Patal Bhuvaneshwar Cave Temple Tourism

Patal Bhuvaneshwar is a limestone cave temple located in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, India. It is a subterranean shrine of Lord Shiva, situated at an elevation of about 1,350 meters in a village named Bhubneshwar. Legends believe it to be as old as the earth itself and consider it the abode of gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. The cave is 160 meters long and 90 feet deep from the point of entrance. Limestone rock formations have created various spectacular stalactite and stalagmite figures. The way to the cave is through a narrow tunnel-shaped entrance, which leads to several small caves. The caves are adorned with the images of gods and goddesses in the Hindu pantheon. According to mythology, the cave is believed to be the abode of thirty-three crore deities. The interiors of the cave, with its intricate carvings and swayambhu (self-manifested) lingams, carry an air of mystique and spiritual aura.