SWAMI PURuSHOTTAMANANDa - RAGGIUNGERE LA GROTTA
Vasistha Guha
The cave of the Sage Vasishta (Vasishtha Guha) is located about 22 km from Rishikesh, on the road leading to the sacred Badrinath. Today, reaching the place is very simple, as the road to the entrance is paved and easily accessible to cars. The route from Rishikesh takes about 30/40 minutes and the price is around 1500 rupees (about 20 euros)
The entrance arch, built to commemorate the 100th birthday of Guru Swami Purushottamananda Maharaj, is immediately visible from the main road.
His ashram is located in a quiet valley near the village of Goolar Dogi in the Tehri Garhwal district.
The holy river Ganga which emerges from the confluence of the Bhagirathi and from Alkananada to Devprayag, flows majestically along the banks of the ashram.
Today the Guha or cave is visible going down the road to the valley.
But until recently it was all covered by a dense forest and prairie, where wild animals like tigers and bears roamed freely.
Swami Purushottamananda chose Vasishtha Guha as his final home for austerities and meditation. His Samadhi is in fact located here.
If there is a paradise on earth, it is certainly Vasishta Guha.
Guha means cave. This Vasishta Cave is said to have been the home of the Sage Vasistha (one of the seven Maharishis and Gurus of the Avatar Rama) who practiced many tapas in order to achieve the Final Realization. Some say that Jesus the Nazarene was also stopped there because of austerities on his way to Kashmir.
In the Himalayas, the names of many of the caves are connected with some famous sages or other ancients such as Vyasa Guha, Uddalaka Guha.
Who knows how many saints, sages and Siddhas lived in this cave and added to its glory, holiness and spiritual vibrations! Inside, towards the end of the cave there is a large Lingam, and behind it you can see an opening slightly inclined vertically in the cave. Even though it has now been closed, it would seem that the cave extended inside for another 20 km or so to a place called Ghanta Karna Mandir in the Himalayas. A few years ago this passage was closed. A number of Himalayan followers (SIDDHAS) are believed to have austerity in their subtle body (not visible to the naked eyes of ordinary people) inside the cave for thousands of years.
