Jatashankar - जटाशंकर

Jatashankar is a natural cave and Hindu temple located north of Pachmarhi in the Narmadapuram district of Madhya Pradesh, India. Jatashankar is situated in a deep valley with huge rocks above it. The cave has stalagmites which are worshiped as naturally formed lingas. This cave is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is a popular destination for pilgrims. Jatashankar is also called cave temple. In Jatashankar Dham, the naturally occurring Jalabhishek of Lord Shiva continues for 24 hours.

History and Architecture of Jatashankar
The Jatashankar Temple is believed to be more than 5,000 years old and was constructed during the Gupta period. The main idol of Lord Shiva inside the temple is made of black marble, which gives it a unique and exquisite appearance. Jata means matted hair and Shankar is another name of Shiva. There are two ponds filled with water from the springs found in the area, one of cold water and the other of hot water. It is said that the structure of the cave resembles the hundred-headed Shesha, the serpent-ascendant of Vishnu. You will get to see the faces of Ganpati ji, Hanuman ji and Shair naturally formed in the mountains.

The temple is easy to reach as compared to other famous temples of Pachmarhi like Nagdwar and Chauragarh. In the rains, a small pond is formed besides the temple, people take holy bath there. It is said that earlier sages used to live here. Presently Mahant Shivdas is serving Bholenath. The cave on the hill is such that no matter how much it rains, water does not enter inside the cave.

According to regional tradition, the Jatashankar Caves are considered sacred due to their identity as the place where Shiva is said to have hidden himself from the wrath of Bhasmasura. Lord Bholenath can be seen by walking about 52 feet inside the cave on the strength of knees and elbows. The only way to reach the ancient Shiva temple is on foot. It is believed that the reason behind the name of the temple being Jatashankar is that the shape of hair like locks is visible in the ancient Shivalinga of Shiva.

Jatashankar darshan time
Jatashankar is open throughout the week and darshan timings are from 9 am to 7 pm.

Major festivals in Jatashankar
Mahadev fair is organized every year at Jatashankar on the occasion of Maha Shivratri. A three-day fair is organized at Jatashankar Dham on Makar Sankranti. In the month of Sawan, devotees reach Jatashankar Dham amidst the rugged forest to see and worship the naturally seated Bhagwan Bholenath.

How to reach Jatashankar
Jatashankar is located at a distance of 1.5 km from Pachmarhi bus station in Madhya Pradesh. The temple is easy to reach as compared to other famous temples of Pachmarhi like Nagdwar and Chauragarh.
To reach the temple you will have to walk about a kilometer and then climb about 250 steps. It is one of the popular places to visit in Pachmarhi.

Personal Experience
❀ The stairs are very high in number and some of the steps are steep, but you get to experience the beautiful mountains and peace all around. Here mythology and history come together.

❀ Just take a guide of ₹50-100. And he will explain everything in depth. There are a lot of hidden structures here that you might not notice on your own. Like (tiger face on the mountain, incomplete statue of Kali Maa, half map of India between two mountains etc.).

❀ Herbal medicines etc. are available here for the care of many diseases.