Located at a distance of 5.5km from the Badri Nath bus stand is a cave at the bank of river Saraswati at Mana village in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. This cave is known as the Vyas cave. Vyas cave is named after the great sage Ved Vyas, and the reason behind this is a historical tale dating back centuries.
It is believed that Vyas cave is the place where sage Vyas composed the Mahabharat epic with the help of Lord Ganesha. Maharishi Vyas’s statue is installed inside this ancient cave where the pilgrims come and worship it. Maharishi Vyas is credited with the composition of 18 Puranas, Brahma Sutra, and 4 Vedas.
One of the most popular folklore around this tale is the explanation of Ganesha’s broken tusk. Maharishi Vyas needed someone to take down his dictations while he was composing Mahabharat. He asked the learned Ganesha, who agreed to his request but on one condition that Vyas would not stop his dictation, and if he did, Ganesha would leave. Vyas agreed to it and started dictating as fast as he could. Ganesha’s reed pen broke in between, to which he broke a part of his tusk to use as a pen.
When glancing at the cave’s roof, one can easily see that a rock that looks like a page is present there. It is believed that this is a secret that is known only to Lord Ganesha and Maharishi Vyas. While composing Mahabharat, some parts of the stories were hidden, and the pages were turned to stone by the mystical powers of Maharishi Vyas. To this day, those secrets are unknown to people, and the rock is known as ‘Vyas Pothi.’
Nearby this vyas cave in Uttarakhand is the Ganesha cave. Visitors enjoy the peace and serenity around this cave. Vyas cave is accessible throughout the year, but it is usually advised to visit it during summer. The cave is well connected by roadways and can be reached easily. The ever-looming mystery of Vyas Pothi, the presence of Lord Ganesha and Maharishi Vyas, and the pleasant surroundings make it a perfect place to visit for all mythology lovers.