CHATURBHUJ CAVE, Gwalior Fort
26.223600,78.179200
Description
Not a cave in the speleological sense of the word but a man-made (excavated), apparently daylight-lit and monolithic pit temple (note 1) in the open air is situated on (the hill) Gopagiri (Gopadri, Gopachala) crowned by the Gwalior Fortress (note 2) or »Fort Ganlin« (note 3). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1908: »Near Lakshman Gate is a small rock-cut temple in the 9th century style … dedicated to Chaturbhuj, the four-armed Vishnu, and bears near it an inscription of Raja Bhoj of Kanauj, dated 876, in which he is termed Gopagiri Swami or 'Lord of Gwalior'« (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 12: 441). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2005: In case of descending from Gwalior Fort (note 4) northwards »you pass a 9th century Vishnu shrine known as Chatarbhuj [sic!] Mandir, or Temple of the Four-Armed« (LONELY PLANET, India 1997: 753; 2005: 590). POTENTIAL EMPTYNESS: Compare –>Gwalior Fort "Natural Cavities", the –>Gwalior Temple Cave, and Man Singh Palace Undergrounds -- all on the Gopagiri (Gopadri, Gopachala) or Gwalior Rock, the hill crowned by the Gwalior Fortress.
NOTE 1: This sort of pyramid towers above a "garbha griha" (holiest / sanctum sanctorum), a tiny cell regarded by Hindus as a "cave" housing the god and symbolizing the universe in a nut shell. Some other monolithic temples confusingly regarded as "caves" are –>Dharmnatha (Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh), –>Kailash Cave (Ellora, Maharashtra), –>Maibong Cave (Mikir & North Cachar Hills, Assam), –>Masur Caves (Kangra, Himachal Pradesh), –>Ranachandi (Mikir & North Cachar Hills, Assam), –>Subrahmanya "Cave" (Kalugumalai, Tamil Nadu), –>Thrikakudy Cave (Kaviyur, Kerala), and the –>Waswi Cave (Dhar, Madhya Pradesh). NOTE 2: Beware of racist ticket sales strategies: »A ticket counters (admission India Rs 5 / foreigner Rs 100) near Man singh Palace sells tickets for that palace, Teli ka Mandir plus the Subahu temples, and another ticket (Indian Rs 2 / foreigner Rs 25) for the small museum« (LONELY PLANET, India 2005: 589). NOTE 3: »In the year of 1779, we marched from Fort William to Barahampore [Baharampur N24°06': E088°15'], and in some time after our arrival, the strong fortress of Ganlin [Gwalior] was taken by our troops … It stands on a rock about two coss [some 4, 8 or 16 km] in length, and in many places above four hundred feet [120 m] high, in some three hundred, but in no situation less than one hundred and fifty feet in height. The table is entirely surrounded by a rampart of stone, rising immediately from the edge of the rock, which in most parts, is rendered perpendicular. Within the rampart are many fine buildings, large tanks, innumerable wells [compare –>Gwalior Fort Natural Cavities], and cultivated land. The only access to the fort, is by a flight of steps, defended by the rock on the one side, and a large stone wall on the other, flanked with bastions; and on the summit, is a passage through seven gate-ways. The craggy rock frightfully lofty, into which are hewn many caves [–>Chaturbhuj Cave; –>Man Sing's Palace], at whose entrances are gigantic figures of men and animals; the rampart seeming almost a continuation of this awful precipice; and the rising edifices, whose solemn domes, battlements, and balconies, are suspended, as it were, over the dreadful steep, forming all together, the most sublime view I ever beheld, strike the imagination with a kind of horrible astonishment far beyond simple admiration« (MAHOMET, Dean 1794 edited by FISHER 1997: letter XXX= 30). NOTE 4: Gwalior Fort »Soaring 100 m above the town, the hilltop fort is an amazing 3 km long and offers splendid ruins and spectacular views … There are two approaches to the fort (admission Rs 20, open sunrise to sunset)). From the west a steep road passes through Urvai gate, where a guide (Rs 150) and driver (Rs 230) will offer their services to take you around the fort. From Gwalior Gate in the east it's an almost 1 km-slog uphill to Hathiya Paur [Elephant] Gate where you also have to pay the entry fee. An option is to be driven up to Urvai Gate and then walk down through Gwalior Gate« (LONELY PLANET, India 2005: 587-590). »Gwalior Fortress is the fortified summit of a sandstone hill (1010 ft [308 m]), 2 m. [3.2 km] in length, with area of 2000 acres [8 sq.km] … The fort contains Jain temples, caves with colossal figures, and the Hindoo palace of Man Singh; these are all that is left of buildings which excited Baber's admiration« (SMITH, G 1882: 314).
Cavités proche
| Distance (km) | Nom | Longueur (m) | Profondeur (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | GWALIOR FORT NATURAL CAVITIES | ||
| 0.0 | MAN SINGH PALACE UNDERGROUNDS | ||
| 0.0 | GWALIOR FORT CAVES | ||
| 59.8 | DHAULPUR STEPWELL | ||
| 105.7 | FIROZ SHAH's TUNNELS | ||
| 105.7 | KAMAL UD- DIN (Cave of) | ||
| 105.7 | SHIHAB UD- DIN (Cave of) | ||
| 107.9 | Agra Fort Undergrunds [Cave of Sheikh] | ||
| 153.5 | HATHRAS TAHKHANA |