The Gupteswar Caves are natural limestone caves. They have a gigantic Shiva Lingam that seems to be increasing in size yearly. Pilgrims come here during the Sravana period as the yearly Bolbom yatra is held in this place. Devotees walk to the Gupteshwar during in order to bathe in the maha kund and then chant near the Shiva Linga. The cave bear resemblance to Bora caves. Gupteswar cave is special for the underground water and the view of Davis fall from the farthest end of the cave. It is a natural cave with Stalagmites. It is a famous pilgrim place situated about 55 km away from Jeypore, Koraput District in the state of Odisha, India by road.
Architecture of the Gupteshwar Caves
Enclosed by a dark forest of sal trees and edged by the Saberi River, a 2m high lingam stands in the cave. The lingam stands in the cave and the shrine is called "Gupteswar" which means the "Hidden God". It was lying hidden in the cave for a long period and that`s how it got the present name. There is a large stalactite inside the second cave. People worship it as the udder of God Kamadhenu and wait under it with outstretched palms to collect drops of water which fall at long intervals.
People can reach it by climbing the 200 steps flanked with rows of champak trees. The entrance of the cave is about 3 m wide and 2 m in height and there are also several other caves close by which are now closed due to safety issues. Inside the second cave there is a large stalactite.
Attractions of the Gupteswar Cave
The main attraction of the place is the Holy cave of Lord Gupteswar. Another main attraction of the cave is the huge Shiva Linga which is said to be growing in size; right now it is 2m in width which attracts the tourists. One has to reach the end to view the superb scene.
On the occasion of the Shivaratri Gupteswar cave draws over 200,000 devotees from Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. People suffering from terminal diseases come here to worship the God and remain here for months in the hope of getting the disease cured. Another attraction of the place is the River Saberi. The sound of the flowing river is always pleasant to listen and the water is so cold that it attracts many visitors to have a dip bath here. The color of the water always creates a doubt regarding the water at first instance. One sculpture is worshipped in the Gupteswar Cave as the great cow of Sage Basista, Kamedhenu.
Connectivity of the Gupteswar Cave
The Gupteswar Cave can be reached both by train and bus. The nearest railway station is Koraput railway station, and via Bijayanagaram one can reach Koraput. It is about 70 km from the holy cave. The National Highway touches both Koraput and Jeypore therefore reaching the place Gupteswar is not at all difficult. One can reach there by bus via Baipariguda, a marketing place. Baipariguda is just 30 km away from Gupteswar. Berhampur is 400 km, Bhubaneswar 590 km, Koraput 75 km and Jeypore 45 Km away from Gupteswar.
