Bhaderwah is the town endowed with beautiful natural beauty which lends to its nick name ‘MINI KASHMIR’. No doubt that the town is provided with picture-perfect scenic beauty, Bhaderwah has also become a very important destination for pilgrims.
On the east of the town at a distance of 0.5 kms from the river Neru, there is an old Shiv Temple purely made of stone slabs with the name ‘Gupt Ganga’. It has a tomb like construction and long stone slabs have been used in it. Here Ganga abruptly falls on the Lingam and then disappears. Here are 5 things about Gupt Ganga you did’t know:
Gupt Ganga Bhaderwah
Inside the temple, there is a footprint of Bhimsen on a rock. There is a long cave said to have been used by the Pandavas to reach Kashmir from Bhadarwah during the period of their Agyat-Vaas.
Gupt Ganga is one of the famous historical pilgrim place in Bhaderwah., The whole sight is so attractive that visitors desire to go on seeing it again and again. The inside water then flows to a “Bawali” (Pond) where Sadhus, devitees and visitors take bath. The water of the Bawali is cold in summer and warm in winter.
It is called ‘Gupt Ganga’ because the stream of water comes into the temple in a hidden mysterious way, and the water of this stream is considered as sacred as the water of the Ganga.
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There is a tunnel adjoining to the temple and there is no definite record of its depth. It is generally said that Pandavas during their exile took shelter in Bhadarkashi, one day they disappeared suddenly and it is said that they disappeared through this tunnel to some unknown place because that was the day when their Agyatvas (living in hidden position) started. This tunnel has been closed now. In the North West of this Shiv temple there is a splendid building on a rock . It is in the shape of a room, but there are three doors on each wall of the building . That is why this building is called “Barahdari”.
There is a cremation Ghat near the temple on the bank of Neeru and people after death perform the rituals as they do on Ganga Ghat . So Gupt Ganga is considered as sacred as Ganga Mata.
In conclusion, Gupt Ganga temple, Bhaderwah’s mystical spring, with its disappearing and re-emerging waters, adds to the aura of Gupt Ganga temple. The unique phenomenon of warm waters in winter and cool waters in summer draws countless devotees who come to experience its divine touch. Bathing in the holy pond is believed to cleanse the soul, with pilgrims treating the sacred waters as pure and revered as the Ganges. This enchanting natural wonder not only enhances the spiritual significance of the temple but also deepens the faith of all who visit.
