The amazing Kedareshwar Temple Cave…

In the Malshej ghats near Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, there is Harishchandragadh. It is one of the few sites in India where microliths (chipped stone used as tools) used by humans between 35000BCE and 10000BCE (in the Microlithic Age) have been found.

This place has also been mentioned in the Matsyapurana, Agnipurana and Skandapurana.

On Harishchandragadh Hill, there is the Harishchandreshwar temple. Towards the right of the temple, there is the huge cave of Kedareshwar, in which there is a massive Shivling, which is completely surrounded by water. The water is generally waist-deep and is always ice-cold.

Ice-cold water seeps into this temple from all the four walls on an everyday basis. The flow of water seepage increases during the monsoons and it becomes the origin of the river Mangalganga which flows out of the temple cave & down the mountain.

As can be seen from the pictures, there is a huge rock above the Shivling. There were four pillars built around the Shivling to support the cave. 3 of these pillars are broken but the single remaining pillar continues to hold up the rock-roof.

Legend has it that each of these four pillars represent the four yugas of Krita-yuga, Treta-yuga, Dwapara-yuga and Kali-yuga and one pillar breaks off on its own at the end of each Yuga.

There is little knowledge about who built this amazing piece of architecture, engineering blending the spiritual with nature so well and managing the natural water seepage / flow from the rock so well.

Whoever did it – kudos to them. Our ancestors were great. This is another example of their genius!!!

I have been here myself as a teenager. It is as fabulous as the photos show. Whenever you get a chance, please do visit this and witness the brilliant engineering marvel.

#TemplesOfIndia #IncredibleIndia


2 thoughts on “The amazing Kedareshwar Temple Cave…

  1. C D Tambe

    It is difficult to hiking / rock climbing , but I have seen this temple more than 30 years ago with my friends, shivling in the middle of cold water is just amazing .

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