MUCHUKUND GUFA, Mana
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Description
NOTE 1: When the world was young, the raksha or demon (in Sanskrit: asura) Bhasmasura through constant service and whole-hearted devotion, persuaded Shiva to grant him as a "bar" (benediction) the "siddhi" (super-human ability) of "gauri", which is the power to reduce anyone to ash (bhasma / vashma) merely by touching him with his hand. The moment this power was bestowed, the demon turned upon his benefactor. The "Mahadeo" (great god) fled and hid in a cave with an entrance too small to be penetrated by the King Kong sized demon. The demon was tricked to place his hand on his own head, reducing himself into ashes (after NEWALL 1866: 222 item 14: Soorie Goophar).
One of the three famous caves at Badrinath (N30°44': E079°29') noted by SHIPTON (1939: 189) and SHARMA (1994: 94, 133) is reached by following the Saraswati upstream: First Ganesh Gufa, then –>Vyas Gufa and finally, beyond Mana gorge, the –>Muchukund Gufa is reached.CULTURAL HISTORY - religious folklore (cave legend): Muchukund Gufa is associated with a version of the Bhasmansur legend (note 1). SHARMA (1994: 134) reports that the rishi Muchunder lived in this cave, when demon Kalyawan was granted by god Vishnu the power to kill anybody. The ungrateful demon tried to kill the god who took refuge in the cave. The rishi, however, intentionally killed the demon who was turned into »Kalfang« — a kind of ornamental stone, which not even today is used to build houses.
Cavités proche
| Distance (km) | Nom | Longueur (m) | Profondeur (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | GANESH GUFA, Mana | ||
| 0.1 | VYASA GUFA, Mana | ||
| 1.0 | BHIMPUL, Mana | ||
| 2.5 | VASU DHARA (Cave at the) | ||
| 2.8 | BHIMKUND, Badrinath | ||
| 3.0 | Airawat Mahagufa | ||
| 4.6 | SHAKPADUNGA (Caves at) | ||
| 4.8 | GARUR GUFA | ||
| 9.2 | BUJKULI (Caves at) |