BHAIRAVA, Karjat - Dhak (Cave of)

(Karjat - IN)
18.950000,73.366700
Grottocenter / carte

Description

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 23/03/2016

An »impressive cave« sacred to Bhairava is situated at a certain village of Dhak (note 1) near one of the towns called Karjat (note 2). ETYMOLOGY: Bhairava, literally: The Terrible, the eighth incarnation of Shiva in his demonic form. CULTURAL HISTORY - folklore: Cave legend: »The story of the Umbare Navalakh migration … The patron god Bhairav, called simply Nath (The Lord) came from Konkan via Dhak near Karjat. The first settlement was on top of the hill back of the village, a long plateau which holds water for at least six months a year, and where the village cattle still graze. The original Nath shrine is near the top, above a saddleback pass. The village then moved down to the bottom of the hill; the site is marked by the older Hanuman temple. The final move was a mile further to the riverside, where the village remains to this day about the main Nath temple … The villagers still make the difficult annual pilgrimage to the impressive cave of Bhairav above Dhak, which takes two complete days each way« (KOSAMBI, D D 1962 / 1982, 1993: 124).

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 23/03/2016

NOTE 1: The village of »Dhak« (KOSAMBI) is not identified. The 'Dhak' tree (Butea frondosa) grows in Punjab, Harayana, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. NOTE 2: In the area, there are at least three distinct populated places called Karjat: Karjat N19°42': E075°44' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003), in Aurangabad district? Karjat N18°55': E073°20' near Matheran, in north-eastern Kolaba district, in one Karjat taluk (N18°45': E073°11' to 19°08': E073°33', Everest 1830, IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909), about 100 km north-west of Pune / Poona. Karjat N18°33': E075°00' in southern Ahmadnagar district, in an other Karjat taluk (N18°45': E073°11' to N19°08': E073°33', Everest 1830) about 150 km east of Pune / Poona.

Documents

Bibliography 23/03/2016

Cavités proche

Distance (km)NomLongueur (m)Profondeur (m)
5.3AMBIVALE, Jambrug (Cave near)
11.1PANTHER's CAVE, Matheran
11.1ONE KISS TUNNEL, Matheran
15.2KONDANE CAVES
20.4KHANDALA RAILWAY TUNNEL
20.4LOHOGAD CAVES
20.4KHANDALA SUBTERRANEAN PALACE
20.4KHANDALA PIPE TUNNEL
21.3KARLA (Cave at)