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Page 72
The Symbolism of the Mountain and Cave
Shiva's abode is in the mountainsthe great Himalayan Mountainsand specifically Mount Kailash, which is believed to be a northern extension of the very sacred Mount Meru, celestial home of Indra, the most important Vedic deity. Mount Meru, the Mount Olympus of the Hindus, contains the cities of the gods and celestial spirits.
In Hindu mythology, Mount Meru is said to be at the center or navel of the earth, its spiritual axis, with every part of the universe pivoting around it. This same mountain is also sacred to Buddhists and figures prominently in a similar context within their own spiritual mythology. The Himalayas are also the source of the sacred River Ganges, one of the seven rivers created by Shiva out of the Goddess Ganga, which traverses down the mountains to the plains and heads east through the holy city of Varanasi.
But Shiva doesn't just live on Mount Kailash. He and his consort Parvati live within the darkness of a cave contained inside the holy peak. Many of India's earliest temples were dug into mountains, the temple caves of Badami in the southern state of Karnataka and the Ellora and Ajanta caves in the state of Maharastra. Caves also serve as the cavernous retreats for many swamis and yogis who choose to do penance or meditate in silence and solitude for long stretches of time in a dark enclosed space that is replete with potency. In Hinduism, caves are considered sacred; they are symbols of the womb and the womb's importance as a creative force. To meditate inside a cave leads to a form of rebirth and renewal.
The garbhagriha found in most Hindu temples are purposely small, square (to reflect the perfect universe) and dark. Natural light is blocked out and the inner sanctum walls are adorned with very little or no sculpture to accentuate the austere massiveness of a cavelike recess. This is certainly true for the garbhagriha inside the Kandariya Mahadeva.
The Temple Interior
As we walked through the portico of the temple and into the main chamber, Brijendra, who must have entered this temple with tourists a thousand

 
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