in width in the entrance going upwards, gradually narrowing until at the 53rd ft. [16.2 m] from the junction, it becomes impassable, being merely a fissure in the rock with sharp rocks interlacing across the fissure. Here another passage opens towards N.E. [north-east]. Turning to this gallery one stumbles as it is extremely dark, upon a staircase of 28 steps at the end of which the passage turns sharply almost at right angles towards the east and ends on a platform formed by a large boulder [Ahir shrine, small pool of rainwater in natural depression, ath to the cave of –>Kukkutapadagiri (Gurpa) 2].small mounds of earth well plastered with cowdung and marked with vermilion, which is known as Dvarapala, the gate-keeper of Gurpasinmai. Here, concealed among the shrubbery, appears the mouth of a tunnel or cave 4 ft. [1.2 m] wide and 6 ft. [1.8 m] in height. At a small distance from the entrance, it branches into two parts, one south-westerly going downwards and choked with large bricks, stones and rubbish, and the other 2 ft. [0.6 m] in width in the entrance going upwards, gradually narrowing until at the 53rd ft. [16.2 m] from the junction, it becomes impassable, being merely a fissure in the rock with sharp rocks interlacing across the fissure. Here another passage opens towards N.E. [north-east]. Turning to this gallery one stumbles as it is extremely dark, upon a staircase of 28 steps at the end of which the passage turns sharply almost at right angles towards the east and ends on a platform formed by a large boulder [Ahir shrine, small pool of rainwater in natural depression, ath to the cave of –>Kukkutapadagiri (Gurpa) 2].