CHAMUNDA DEVI GUFA, Dewas

Dewas (Dewas Nagar Tahsil - IN)
22.966700,76.066700
Grottocenter / carte

Description

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 25/03/2016

A modified natural sacred cave (?) or man-made 'cave temple' (rock-cut chamber used for religious purposes) is situated on Chamunda Devi Pahar or Devivasini (note 1), the hill at Dewas town (note 2). The cave is »dark« and contains an image (rock art) of the goddess Chamunda (note 3) cut in the rocky wall. FORSTER (1953a, 1953b edited 1983: 13, 16, 47, 95-96, 134, 137) had spent some time at Dewas and gives a few stray references to »The Hill of Devi« and »… the dark cave of Chamunda on the top.« The goddess is »… a barbaric vermilion object. […She is] youngest and most amiable of seven sisters, but I should not like to meet her on a dark night. […] Who was Chamunda, and how long had she resided up there? I never found out, but it was agreed that she had been around longer than anyone else.« The goddess was venerated on certain festivals, e.g. Dussera (Dassera, e.g. on 13 October 1921). In 1907 Malcolm had witnessed a more gorgeous celebration: »It began with the ceremonial ascent of Devi: the nobles and officials worshipped in the sacred cave on the summit, and five times circled round a fire of faggots hand in hand: the fifth time they whetted their swords in the flame.«

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 25/03/2016

NOTE 1: »Chamunda Pahar« (Chamunda Hill) or »Chamunda Devi Pahar« (Hill of the Goddess Chamunda) is also called »Devivasini« (Residence of the Goddess). NOTE 2: IMPERIAL GAZETTEER (1907-1909, 11: 281) places the town of Dewas (N22°58': E076°04': 544 m asl Everest 1830) at the foot of the conical hill which rises about »300 feet« (100 m) above the general level. NOTE 3: Chamunda, a form of Durga, is »a real terror, armed with a scimitar, noose and maze, and clothed in elephant hide; her mission was to kill the demons Chanda and Munda« (LONELY PLANET, India 2005 glossary: 1106).

Documents

Bibliography 25/03/2016
  • Forster, Edward Morgan 1953a, 1953b, 1965, 1983.

Histoire

EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1907: Malcolm witnessed a Dussera celebration in Chamunda Gufa (FORSTER 1983: 137). 1921.09.13: Edward Morgan Forster witnessed a Dussera celebration on Chamunda Pahar (FORSTER 1983: 136). Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 25/03/2016

Cavités proche

Distance (km)NomLongueur (m)Profondeur (m)
37.7BHARTRIHARI CAVE, Ujjain (Cave of)
107.2NAYAPURA SHELTERS
129.2BHAIRAGARH SHELTERS
130.4KATHOTIA SHELTERS
131.3AWAR (Caves near)
133.3NARASINGHGARH SHELTERS
133.3AULIKARA CAVE-SHELTER, Narasinghgarh
135.2SHAHAD KARAR SHELTERS
135.8DHARAMPURI SHELTERS