Bhartruhari was the elder brother of the legendary Vikramaditya (probably a step brother). He was unduly attached to his wife, Pingala, who conspired to get Vikramaditya thrown out of Ujjain. Once, it is believed, a Brahmin gave Bhartruhari a fruit which would enable him to live longer. The infatuated Bhartruhari gave his wife the fruit, who, in turn gave the fruit to the horse-keeper of whom she was enamoured. The horse-keeper gave the fruit to a prostitute whom he used to frequent, and this lady felt that the king was the one who should eat such a fruit and went to court and gave it to him. This episode opened Bhartruhari�s eyes to the infidelity of the world around him, and giving the kingdom to Vikramaditya, turned into an ascetic. He is believed to have joined the Nath sect and spent his life in meditation on the outskirts of Ujjain in company with his nephew, Gopichand, who had also renounced the world. The pair of uncle-nephew (mama-bhanja in Hindi) is apparently a legend in the Nath cult.

The Bhartruhari caves are situated on the banks of the Shipra in what is, even today, an idyllic spot. The caves themselves don�t have much today in terms of sculptures, but entering them is a wonderful experience, well worth the effort, for they are deep below the ground, and are, in fact, a series of caves, and it is even difficult to breathe once we are inside.

Here is a look at some photos of the caves �

On the way down...