Why in News?

=> Recently, Dinesh Gururani, adventure tourism manager of Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam, said that the mythical Mahadev cave near Sipu, a village in Uttarakhand bordering China, will be connected to the Shiva circuit.

Key Points:

=> According to Gururani, the inclusion of this cave in the Adi Kailash Yatra route by Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam, the last village of the high Himalayan Darma valley of Dharchula, will give a new opportunity to religious tourism.

=> According to mythological beliefs (Shiva Purana), Lord Shiva made this cave as his place of penance after Sati got absorbed in the fire.

=> The Shiva Circuit has been started by the Tourism Department of Uttarakhand to develop the existing various Shiva temples in the state as centres of religious tourism.

=> The circuit starts from Ekeshwar Mahadev Temple at Pauri Garhwal, covering 24 Shiva temples of Uttarakhand and ends at Dandeshwar Temple at Bageshwar.

By: ASRAF UDDIN AHMED