Tapovan
Encyclopedia
Tapovan comes from the two root words Tapasya - meaning specifically austerity, and more generally spiritual practice
, and Vana, meaning forest, or wilderness. Tapovan then translates as forest of spiritual practice, wild place for practicing austerities, etc.
Traditionally in India, any place where someone has engaged in serious spiritual retreat may become known as Tapovan. As well as particular caves and other hermitages where sages and sadhus have dwelt, there are some places, such as the western bank of the northern Ganges river around Rishikesh that have been so used by hermits that the whole area has become known as Tapovan. The most well known Tapovan in India currently is the area above the Gangotri Glacier
at the source of the Ganges. At the foot of Shivling
, a barren area at about 4400m elevation, is a seasonal home to various sadhus living in caves, etc.
Spiritual practice
A spiritual practice or spiritual discipline is the regular or full-time performance of actions and activities undertaken for the purpose of cultivating spiritual development. A common metaphor used in the spiritual traditions of the worlds great religions is that of walking a path...
, and Vana, meaning forest, or wilderness. Tapovan then translates as forest of spiritual practice, wild place for practicing austerities, etc.
Traditionally in India, any place where someone has engaged in serious spiritual retreat may become known as Tapovan. As well as particular caves and other hermitages where sages and sadhus have dwelt, there are some places, such as the western bank of the northern Ganges river around Rishikesh that have been so used by hermits that the whole area has become known as Tapovan. The most well known Tapovan in India currently is the area above the Gangotri Glacier
Gangotri Glacier
Gangotri Glacier is located in Uttarkashi District, Uttarakhand, India in a region bordering China. This glacier, source of the Ganges, is one of the largest in the Himalayas with an estimated volume of over 27 cubic kilometers. The glacier is about 30 kilometres long and 2 to 4 km wide...
at the source of the Ganges. At the foot of Shivling
Shivling (Garhwal Himalaya)
Shivling is a mountain in the Gangotri Group of peaks in the western Garhwal Himalaya, near the snout of the Gangotri Glacier. It lies in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, south of the Hindu holy site of Gaumukh . Its name refers to its status as a sacred symbol of the God - Lord Shiva's...
, a barren area at about 4400m elevation, is a seasonal home to various sadhus living in caves, etc.