Bhartrihari Caves

Meditation chambers cut into the rock above the Shipra, generally put at around the 11th century and named for Bhartrihari (poet and, by tradition, elder brother of Vikramaditya), who is said to have given up the throne and composed the Vairagya Shataka here. Forty to fifty steps drop into narrow passages that open onto small chambers on two or three levels; the interiors stay cool and dim, and ascetics still use them. Entry is free and half an hour covers it. Ceilings are low and lighting is poor, so a torch and firm shoes help. October to March is the comfortable season; Gadkalika and Pir Matsyendranath are a short walk on.

The quietest corner of a loud pilgrimage city, and the one about its poetry