Shiv Khori, Jammu And Kashmir
Shivkhori is a shrine located at Ransoo, a village in the Reasi district, 80 km away from Katra. This shrine is dedicated to Lord Shiva and attracts thousands of devotees every year. Shivkhori means Shiva's cave. It is a cave situated between hillocks and is a picturesque sight to behold. Buses and light vehicles safely travel up to Ransoo which is the base camp of pilgrimage for Shivkhori. From here, one needs to walk for 3 km on a constructed track to visit the shrine. Shivkhori is a natural cave that is 200 meters long, 1 meter wide, and approximately 2 meters high. The cave is popular for its naturally formed 'lingam.' The first cavern of the cave is large enough to accommodate around 300 people. However, the inner chamber is smaller. Even if you are not religiously inclined, you can visit this place for its scenic views.
History
The story behind the formation of Shiv Khori cave goes like this - long ago, a demon performed hard austerities to please Lord Shiva, and seek a boon from him. Lord Shiva happy with the demon’s devotion granted the favor sought by the demon. The demon became almost invincible when he received the blessing that if he puts his hand on anyone’s head, by the power of the boon, the head of the being would combust into ashes. With that boon, the demon got the name–Bhasmasura.
With a bloated ego and intent of proving his supremacy, Bhasmasura went about harming the creatures in the world. When he tried to destroy Lord Shiva himself, the three-eyed deity escaped with his spouse Parvati and vehicle-bull Nandi to the mountains of Jammu. Using his trident, Shiva drilled a cave on the mountain to seek refuge with his family. Bhasmasura, meanwhile, continued his wild goose chase until Lord Vishnu cleverly intervened in the form of a very beautiful damsel called Mohini. The wicked demon wasted no time in proposing the lotus-eyed danseuse Mohini to be his wife, but the latter replied that she would fulfill his wish only if he proves his excellence in dance. She challenged him to copy her dance moves, which the demon did unsuspectingly until he fell into his trap. He was finally reduced to ashes when he copied Mohini by keeping his hand on his head whilst performing “the dance of his destruction.”
Soon after, Vishnu and other deities entered the cave to join Shiva and Parvati. Whoever visits this cave gets amazed by the sight of rock formations that resembles goddess Parvati, Kartikeya, Ganesha, and Nandi. It is believed that all the 33 crore deities reside in this cave in their subtle forms.
