Bhim-Kund in Khajuraho
¤ The Legendary Tale Associated
in India for details.) Tired and weary under the hot scorching sun,
Draupadi fainted of thirst. Bhim, the strongest of the five brothers,
hit the ground with his gada (a kind of club with a round head, made
of metal) and lo and behold, water surged out and the pool came into
being.
The kund lies in an underground cave and is about 30m from the mouth.
To the left of the entrance is a small Shivalinga (the phallic
representation of Lord Shiva) But what’s truly astounding here is
that the roof of the cave has a small opening just above the kund as
this is the spot Bhim is said to have hit with his gada. The depth of
this pool is believed to be measureless.
The pool is a lovely indigo blue which contrasts well with the red
stone walls. There are some caves around it but no one has been
adventurous enough to find out where they lead. There is something
mysterious and exciting about this place, so much so that one almost
tends to believe the pool’s epic origin.
¤ Another Legend Associated To Kund
Another legend has it that Narad Muni (the Sage Narad) performed the
Gandharva Gayan (celestial song) in praise of Lord Vishnu (the second
of the Hindu trinity of Creator-Preserver-Destroyer). Pleased with his
devotion, Vishnu emerged from the kund and the water turned blue
because of Vishnu’s dark complexion. No wonder then that the pool
is also known as Neel Kund (Blue pool) and Narad Kund (after the
sage).
¤ Gurukul - Residential School
A stone’s throw from the kund is a gurukul (the Hindu equivalent
of a residential school where students live with the guru and his
family till the age of 25) called Shrinarayan Sanskrit Vidyalaya with
a strength of 80 students.
After finishing their studies they migrate to Vrindavan (in Mathura,
Uttar Pradesh) for further studies. Surprisingly the students are
provided with a dish antennae but their TV viewing is restricted to
religious serials and programmes alone. Even the students themselves
are not tempted to watch other programs as they feel that it would
ruin their concentration.
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