Gupta Dham

Getting there

• By air

  Patna, Varanasi and Gaya have the nearest airports.

• By train

  Sasaram railway station (SSM) is the nearest station.

• By road

  The temple is on NH2, with road links from Patna, Ara, New Delhi, Kolkata and Ranchi.

Why devotees come here

Gupta Dham is a natural cave temple dedicated to Shiva, in the Kaimur range of Rohtas district, Bihar. Its shrine is a lime rock shaped like a Shivling, called Gupteshwar Mahadev. Legend links the cave with the demon Bhasmasura.

Gupta Dham is a natural cave temple dedicated to Shiva. The shrine is a small rock of lime deposits shaped like a Shivling, called Gupteshwar Mahadev. The cave lies in a valley of the Kaimur hill, at the foot of the eastern flank of Chunda hill on the Rohtas Plateau. The plateau, also called the Kaimur Plateau, lies in the south-western part of Bihar.

Legend says the cave is linked to Bhasmasura, a demon who misused a boon given by Vishnu. Local folklore says Shiva intervened to protect Vishnu and killed Bhasmasura at this site. That story gives the cave its religious importance.

The cave is also known as Gupteshwar Cave Temple. It sits in Rohtas district, whose headquarters is Sasaram. A fair is held here on Shivratri and Basant Panchami, and huge crowds gather. Sasaram railway station (SSM) is the nearest station, and Patna, Varanasi and Gaya have the nearest airports.

Festivals

• On Shivratri and Basant PanchamiShivratri and Basant Panchami fair

  A fair draws very large crowds to the cave on both days.

Tips for your visit

• The Rohtas Plateau is also called the Kaimur Plateau, so ask for either name when you check the way.
• Search for Gupteshwar Cave Temple on maps too, since the cave goes by both names.

Questions people ask