Saptarishi Caves

About Saptrishi Cave:

The Saptarishi Cave is believed to be the residence of seven rishis who were ardent followers of Lord Shiva. The following are the 7 divine sages - Bharadwaja, Bhrigu, Gautama, Atri, Kashyapa, Vishwamitra, and Vashitha. It consists of 13 Chortens (Buddhist shrines) which are managed and taken care of by Gengta Monastery. A long horizontal crack extends through the Saptrishi cave itself. It exists solely to keep snow and rocks from falling off these 13 well-secured chortens within the cave and to protect them from external damage. The walls of these caves are painted red according to Tibetan tradition.

Location of Saptarishi Cave:

Saptarishi Caves are located at an elevation of 6000m approx in the Inner Parikrama of Mount Kailash, near Nandi Parvat. When it comes to trekking in Mount Kailash Inner Kora, the trek to Saptarishi Cave is considered the most difficult.

Significance of Saptarishi Cave:

Mount Kailash is seen as the axis mundi (the central point of cosmic creation), and these seven divine sages are considered to be the seven basic elements that make up the universe, which are namely water, air, nature, sky, fire, spirit, and stone. So there is a deep connection between the Saptrishi of the Himalayas and Kailash Mountain. Blessed with psychic powers, the Saptrishi could travel among the lokas and communicate with the devas. The Spatarishi transmitted themselves to Mount Meru to open the gates of Yamloka and find a way to slay and kill the demon Kalkambha. To destroy the demon king, they transformed themselves into a unified form called Brahmastra (Weapon of Mass Destruction) and brought peace and harmony to the earth.

How to go to Saptarishi Caves?:

Going to Saptarishi Caves is officially not allowed. The Chinese authorities have banned the Inner Parikrama of Mount Kailash since 2013. There are many companies that try to misguide the pilgrims by claiming to take them illegally to Saptrishi. The Chinese authorities have very strict rules and regulations. It is advisable not to take any risks in a foreign land as it might land you in trouble.