Guptakashi
Encyclopedia
Guptakashi, Gupta Kashi or Guptkashi is a fairly large village located at an elevation of 1319 metres (4,327.4 ft) in the Kedar-khanda ('khanda' means "sector"), in Garhwal Himalayas of Rudraprayag district
in Uttrakhand, India. It is famous for the ancient Vishwanath Temple - dedicated to god Shiva
- similar to the one in Varanasi
(Kashi). The other famous temple here is dedicated to Ardhanareshvara (a half man half woman form of Shiva and Parvati
). The name Guptakashi has legendary significance linked to the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata
. Its religious importance is considered next to that of Varanasi, believed to be the most pious of all Hindu pilgrimage places.
The temple town is located on the way to the Kedarnath, one of the Chota Char Dhams and Panch Kedar
s. It has the scenic backdrop of the snow covered peaks of Chaukhamba
and enjoys a salubrious weather throughout the year.
of the epic Mahabharata, the Pandavas on the advise of god Krishna
and other sages wished to atone for their sins of fratricide
and Brāhmanahatya
committed by them during the war by seeking pardon from Shiva and also pray for his blessings before attaining salvation. But Shiva was not willing to meet them since he was annoyed with them for the unjust events of the war. He, therefore, avoided meeting them at Kashi and went incognito as the bull Nandi to Guptakashi in Uttarakhand. But Pandavas pursued him to Guptakashi and recognized him in the disguised form of Nandi. When Bhima
, the second Pandava brother tried to hold the bull by its tail and hind legs, Nandi vanished from Guptakashi, into the ground (into a cave for hiding), but reappeared later as Shiva in five different forms namely, hump at Kedarnath, face at Rudraprayag, arms at Tungnath
, navel and stomach at Madhyamaheshwar
and the locks at Kalpeshwar
. The vanishing act of Shiva gave the name Guptakashi (hidden Kashi) to this place on the bank of the Mandakini River
. In the upper reaches of the Bhagirathi River
, there is another Kashi, called the Uttarkashi
(North Kashi).
Mythology also states that Shiva proposed to Parvati at Guptakashi (on the road to Kedarnath) before they got married in the small Triyuginarayan
village at the confluence of Mandakini and Sone-Ganga rivers.
According to Puranic literature, Kashi and Kanchi (Kanchipuram) are considered as two eyes of Shiva. Keeping this connotation in view, six more "Kashi"s have been prescribed to be as sacred and spiritual as the main Kashi - Varanasi. Pilgrims, who cannot undertake the long journey to the main Kashi, can travel to the closest Kashi. The six other "Kashi"s cover all the regions of the country. These are: Uttarkashi and Guptakashi in Uttarakhand in Northern Himalayas, Dakshinkashi in southern India, the Guptakashi in eastern India is at Bhubaneswar
, the Kashi at Nashik (also Paithan
) in western India and a Kashi in Mandi in Himachal Pradesh
in Western Himalayas. The Puranas state that all the Kashis have the same degree of sanctity and reverence as the main Kashi - Varanasi.
Another legend declares that when the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb
demolished the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in 1669, and constructed Gaynvapi Mosque (he had even renamed Varanasi as Mohammadâbâd), the Shiva Linga was shifted to Guptakashi for safe keeping. But the original linga of Kashi Vishwanath is stated to have remained here from the time it was shifted.
(ruler of the world). The architectural style of this temple is akin to other temples in Uttrakhand, such as Kedarnath, built in stone with a high tower over the sanctum and a wooden frame and sloping roof in typical architectural style of the region, at the top of the tower. At the entrance to the temple, there are two dwarpalakas (entrance guards) on both sides. The exterior façade is painted with lotuses. At the top of the entrance door, there is an image of Bhairava
, a terrible form of Shiva. To the left of the main shrine, there is a smaller shrine dedicated to Ardhanareeshvara and at the entrance to this temple there is metallic statue of Nandi facing Shiva’s image in the temple and offering reverential worship. This statue has a Swastika
, a typical Hindu symbol, painted on its side, with its arms aligned in a clockwise direction, considered as an auspicious direction.
Apart from the main Vishwanath temple, a large number of Lingas, symbols of Shiva, are seen in and around Guptakashi, which has resulted in the popular terminology ‘jitne pathar utne shankar’ meaning “as many stones, those many 'Shiva's”. Another temple town called the Ukhimath is located on the opposite bank of the Mandakini river where, during the winter months when Kedarnath temple is inaccessible due to snow conditions, the symbolic deity of Kedarnath is shifted via Guptakashi to Ukhimath to continue worship uninterrupted. The temple priests of Kedarnath stay at Guptakashi during the winter period.
In a small pond (kund) called the Manikarnika Kund here, in front of the temple, a Shiva-linga
is bathed by two springs, representing the rivers Ganges (Bhagirathi) and Yamuna
. The Yamuna spring water emanates from a goumukh (spout in the shape of a cow’s mouth) and the Bhagirathi spring flows through trunks of two elephants strategically placed above the linga.
In addition, there are few other important sites to visit in the vicinity of the temple town. These are the Gandhi Sarovar (lake) 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the town where the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi
were immersed. Vasukital, 8 kilometres (5 mi) from Kedarnath, is yet another enchanting lake that beholds the visitor with floating ice and sparkling water.
At Ukhimath, on the opposite bank of the river, there is a stupa
, which according to the local version represents the grave of Nala
. There are also evidences of a love legend narrated, locally only, of Krishna
’s grand son Aniruddha
and demon king Banasura
’s daughter Usha at Ramgarh (in Ronitpur), near Ukhimath, about3 kilometres (1.9 mi) away from Guptakashi. This love affair led to a war between Krishna and Banasura in which the latter was killed, resulting in the end of Banasura's dynasty.
trees (locally called Champa) that provide a sweet scented atmosphere to the place. The temple of Madhyamaheshwar
is 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) northeast of Guptkashi. The road from Guptkashi to Kalimath
and the trek from Kalimath to Madhmaheshwar provide the scenic beauty of Chaukhamba, Kedarnath and Neelkanth peaks.
or Rishikesh by the National Highway, which goes to Badrinath and beyond. It is 178 kilometres (110.6 mi) from Rishikesh.
Rudraprayag District
Rudraprayag district, is a district of Uttarakhand state of northern India. The district occupies an area of 2439 km². Rudraprayag town is the administrative headquarters of the district....
in Uttrakhand, India. It is famous for the ancient Vishwanath Temple - dedicated to god Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
- similar to the one in Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
(Kashi). The other famous temple here is dedicated to Ardhanareshvara (a half man half woman form of Shiva and Parvati
Parvati
Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...
). The name Guptakashi has legendary significance linked to the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
. Its religious importance is considered next to that of Varanasi, believed to be the most pious of all Hindu pilgrimage places.
The temple town is located on the way to the Kedarnath, one of the Chota Char Dhams and Panch Kedar
Panch Kedar
Panch Kedar refers to five Hindu temples or holy places of the Shaivite sect dedicated to god Shiva. They are located in the Garhwal Himalayan region in Uttarakhand, India...
s. It has the scenic backdrop of the snow covered peaks of Chaukhamba
Chaukhamba
Chaukhamba is a mountain massif in the Gangotri Group of the Garhwal Himalaya. Its main summit, Chaukhamba I, is the highest peak in the group. It lies at the head of the Gangotri Glacier and forms the eastern anchor of the group...
and enjoys a salubrious weather throughout the year.
Legend
Popularly-narrated legend holds that subsequent to the Kurukshetra warKurukshetra war
According to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
of the epic Mahabharata, the Pandavas on the advise of god Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
and other sages wished to atone for their sins of fratricide
Fratricide
Fratricide is the act of a person killing his or her brother....
and Brāhmanahatya
Brahmanahatya
Brāhmanahatya is Sanskrit for "the act of killing a Brahmin". Puranic Hinduism considers this act to be a major sin, worse than "ordinary" murder....
committed by them during the war by seeking pardon from Shiva and also pray for his blessings before attaining salvation. But Shiva was not willing to meet them since he was annoyed with them for the unjust events of the war. He, therefore, avoided meeting them at Kashi and went incognito as the bull Nandi to Guptakashi in Uttarakhand. But Pandavas pursued him to Guptakashi and recognized him in the disguised form of Nandi. When Bhima
Bhima
In the Mahābhārata, Bhima is one of the central characters of Mahabharata and the second of the Pandava brothers...
, the second Pandava brother tried to hold the bull by its tail and hind legs, Nandi vanished from Guptakashi, into the ground (into a cave for hiding), but reappeared later as Shiva in five different forms namely, hump at Kedarnath, face at Rudraprayag, arms at Tungnath
Tungnath
Tungnath is the highest temple in the world and is one of the five and the highest Panch Kedar temples located in the mountain range of Tunganath in the Rudraprayag district of Tehri Garhwal, in Uttarakhand, India. The Tunganath mountains form the Mandakini and Alaknanda river valleys...
, navel and stomach at Madhyamaheshwar
Madhyamaheshwar
Madhyamaheshwar or Madmaheshwar is a Hindu temple dedicated to god Shiva, located in the Mansuna village of Garhwal Himalayas in Uttarakhand, India. Situated at an elevation of , it is the fourth temple to be visited in the Panch Kedar pilgrimage circuit, comprising five Shiva temples in the...
and the locks at Kalpeshwar
Kalpeshwar
Kalpeshwar is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located at an elevation of in the picturesque Urgam valley in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand state in India...
. The vanishing act of Shiva gave the name Guptakashi (hidden Kashi) to this place on the bank of the Mandakini River
Mandakini River
Mandakini is a tributary of the Alaknanda River. Mandakini originates from the Charabari Glacier near Kedarnath in Uttarakhand, India. Mandakini is fed by Vasukiganga River at Sonprayag. Mandakini joins Alaknanda at Rudraprayag...
. In the upper reaches of the Bhagirathi River
Bhagirathi River
The Bhāgīrathī is a turbulent Himalayan river in the state of Uttarakhand, India, that is the source stream of the Ganges—the major river of the Gangetic plain of Northern India and the holy river of Hinduism.-Etymology:...
, there is another Kashi, called the Uttarkashi
Uttarkashi
Uttarkashi, meaning Kashi of the north, is a holy town in Uttarakhand, India. It is the district headquarter of Uttarkashi district. Uttarkashi is situated on the banks of river Bhagirathi at an altitude of 1352 m above sea level. Uttarkashi is home to a number of ashrams and temples and also to...
(North Kashi).
Mythology also states that Shiva proposed to Parvati at Guptakashi (on the road to Kedarnath) before they got married in the small Triyuginarayan
Triyuginarayan
Triyuginarayan Temple is a Hindu temple located in the Triyuginarayan village in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand. The ancient temple is dedicated to god Vishnu. Its fame is credited to the legend of god Shiva’s marriage to goddess Parvati witnessed by Vishnu at this venue and is thus a popular...
village at the confluence of Mandakini and Sone-Ganga rivers.
According to Puranic literature, Kashi and Kanchi (Kanchipuram) are considered as two eyes of Shiva. Keeping this connotation in view, six more "Kashi"s have been prescribed to be as sacred and spiritual as the main Kashi - Varanasi. Pilgrims, who cannot undertake the long journey to the main Kashi, can travel to the closest Kashi. The six other "Kashi"s cover all the regions of the country. These are: Uttarkashi and Guptakashi in Uttarakhand in Northern Himalayas, Dakshinkashi in southern India, the Guptakashi in eastern India is at Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar is the capital of the Indian state of Orissa, officially Odisha. The city has a long history of over 2000 years starting with Chedi dynasty who had Sisupalgarh near present-day Bhubaneswar as their capital...
, the Kashi at Nashik (also Paithan
Paithan
Paithan , formerly Pratishthana, is a city and a municipal council in Aurangabad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The city was the capital of the Sātavāhana empire of ancient India that ruled from 2nd century BC to 2nd century AD...
) in western India and a Kashi in Mandi in Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
in Western Himalayas. The Puranas state that all the Kashis have the same degree of sanctity and reverence as the main Kashi - Varanasi.
Another legend declares that when the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
demolished the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in 1669, and constructed Gaynvapi Mosque (he had even renamed Varanasi as Mohammadâbâd), the Shiva Linga was shifted to Guptakashi for safe keeping. But the original linga of Kashi Vishwanath is stated to have remained here from the time it was shifted.
Structures
The main temple is dedicated to Shiva as VishwanathVishwanath
Vishwanath is another name for the Hindu deity Shiva and literally means "Lord of the Universe".It may refer to:* Kashi Vishwanath Temple, important Hindu temple in Varanasi, India dedicated to Shiva...
(ruler of the world). The architectural style of this temple is akin to other temples in Uttrakhand, such as Kedarnath, built in stone with a high tower over the sanctum and a wooden frame and sloping roof in typical architectural style of the region, at the top of the tower. At the entrance to the temple, there are two dwarpalakas (entrance guards) on both sides. The exterior façade is painted with lotuses. At the top of the entrance door, there is an image of Bhairava
Bhairava
Bhairava , sometimes known as Bhairo or Bhairon or Bhairadya or Bheruji , Kaala Bhairavar or Vairavar , is the fierce manifestation of Lord Shiva associated with annihilation...
, a terrible form of Shiva. To the left of the main shrine, there is a smaller shrine dedicated to Ardhanareeshvara and at the entrance to this temple there is metallic statue of Nandi facing Shiva’s image in the temple and offering reverential worship. This statue has a Swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
, a typical Hindu symbol, painted on its side, with its arms aligned in a clockwise direction, considered as an auspicious direction.
Apart from the main Vishwanath temple, a large number of Lingas, symbols of Shiva, are seen in and around Guptakashi, which has resulted in the popular terminology ‘jitne pathar utne shankar’ meaning “as many stones, those many 'Shiva's”. Another temple town called the Ukhimath is located on the opposite bank of the Mandakini river where, during the winter months when Kedarnath temple is inaccessible due to snow conditions, the symbolic deity of Kedarnath is shifted via Guptakashi to Ukhimath to continue worship uninterrupted. The temple priests of Kedarnath stay at Guptakashi during the winter period.
In a small pond (kund) called the Manikarnika Kund here, in front of the temple, a Shiva-linga
Lingam
The Lingam is a representation of the Hindu deity Shiva used for worship in temples....
is bathed by two springs, representing the rivers Ganges (Bhagirathi) and Yamuna
Yamuna
The Yamuna is the largest tributary river of the Ganges in northern India...
. The Yamuna spring water emanates from a goumukh (spout in the shape of a cow’s mouth) and the Bhagirathi spring flows through trunks of two elephants strategically placed above the linga.
In addition, there are few other important sites to visit in the vicinity of the temple town. These are the Gandhi Sarovar (lake) 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the town where the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
were immersed. Vasukital, 8 kilometres (5 mi) from Kedarnath, is yet another enchanting lake that beholds the visitor with floating ice and sparkling water.
At Ukhimath, on the opposite bank of the river, there is a stupa
Stupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
, which according to the local version represents the grave of Nala
Nala
Nala , a character in Hindu mythology, is the king of Nishadha Kingdom, son of Virasena. Nala is known for his skill with horses and culinary expertise. He marries princess Damayanti, of Vidarbha Kingdom, and their story is told in the Mahabharata. His main weakness is gambling...
. There are also evidences of a love legend narrated, locally only, of Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
’s grand son Aniruddha
Aniruddha
Aniruddha , meaning "uncontrolled" or "without obstacles", was the son of Pradyumna and the grandson of Krishna. He is said to have been very much like his grandfather, to the extent that he may be a jana avatar. The four important Vishnu extensions are Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, and...
and demon king Banasura
Banasura
Bana , in Hindu mythology, was a thousand-armed asura and son of Bali. Banasura was a powerful and terrible asura. All people, even the king of earth and Devas of heaven, were afraid of him. Bana was a follower of Siva. Banasura ruled in present-day central Assam with his capital at Sonitpur ,...
’s daughter Usha at Ramgarh (in Ronitpur), near Ukhimath, about3 kilometres (1.9 mi) away from Guptakashi. This love affair led to a war between Krishna and Banasura in which the latter was killed, resulting in the end of Banasura's dynasty.
Geography
Guptakashi is located in the Northern Himalayan belt within the Mandakini river valley, which has lush green forests. A number of streams and rivulets drain into the main Mandakini River. It has salubrious climate with its elevation being around 1319 metres (4,327.4 ft). The snow sparkling view of the Chaukhamba peak is a lovely sight to behold in the morning hours from here. The valley has large magnoliaMagnolia
Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol....
trees (locally called Champa) that provide a sweet scented atmosphere to the place. The temple of Madhyamaheshwar
Madhyamaheshwar
Madhyamaheshwar or Madmaheshwar is a Hindu temple dedicated to god Shiva, located in the Mansuna village of Garhwal Himalayas in Uttarakhand, India. Situated at an elevation of , it is the fourth temple to be visited in the Panch Kedar pilgrimage circuit, comprising five Shiva temples in the...
is 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) northeast of Guptkashi. The road from Guptkashi to Kalimath
Kalimath
Kalimath is one of the divine places and "shaktipith" situated on the side of river Saraswati in the beautiful valley of Himalayas surrounded by snow covered peaks of Kedarnath close to Ukhimath and Guptakashi in Rudraprayag District of Uttarakhand the 27th state of Republic of India.The village...
and the trek from Kalimath to Madhmaheshwar provide the scenic beauty of Chaukhamba, Kedarnath and Neelkanth peaks.
Access
It is approachable from Rudraprayag by road over a distance of 24 miles (38.6 km). Rudrprayag is approached from HaridwarHaridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
or Rishikesh by the National Highway, which goes to Badrinath and beyond. It is 178 kilometres (110.6 mi) from Rishikesh.