KAMADHENU CAVE, Chitrakoot

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 30/03/2016

A gravitational fissure in Precambrian (Vindhyan) sandstone is used as a temple cave sacred to Kamadenhu. The small, dry, horizontal, and daylight lit temple cave with a concrete floor, plastered walls and ceiling, houses two plaster statues of cow-shaped idols. It is about 1 m wide and 1.5 m high at the south-south-east (165°) facing cave entrance but decreases to an impenetrable fissure some 3 m inside. SITUATION: At a linear distance of about 2.5 km west-south-west of Chitrakoot (also: Chitrakut) town (PWD near N25°10'25": E080°52'10" Everest 1830: 150 m asl) and not far from the south gate on the south-western flank of the hill Kamadgiri (also: Kamadagiri, Kamtanathgiri). The cult spot is indicated as »Kamadhenu Cave« by DUBEY & SINGH (1994 figure 7 map »Kamadgiri Kshetra«). To reach the temple cave, one has to climb a few steps along a path uphill (ending here) and off to the right-hand side when circumambulating the hill clockwise. It is about the only accessible site above the parikrama (pilgrim's route) and possibly the highest place that can be got at without enraging priests, monkeys or gods.