HALESI / MARATIKA (Caves at)
27.193100,86.630600
Description
The caves at the village of Halesi in Kothang district of Sagarmatha zone constitute a pilgrimage site (note 1), which is not only sacred to Hindus from the Terai and ajacent northern India but also to Buddhists from Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan. The main attractions of the holy site are two caves, situated on the same hill. The country rock was identified as dolomitic limestone (WALTHAM 1971h: 81). Other caves in the vicinity are –>Bhairab Gufa and the –>Dungdelima Gufa. Both MUNTHE (1975) and SCHERZER (1992: 5) report having heard the rumour about yet another cave (note 2) apparently situated at a distance of about half an hour's walk from Halesi. ETYMOLOGY: Hindus call the sacred spot »Sri Haleshwar Mahadev« (Lord of the Chariot) and associate it with Shiva, because he manifests himself in the form of a linga, a stalagmite (speleothem). The lower cave is known as –>Basaja Gufa and the upper cave, which is near the top of the hill, larger and much more famous, is called Maratika Phug (note 3) by Buddhists and –>Shiva Mandir Gufa by Hindus. In Tibetan tradition, Shiva Mandir Gufa is the »Cave of Meditation endowed with a mandala« and Basaja Gufa »Cave [endowed with] glorious qualities« (BUFFETRILLE 1994d: 58 after BYA 'BREL RINPOCHE s.a. circa 1990). Western outsiders tend to christen the latter cave after the name of the populated place and call it »Halesi Cave« (). SITUATION: »in Halesi, where the Dudhkosi and Sankosi unite« (HAMILTON BUCHANAN 1819 edited 2009: 165). The village of Halesi (note 4) lies above the east (orographically left) bank of Dudh Kosi at where it joins Sun Kosi (note 5) and at a linear distance of about 7.5 km south-west from the Lamidanda airfield. APPROACH 1992,1: From Lamidanda, the village of Halese is reached by a 6 hour walk across the Halesi Danda (ridge) via populated places called »Bijule« (note 6) and »Aarkhaule« (note 7). APPROACH 1992,2: Halesi (Halese) is also accessible from Rabuwa / Rampua (note 8), at the bridge across Dudh Kosi below Lamidanda, and proceeding »up valley« (down the Dudh Kosi?) to Mahadeo Besi (note 9). APPROACH 1992,3: The third way to reach Halesi is by a strenuous 7 hours walk approximately south-east from Okhaldunga (note 10), which lies 3 km west from Rumjatar airfield (N27°18': E086°33'). APPROACH 1992,4: »The last possibility to reach Halesi is by a two day's march from the bus-stop at Katari [note 11], which I esteem to be a way only negotiable by Nepali wandering birds. All rumours concerning car, bus, lorry or other driving suppositories are phantasms and anything but likely« (SCHERZER 1992: 3). APPROACH 1814: On the route from Chatra to the Kathmandu Valley: »On the first day’s journey, cross the Kosi to Mayna, and then the San kosi to Lasuniya. A day’s journey from Lasuniya to Kuta. One day’s journey to Khatang, which may be five or six coses north from the San kosi. From Khatang to Kamtel, one day. To Halesi, at the junction of the Dudhkosi, one day. From Halesi to Teliya, about three coses from the San Kosi, one day. To Bangnam, on the west of the Lekho, one day. To Chupulu, one day. To Mantali ghat, on the Tamba Kosi (the village is on the west side), one day. To Puchi Ghat on the San Kosi, one day. To Dumja, on the Rusi, one day. To Dapcha, on the north side of the Rusi, one day. To Banipa [Banepa], at the head of the Rusi, on the hills that bound the valley of Nepal, one day« (HAMILTON BUCHANAN 1819 edited 2009: 166). CULTURAL HISTORY -- cave legend: GIRI & GIRI (1994) recall a version of the Bhasmasur / Basmansur legend according to which the Hindu god Shiva came to Halesi to hide from the demon king. CULTURAL HISTORY -- religious industry outlet: Halesi village is almost deserted during the monsoon (rainy season) and late summer but large numbers of pilgrims visit the site on occasion of festivals (religious fairs) and the simultaneously held markets (mela). A spy in the pay of the East India Company had procured already in 1814 intelligence according to which there is »at the temple of Siva in Halesi, where the Dudhkosi and Sankosi unite, is a very great fair in February« (HAMILTON BUCHANAN 1819 edited 2009: 165). Currently, Hindus perform pilgrimages festivals not only on occassion of Shivaratri (note 12) and at Rama's birthday festival Ram navami in the month of cait (March - April) but also the women's festival Tij in the month of bhadau (August - September) and, at Bala Chaturdasi, the festival of the dead in the month of mangsir (November - December).LITERARY ARCHAEOLOGY: According to Katia Buffetrille, all Hindu informants agree that there has never been any Hindu mahatma (pilgrimage guide) for Halesi. So it is only by visiting the caves with one of the Hindu guardians that one can obtain some of their explanations. In Tibetan literature the caves of Maratika are mentioned from the 12th century onwards. There are several Tibetan Buddhist pilgrimage site descriptions or spiritual geographies (gnas yig) or pilgrimage guides (dkar chag) as well as a series of biographies (rnam thar). They relate to Halesi (has la shod) as sacred Buddhist site Maratika (ma ra ti ka kar tshe), which was 'opened' in the 8th century AD by Guru Rinpoche –>Padmasambhava. The Tibetan texts follow the specific pattern of describing the pilgrimage site as a place, which can be seen only by a being on the path of awakening. Then follow descriptions of the Shiva Mandir Gufa in which Padmasambhava received initiation by Vajra Varahi and obtained the siddhi or power over the "Lord of Death"; the four stones in the four directions representing the four kings of the cardinal points; the four paths to hell (dmyal lam), each endowed with its special properties; the calcite draperies on the ceiling are images of victory banners, and the stalagmite disks are honorary canopies. It is also said that 'treasures' (in Tibetan: gter ma) are still hidden in the caves and that they will be revealed in due time. The wood block printed guides also describe Basaja Gufa, in which Padmasambhava overcame a demoness, and from which he flew away straight wards into space. –>BYA 'BREL RIN PO CHE (s.a.).In the "Sacred Biography of Master Padma, Copper Isle version (Slob dpon padma'i rnam thar zangs gling ma)", revealed by NYANG {RAL} NYI MA 'OD ZER [1124 tp 1192 or 1136 to 1204], the folio 21-22 of the 1989 edition describe the episode of how Padmasambhava originally 'opened' Maratika. A narrative of 20 lines tells the meeting of Padmasambhava and Lady Mandarava, daughter of the king of Zahor, who possessed all marks of a dakini. The two of them set out for the caves called Maratika and after three months Padmasambhava received a vision of Buddha Amitabha, who placed nectar filled decanters on the heads of Padmasambhava and his partner. As he pours some of it into their mouths, both became 'Knowledge Holder of Immortality' (in Tibetan: tshe la dbang ba'i rig 'dzin, in Sanskrit: vidyadhara) and obtained the siddhi or miraculous power over life. In a similar, but less detailed account the same story is told in the treasure text (gter ma) Padma bka' thang sde lnga. thang yig shel brag ma.- by 'O RGYEN GLING PA [1323 to 1369]. Another treasure finder, BSAM GTAN GLING PA (s.a., circa second half of the 17th century), consecrates six folio of "The Life of Lady Mandarava" in verse to the event. Other, more recent texts, like BAL PO NGAG DBANG RDO RJE (1744) and BSTAN 'DZIN CHOS KYI NYI MA (1755) gives but a stray reference to the site. The current Maratika lama [born in 1922] is the author of a detailed account of the sacred cave site (NGAG DBANG CHOS 'PHEL RGYA MTSHO s.a., circa 1992: The Maratika rock-cave. Autobiography of Lama Nawang Chophel Gyamtsho) from which BUFFETRILLE (1994d) translated excerpts.
NOTE 1: Helicopter pilgrimages by H.M.S. king and queen in 1983 and 1988 eventually resulted in causing problems of how to spend a generously donated sum of 600'000 Nepali Rupees to "renovate" the site (Department of Archaeology, informal talk; BUFFETRILLE 1994d mentions a sum of 715'000 NRs). Since cement was quite costly then, the Archaeological Department ordered a couple of tons to be carried in and to enhance nature's beautify with the help of a concrete floor, concrete stairways and concrete walls with iron grills at entrances. There was enough money to compensate the owners of several houses, which were demolished, and a dharamsala was reconstructed elsewhere. The Buddhist lama Nawang Chophel Gyamtsho (Ngag dBang Chos 'Phel rGya mTsho, born 1922) of the local Nyingmapa monastery, however, never claimed the 92'000 NRs meant to move the monastery, which was only recently completed in 1984. NOTE 2: The rumoured cave is said to be smaller than Shiva Mandir or Basaja Gufa and reputed to have come into existence only a few years ago due to speleogenetic activities of local spirits. NOTE 3: maratike (Sanskrit) »bringing death to an end.« NOTE 4: Halesi (also: Halese, Maratike) is indicated as »Mahadevsthan (Halesi)« near N27°11'35”: E086°37'50”: 1450 m asl on Central Service Map 13 Kothang (1989 edition). NOTE 5: The Dudh Kosi joins the Sun Khosi at Jortighat near N27°09': E086°27' (WGS84): 999 m asl (Central Service Map 13 Kothang, 1989 edition). NOTE 6: The place name »Bijule« seems to reflect a mis-understanding if it is not a (hydro-electric?) power station as the Nepali (Gorkhali) noun "bijuli" means »electricity, electric light.« NOTE 7: »Aarkhaule« is indicated as »Arkhoule« near N27°13'10”: E086°40'15” (Central Service Map 13 Kothang, 1989 edition). NOTE 8: »Rabuwa« is indicated as »Rampua« near N27°15': E086°40' (Central Service Map 13 Kothang, 1989 edition). NOTE 9: Mahadeo Besi is not identified. NOTE 10: Okhaldunga N27°18'35”: E086°30'45” (Central Service Map 13 Kothang, 1989 edition). NOTE 11: Katari Bazar N26°58': E086°22' (Central Service Map 14 Udayapur, 1989 edition). NOTE 12: Shivaratri, on occasion of the first full moon after the spring equinox in the lunar month of Phalgun (February / March), when Shiva dances the tandava (cosmic victory dance).
Documents
Bibliography 24/07/2016- Blum, Betsy 1988; Buffetrille, Katia 1994a, 1994b, 1994c, 1994d; Hamilton Buchanan, Francis 1819, 2009; Dowman, Keith 1981: 250; Giri, D & Giri, B P 1994; Macdonald & Dvagspo Rinpoche 1981; MacDonald, Alexander W 1985; Munthe, Jens, West, R M, Lukacs, J R & Shresta, T B 1975; Nimri Aziz, Barbara 1983; Pavey, Andrew 1976; Scherzer, Uwe 1993; Waltham, Tony [Anthony C] 1971h. Bal po ngag dbang rdo rje 1744; Bsam gtan gling pa s.a.; Bstan 'dzin Chos kyi nyi ma 1755; Bya 'brel rin po che 1994; Gu ru rin po che'i dang po sbas yul … (s.a.); Gu ru'i sgrub khang ha la shi ri… (s.a.); Ngag dbang chos 'phel rgya mtsho s.a., circa 1992; Nyang nyi ma 'od zer [1124-1192† or 1136-1204†] 1989; 'O rgyen gling pa [1329-1367†]; Samten Lingpa s.a.
Cavités proche
| Distance (km) | Nom | Longueur (m) | Profondeur (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | BASAJA GUFA | ||
| 0.0 | BHAIRAB GUFA, Maratika / Halesi | ||
| 0.0 | DUNGDELIMA GUFA | ||
| 0.0 | MARATIKA PHUG | ||
| 0.9 | Maratika Cave | ||
| 41.5 | SHIVA, Bhojpur, Koshi zone, Nepal (Cave of) | ||
| 42.1 | TAKESHWAR (Cave at) | ||
| 68.5 | CHHOYANG CAVE | ||
| 70.8 | KUMJUNG (Cave near) |