Jatashankar Cave

Getting there

• By air

  Raja Bhoj Airport in Bhopal (BHO), about 200 km from Pachmarhi, is the nearer airport. Jabalpur Airport (JLR), about 250 to 260 km away, is the other option.

• By train

  Pipariya Railway Station (PPI) is the nearest station to Pachmarhi, about 50 km away.

• By road

  Buses to Pachmarhi start from Rani Kamalapati ISBT in Bhopal and take close to 5 to 6 hours. They pass through Hoshangabad, Chhindwara, Makhan Nagar, Sohagpur and Pipariya.

Why devotees come here

Jatashankar is a natural cave and Hindu shrine of Shiva, north of Pachmarhi in Narmadapuram district, Madhya Pradesh. The cave holds 108 naturally formed shivalingas, and it is a popular destination for pilgrims.

The legend says Shiva hid in this spot from the wrath of Bhasmasura, a demon who had been granted the power to burn anyone on whose head he placed his hand. The caves are considered sacred because of this link. In the wider story, Vishnu's female avatar Mohini tricks the demon into turning himself to ashes. The name joins Jata, meaning matted hair, with Shankara, another name of Shiva.

The shrine sits in a deep ravine, with enormous boulders perched above it. Inside, stalagmites are revered as naturally formed lingams. The cave holds 108 naturally formed shivalingas, and the underground Gupt Ganga stream is also part of it. The cave structure is said to resemble Shesha, the hundred-headed serpent that is the mount of Vishnu.

The cave lies north of Pachmarhi, a hill station in the Satpura Range in central India. Satpura National Park lies in the same Narmadapuram district. Pachmarhi is also a popular tourist spot.

Tips for your visit

• Two spring-fed ponds lie in the locality, one of cold water and one of hot water.
• The Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve covers areas of Narmadapuram, Betul and Chhindwara districts.

Questions people ask