Patal Bhuvaneshwar Cave, where the secret of the end of the world is hidden!

Well, there are many caves across the world that have, over the time, turned into popular tourist spots. But, did you know that there are some that are so mysterious that they have remained a puzzle to be solved till date?

So, cut to chase, we take you to one such cave in India that will raise the bar of your curiosity level. It’s located in Uttarakhand, and is known as the Patal Bhuvaneshwar Cave Temple. If you have read puranas, you must have found its mention there. It is believed that the secret of the end of the world is hidden in the womb of this cave.
It’s located around 90 ft below sea level, and one can find very narrow paths to go inside it. If we go by the records, this temple was first discovered by King Rituparna of the Surya dynasty, who ruled Ayodhya in Treta Yuga. It was here that King Rituparna met Adhishesha, the King of Serpents. As per the beliefs, King Rituparna was the first human to discover this temple.

King Rituparna was taken inside by the King of Serpents, where he got the darshan of Lord Shiva and other deities. However, after this, no mention of the cave can be found anywhere else. It’s believed that the Pandavas then discovered it again in Dwapar Yuga. As per the beliefs, Pandavas used to worship in this cave.
It is said in Skanda Purana that Lord Shiva resides in Patal Bhuvaneshwar, and it’s this place where all the gods and goddesses come to worship him. Also, if we go by what mythology states, Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya later discovered this cave in Kali Yuga, when he installed a shivalinga here, made of copper.

There are four gates in this temple, namely— Ranadwar, Papdwar, Dharmadwar, and Mokshadwar. As per mythology, when King Ravana was killed, the Papdwar was closed, whereas after the war of Mahabharata, the Ranadwar was also closed.

It is also believed that the severed head of Lord Ganesha is here in this temple, where he is called Adiganesh, and the temple has four pillars that symbolise Satyuga, Tretayuga, Dwaparayuga, and Kaliyuga. Among them, the pillars of Kaliyuga have the longest length.

It is said that a shivalinga in this cave is growing continuously and, as per the beliefs, when it touches the ceiling of the cave, the world will end!