Bheema Pul

This rock formation, known as the Bheema Pul (‘Bheema’s Bridge’), is near Badrinath in Uttarakhand. And yes, it is named after a story around Bheema from the Mahabharata. Towards the end of the Mahabharata, the epic’s protagonists — the five Pandavas and their wife Draupadi — undertake a journey across the Himalayan terrain to reach swarga (heaven). At one point, they reach the rocky edge of a cliff, below which a river rages on, and they can’t find a path to cross over to the adjacent cliff. Bheema, the strongest Pandava brother, promptly uproots a nearby rock and throws it between the two cliffs, creating a bridge for Draupadi and his brothers. And so, their ascent to heaven continues. Bheema’s makeshift bridge continues to balance itself over the furious waters of the river below at the same spot even today.