Two caves at Chitrakoot, one entered through a squeeze and one walked through knee deep water.
Gupt Godavari is a pair of caves. The entrance to the first is tiny, and visitors can barely pass through it. In the other, water trickles down in streams and can rise to knee height as you walk. It is said that Rama and Lakshmana held their secret meetings here, a claim local tradition connects to the throne like rock structures inside the cave. Chitrakoot is primarily a spiritual destination, but it keeps a few surprises for bolder travellers, and this series of caves is the chief one. Despite a charm that invites comparison with the better known cave sites of India, Gupt Godavari has stayed relatively unknown, and it is only now emerging as a place people travel for.
The first cave is entered through an opening so tight that most people turn sideways to get in. It is short, and the squeeze is the whole experience of it.
The second cave is the one people remember. Water runs down the walls and along the floor, and it can reach knee height, so you walk through it rather than along a path beside it.
Inside the cave are rock formations shaped like seats or thrones. Local tradition identifies them with the secret meetings of Rama and Lakshmana, and they are pointed out on every guided walk through.
This is a wet, dark, tight walk and should be approached as one. Plan clothing and footwear for water, not for a temple visit.
October to March is the most comfortable period for the caves and for Chitrakoot generally. Water levels inside rise during and immediately after the monsoon, which makes the walk harder and sometimes unsafe. Go in the morning, when there are fewer people in the narrow passages.
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