Shesh Shaiya

About Shesh Shaiya

Shesh Shaiya is one sculpture rather than a site of many parts: a figure of Vishnu about 35 ft long lying in sleep on Shesh Naag, the seven hooded serpent. A Shivalingam stands towards the head of the figure and Brahma, the creator, towards the feet. The design is very old, and that arrangement of the three is read as carrying a mythological meaning alongside the sculpture itself.

The figure lies in a green pool on Bandhavgarh hill, and the pool is the source of the Charanganga river. Local belief is that the Charanganga rises at the feet of Vishnu, which is why its water is held to be sacred. The place is a living shrine and draws devotees at Diwali. Fruit bearing trees around the pool bring in birds, among them the Malabar pied hornbill.

The sculpture and the pool

The reclining figure

Vishnu is shown asleep, stretched out along the serpent, whose seven hoods rise behind the head. The Shivalingam at the head and Brahma at the feet turn a single carving into a composition. At about 35 ft in length it is the largest of the Vishnu figures on the hill.

The green pool and the Charanganga

The statue rests in a green pool that is the source of the Charanganga river. The legend of the river rising from the feet of Vishnu is what makes the water sacred to visitors here. The pool and the trees around it draw birds, including the Malabar pied hornbill.

Planning your visit

This is the one place inside Bandhavgarh National Park that you are required to approach on foot. The vehicle stops and the last stretch is walked, with your guide, so allow more time here than at a roadside stop. It is a shrine as well as a sculpture, and it is busier at Diwali.

• You reach the park and the hill by permitted safari vehicle, then walk the final stretch.
• Stay with your guide on the walk, as this is tiger reserve ground rather than a temple compound.
• Treat the pool and the statue as a place of worship, as devotees use it.
• The park closes for part of the year, so confirm the open season before fixing dates.

Best time to visit

Any time within the open season of the park suits the walk, with the cooler, drier months easiest on foot. Diwali is when devotees come, so expect the shrine to be at its most active then and quieter on ordinary days. Early hours are the best for the hornbills and other birds in the fruit trees around the pool.