"Look!" pointed Kempanna excitedly.

The Traveler turned to look at the direction he was pointing. He had escaped from an army of monkeys (courtesy Kempanna who fought them off with a wooden stick), slipped a hundred times on the steep terrain and almost got bit by a stray dog and wondered what was the next thing that was in store.

He followed Kempanna's fingers towards the bushes, which were some twenty feet away. At first he saw nothing. Then, he saw it.

It was a rope, gray black in color and twined near the base of the bushes. It was an odd location for a rope, he thought, when suddenly the rope moved...

It was a slight motion, but enough to chill the Traveler. It was not a rope at all. But a venomous cobra!

" Small snake," Kempanna said smiling " bigger snakes up there" he said pointing towards the upper terrain.

The King of Snakes?

" Why?" asked the Traveler as they continued walking away.

" The temple of Shiva, 2500ft, many, many snakes around. Even monkeys." said Kempanna.

But obviously, thought the Traveler.

They soon reached a cave at 2500ft. It was dark inside. The little light that came into the cave was from a lighted flame near the entrance of the cave.

They walked solemnly for a few seconds after which the smaller cave opened into a much larger cave with lighted torches burning in its walls.

In the center of the cave lay the sanctum of the Lord. It was dimly lit, but the fragrance of flowers and wet walls perfused the air around. The atmosphere was holy.

"Shiva" said Kempanna.

The Traveler bowed down in front of the surreal image. After partaking prasad, he looked at Kempanna.

" We go deeper now," said Kempanna lighting a torch. " deeper into the cave"

" Why? Is there another temple inside?" asked the Traveler.

" No, no. There is something else. A legend of this place. You will see."

The Hole of Fear?

Kempanna started walking into the depths of the cave. The light from the torch started to play on the walls of the cave and dark areas began to be highlighted.

The Traveler walked behind the guide, watching his every step. He didn’t want to step on a cobra here of all places.

At 2500 ft with no medical aid around, a cobra bite would be immediately fatal.

Soon Kempanna reached the end of the cave. The Traveler had not encountered any snake , luckily on the way in the cave.

Kempanna now stood excitedly near the dead-end of the cave and pointed to something on the ground.

The Traveler followed his gaze and what he saw chilled his spine to the very root of bone.

There, in front of him, on the ground, was the dreaded Hole of Fear. It was a moderate size hole with a diameter of perhaps a few inches. It’s mouth was wide but whatever was inside was hidden by the darkness.

Is it the resting place of a King of Snakes? The Traveler wondered.

Shouldn’t we be going away from the hole? he mused.

What followed next was something absolutely terrifying. Something that froze the blood of the Traveller in the smallest veins. Something unimaginable.

Kempanna looked at the Traveller and said chillingly " Sir, put your hand inside the hole......."
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" It is the blessing of the mountain, he who is good and lucky will touch the underground stream. He who isn’t will not."

The Traveler was stunned for a moment by the guide's demand.

" Are you crazy?" he nearly shouted " how can you expect me to put my hand into some hole in a deep dark cave on a mountain infested with snakes?"

" That is the test of the mountain sir," said the drunkurd " You need to believe that even if it will not bless you, it will certainly not harm you. It is your call. Who knows whether you will ever come again. You need to decide now and do it. There is no force. Only faith."

The Traveler eyed the drunkard. This was sheer lunacy. That hole was the most probable place where a snake would have made its house. And if there is an underground stream then definitely a cobra would be there. He remembered all those Discovery channel stories he had read about the King resting close to a water source.

Can I trust this drunkard’s words? What shall I do? The Traveler racked his brains.

After debating for long, the Traveller made a decision. An unimaginable one. He thought of Shiva, the holy atmosphere of the place and the final test of faith. He rolled up his sleeves, and approached the hole. He knelt beside it. He prayed for a glimpse of water inside the hole, which would have increased his courage.

But all he saw was, absolute blackness beyond the opening of the hole.

No wonder they call it the Hole of Fear.

The Traveler advanced his hand into the mouth of the hole. He closed his eyes and made a silent prayer to God. He opened his eyes and looked at Kempanna.

"Come on! Do it" hissed the drunkurd

The Traveler took a deep breath and....

Next moment he plunged his hand into the dark depths...
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Author speak

Legend of the mountain has it that people who are good at heart and lucky will touch the underground stream. It is the blessing of Ganesha. People who arent will not be able to touch but also wont be harmed by a snakebite. Sometimes the stream swells so much that a minor rivulet is created in the cave. In such cases even a four year old is able to touch the underground stream. But in many cases, the stream is so low down that even on passing your hand until the shoulder level also one is not able to touch the stream.

It is a chilling decision for one to take and once taken a chilling eventuality for one to accept.

I touched the stream. Just barely with my fingertips, and that too when I had plunged my hand slightly more than the shoulder level. Emboldened, I did it three times.
Kempanna, I recall, kept laughing all the time on the descent.

The King of Snakes , probably too had hearty laugh in the nearby bushes.

All together the most chilling experience of my life

The mountain by the way is Shivaganga, 30km from Bangalore on the Tumkur highway.