Pithoragarh
Pitoragargh sits in a small valley that has been called 'Little Kashmir' and there  are a number of picturesque walks in the area. Yoou can climb up to Chandak for a view of the Pithoragarh Valley.
Once the bastion of the Chand rulers, Pithoragarh town is littered with
temples and forts belonging to that era. The town is set in a valley popularly known as
Soar and lies in the centre of four hills Chandak, Dhwaj, Kumdar and Thal Kedar, and stretches in the southern flank to Jhulaghat demarcated by the Kali river adjoining
the barren peaks of Nepal Hills. It is snuggled in the folds of four kots: Bhatkot, Dungerkot, Udaikot and Unchakot.
The Village from one other perspective
A journey of some 91 kilometers from Pithoragarh (the last district along the River Kali bordering India and Nepal in the north) towards Berinag, amongst the steep mountains, a road splits down from Guptari taking one straight to the village of Patal Bhuvaneshwar. It is a typical mountain village with small houses clustered together and thick forests lying around it. Communities like Bhandaris (Pujaris), Guraws, Rawals, Deopas and Silpkars reside here adapting to the age-old social conditions prevailing here.
Traditional houses, made of stone and mud, have survived, though few in numbers. A certain number of concrete houses have been developed recently, maintaining an eco-conscious environment around. However, the community residing here comprises, not of outsiders, but of original inhabitants, living here for generations.
Farming is the major economic activity here. During rainy season, one can see rich paddy fields cultivated. Fruits of all kinds have been successfully experimented for growth. A dense forest nearby provides fuel and fodder to the people and to the animals. Women climbing hilltops to cut grass is a common scene. Extensive wildlife has survived in the forests. Reported cases of wildlife) moving on the outskirts of the village are often heard. Deer can be seen in herds from the top of the mountains.
Beyond the thick forest areas are tiny clusters of villages dotting over an outstretched area. One can catch a bird’s eye-view of many remote hamlets scattered below the rigorous mountains. A silent Ramganga (river) suddenly emerges out of nowhere and peacefully flows down amongst the mountains. The place is located on an elevated region between the rivers of Ramganga and Saryu. It is at an altitude of 1350mts. above mean sea level, and it is for this reason that an extensive and vast panorama of the Himalayas with their snowy crowns can be seen at the horizon. In fact, the great peaks of Garhwal, Kumaon and Nepal can be pointed out with great clarity from any point of this village. The picturesque snowy line stretches from one corner of the eye to the other. The landscape - with clouds lying low, vast lands exposed at great distances, thick forests bundled up in between, a river ornamenting this land and ultimately, the great expanse of the white mountains – is, indeed, a feast for the eyes.
In the heart of the village of Patal Bhuvaneshwar is a temple, dating back to the twelfth century A.D, built by the rulers of Chand and Katyuri dynasties. Most parts of the temple have been renovated, yet the ancient identity is not lost. At the entrance of the main temple are the idols of the two Dwarapalas, Jai and Vijay, standing with their weapons in their hands. The roof of the temple has interesting designs, which need both care and deep study to understand the architecture of that age. A lingam and idols of Lord Shiva and Parvati can be found here. In the premises of the temple, in front of the post office is an impressive statue of Lord Hanuman. Next to it, is the small temple of goddess Chandika.
The temple is a good example of vallabhi and nagar style of architecture. Besides the idols of Lord Vishnu, Lakulisha, Uma-Maheshwar, Surya and so on, one can also make out the writings carved on the walls of the temple. The script belongs to Devnagari. However, there have been very few efforts to decipher it.
The most interesting part of this village, for which it is known worldwide, is the cave-temple of the same name: Patal Bhuvaneshwar. It is, in fact, a cave complex, said to comprise of several floors, mostly unexplored and most of them closed forever during the Great Ages (Yugas). The cave had its first mention in Skandpurana, where Sage Veda Vyas elaborately describes the story of Raja Ritupurna who was the first human to enter into it and witnessed the divine world of gods and goddesses. This was in Treta Yuga after which the cave was closed. It was only in the ninth century AD that the famous Indian sage-philosopher, Shankarcharya who rediscovered it and installed a lingam inside it. Since then, regular worship is conducted and a tradition of priests has followed over generations.
See Also
Outside Links
|
