Excursion to Aulietas cave in Bayanaul park -
Journey from Nursultan city to Bayanaul park and Aulietas cave -
All customs and traditions associated with the cult of deceased ancestors the nature of seasons and elemental forces have come down to us from distant ancestors who lived in ancient times They are preserved in their original form including the mysteries of birth death and the world order
The dogmas of world religions and superstitions coexist perfectly mutually complementing each other and maintaining a sense of contemplativeness and god-fearing in people's minds But even more so they strengthen faith in oneself and one's own strengths Having gained victory or a successful result people necessarily thank the Almighty or the forces accompanying Him
Veneration of Aruakh ancestor spirits
In Kazakh cult traditions and religious rites Islam is accompanied by the veneration of Aruakhs—spirits living everywhere and in everything Objects artificial structures and natural sites with sacred status are dedicated to them: mazars springs trees piles of stones (obo) rocks boulders grottos crevices caves hills and hollows They exist in every locality of Kazakhstan
Tying fabric ribbons in sacred places
Everywhere in Kazakhstan regardless of religion or nationality people observe the ritual of tying ribbons and scraps of cloth or skins to branches when visiting sacred places leaving money and treats
Many cult sites are located in the Bayanaul National Park—a mountain and forest massif stretching around the regional center of Bayanaul and extending further south to the Kyzyltau reserve and southwest to Karkaraly
Every tract here has its own history and together they form a unique complex of folklore and ethnographic information—myths legends and descriptions of cult actions reflecting the lives of the people who inhabited this part of the Kazakh Uplands in ancient and later eras
Aulietas Cave
Aulietas Cave possesses miraculous healing powers While some tourists come only to satisfy curiosity others seek help here from the Aruakh spirits
In 1902 geographic engineer N Konshin wrote in his brochure "From Pavlodar to Karkaralinsk": "The sick—both rich and poor—arrived towards evening They spent the night in the cave or near it The wealthy slaughtered a sheep and cooked the meat on a fire before the entrance strictly using water from the cave From there they also took water for washing drank it and poured it over diseased parts of the body
Worshipers made 'chirak' candles from chi grass wrapped in cotton or rags soaked in the fat of the slaughtered sheep They burned the candles in the cave pretending to wash with fire or rub it on the painful area The more candles burned the better Scraps of cloth were hung around as sacrifices and the wealthy placed money by the well A dream would come true if seen while staying overnight at the cave
The poor could take the money with words addressed to the holy spirit: 'Taksyr do not be angry allow me to take this money'"
Mount Aulie in Bayanaul Park
There are other similar places in the National Park—Mount Aulie with a height of 1055 meters the Zheltau tract Myrzashoky hill the Koitas petrified placer the graves of batyr Zhasybay poet Bukhar-zhrau and philosopher Mashkhur Zhusup Kopeyuly the spring of Lake Toraygyr and old coal salt and ore mines
Each has its own group of Aruakhs with their own "specialization" Overall they help solve problems with conceiving a child improving family relationships and curing chronic diseases
Sometimes they simply help strengthen the health of people who do not suffer from ailments stimulating a boost in vigor and general wellness Aruakhs also exert their influence on people suffering from alcoholism and drug addiction At each "oryn kasietty" a prescribed chain of rituals is performed some of which are slightly modernized in accordance with the perception of people living in the 21st century
Sharykshi in Aulietas Cave
There is a keeper—sharykshi—to whom these duties are passed by inheritance or by special order of the Aruakhs who may appear in a dream or contact sensitive individuals in another way to convey their "appointment" regarding a new sharykshi candidate
History
The history of Aulietas Cave likely begins in the era when primitive people settled on the shores of a large cascade of lakes connected by waterfalls and rivers After 40-50 thousand years four separate lakes remained—Sabyndykol Zhasybay Toraygyr and Birzhankul Between them one can still trace the paths of ancient watercourses and riverbeds through which water was distributed from three altitude levels each 100 meters lower than the previous one Disappearing underground water still accumulates in internal cavities not open to the outside
Underground spring and Lake Toraygyr
Sometimes in the most unexpected places among the mountains people encounter washouts—bowls where springs gush directly from cracks in the granite Such a spring still feeds Lake Toraygyr Another of its fellows crosses the valley between Bayanaul and the Kapar forestry Local legends tell of such springs:
"...And the kudukchi struck a crack in a stone slab with a stick with an iron tip and clean sweet-tasting water flowed and gurgled straight out of the mountain... And then the kinsmen broke the ban on feuding After another strife the spring stopped flowing and went back into the stone before everyone's eyes"
Several such sources remain near the cave "parents" of which are both groundwater and meltwater But they all belong to the small basin of the Zhambak stream which went down in Kazakhstan's history as the site of a brilliant victory over the Dzungars
Naizatas Mountain or Bulka
From a distance the rock with Aulietas Cave resembles a dilapidated prehistoric palace Once it was crowned with oval peaks But over time sun water wind and frost took their toll and now the top of the cave has become jagged People travel to it by different paths from Zhasybay past the famous bare Naizatas hill (called "Bulka" by tourists for its resemblance to a loaf of bread) through Zhambak Another road runs past Lake Toraygyr with a left turn along the foot of steep rocky ridges heading southwest One way or another people walked to the cave
The relief around the cave is steep—the angle of descents and ascents ranges from 60-70 to 75-85 degrees Rocky hills covered with pine and birch forests are crowded around it The slopes are covered with a thick grass carpet so locals prefer to overcome these hills in galoshes so that their feet do not slip
All natives of the Bayanaul district have known about Aulietas Cave since childhood
Bioenergetics and Aulietas Cave
In Soviet times the cave was forgotten for a long time and "remembered" in 1995 thanks to adherents of bioenergetics and cleansing procedures They gathered at the site of the ancient Scythian settlement of Arkaim From polemics about the processes of exchange and transfer of matter energy and information the participants moved to an experiment—they decided to listen to the spirits of the Urals They established a connection and the result amazed them It was previously assumed that there were manifestations of astral and ethereal bodies in the Ural Mountains but not in such numbers
The souls of deceased people were added to the first two types In para-sciences it is believed that energy is spread throughout the cosmos from which the invisible bodies of astral spirits are formed From these those who will receive an ethereal body are selected to prepare for the transition to a physical state The spirit of a deceased person or animal returns to a formless state and coexists with stellar and molecular shells
They are joined by inhabitants of parallel worlds who can appear in the form of images resembling holograms Communication with them is conducted just as with real people Spirits constantly give signals wordless signs and omens visit dreams and fill them with symbols and instructions
Psychics and communication sessions with spirits in Aulietas Cave
After several sessions psychics suddenly "heard" distant voices and were delighted: finally there was confirmation that parallel worlds exist and for the first time in millions of years contact was established
But these turned out to be calls from the Aruakh spirits from Bayanaul Their message "sounded" as mental projections forming a landscape mosaic: a rock with a jagged peak and an entrance slit mountains and rocks with stone bowls filled with clear black water streams and dry riverbeds The Aruakhs living here made it clear that they were inviting people and that a long time ago the main spirit of these mountains had placed a curse and for many decades the sacred places were closed to the uninitiated
Now the curse was lifted grace was open to everyone again and the Bayanaul Aruakhs were ready to help people and cooperate with the Ural spirits The invitation was accepted
Then the experimenters "talked" to the Scythian spirits of Arkaim and they gave their blessing It turned out that some of the astral invisible lords of this part of the Urals are practically one with the Bayanaul spirits occupying the mountainous area around the cave and Aulietas Cave itself
In 1996 about a hundred participants of the "Arkaim gathering" arrived in Pavlodar where they were met by local enthusiasts After a short cleansing fast they walked from the regional center to Lake Zhasybay to reach the cave through Zhambak
Descending the serpentine to the lake everyone suddenly stopped A panorama of a huge depression opened before them and through the water surface the gilded towers and domes of an unknown ancient city were clearly visible Then the vision disappeared At the camp they tried to summon the spirits of the cave
The patron Aruakh who has lived in Aulietas since its appearance answered them He called himself Konyr-Aulie explained how to go further and how to behave near and inside the cave
The spirit also made it clear that until a hereditary sharykshi—a keeper and caretaker of the "kasietty orryn"—was found he would not open the power of the sacred place one could only be present in it
The spirit allowed the vision at the lake to be deciphered through his "pictures": there was once a large wealthy city in these places People lived in peace and prosperity On the site of Zhambak there were large orchards and the mountain with Aulietas cave was a natural temple created by nature itself where people paid respect to the Aruakhs But people sinned and the spirits became angry with them
Flows of fire erupted from the depths of the earth the solid ground swayed like a sea in a storm When everything calmed down mountains towered around and lakes filled between them one higher than the other The water overflowed and flowed into the plains The city sank to the bottom and very rarely a few times in tens of thousands of years it is seen by people through the mirror of the lake water
This city was one of many built by people in the blessed Golden Age Its destruction marked the end of this era similar catastrophes occurred all over the planet People perished but the spirits remained and a great dispute arose among them: why was it necessary to destroy living souls?
Strong kind guardian Aruakhs punished the dark Aruakhs and decided to preserve what remained for those who would settle in these places again They gave a curse: the best time would return in a year when many eclipses occurred in a row This was one of the last years of the twentieth century the second millennium
The guests and hosts did not limit themselves to a simple visit to the cave They cleared the approaches and gathered brushwood for future use After new cleansing sessions the guests of Aulietas cave determined that the places were "energetically neglected"
Some of the most impressionable heard "relieved sighs of nature itself" Some opened their inner vision others received signs and revelations and everyone felt healthier
Konyr-Aulie the patron spirit of Aulietas gave his information again Spirits must be shown signs of respect and simple ritual actions must be performed to honor the memory of all souls present at this point After the rites and communication with spirits one should spend the night at the entrance to the cave In the morning the rite of meeting the Sun was held and then people went through the rocks to the bowls of Harmony and Love
The first is a simple shallow depression with water with which everyone rinses their face The second is a small pool and above and below are its drying companions It is curious that these bowls are at a high altitude on the flattened tops of forested hills From the largest of them you can see all four lakes If you mentally connect them with a circular line the cave will be in the center of this circle
Visiting Aulietas cave for health purposes
After the "Arkaimians" visits to the cave for health purposes became regular The most solemn and mysterious day of the year is August 15th This is a special date in the calendar of all mystics—the World Day of the Sun Once participants of another trip met the morning of this day after staying overnight on the heated stone slabs before the entrance to Aulietas Everyone turned towards the sunrise and then as one participant wrote in her diary "everyone had a vision"
Observation of lights over Bayanaul park and Aulietas cave
The picture was striking Over the mountain near the cave at a height of ten meters flashes of light shone The sun rose from behind the peak with the bowl In its rays the fiery contours of an unprecedented castle with six domes appeared A small star flickered nearby with neon light The castle grew in size and glowed through On the left side a female face suddenly appeared framed by a veil and a frontal plate Unknown writings were inscribed in three lines on the plate The female Aruakh looked at the temple with gratitude And on the other side where a narrow stream runs down from the mountains a turbulent river with bright blue water appeared Its flow exactly repeated the curves of several old channels running from the foothills of the cave past Kyzylshilik to Lake Birzhankul
It was quiet around but music and a choir sounded in the minds and souls of the observers The trees seemed to move and bowed towards the temple Then a shadow similar to a dragon fell on the giant hologram and the image scattered and melted in the sky Everything disappeared and the morning became ordinary Another time other participants clearly saw spirits on the rocks neighboring the cave They looked like human figures in long cloaks with the heads of animals and birds After the first trip people regularly received signals and signs both on the way to the cave and on site Visions of the Golden City and the Fire Temple were the most significant and were worth pondering
After long discussions they agreed on a single version Differences in languages habits or religions do not matter Everything in material and spiritual culture comes from one common beginning that arose forty thousand years ago in the practice of ancient people
They were called "flower people" because they accompanied their cults with flower decorations They lived everywhere on Earth including Bayanaul They built Sun Temples and Heliopolises Predictions and warnings constantly come from them Some sound fantastic: around 2025 AD a turning point in human history will occur including a change in the physical flow of time
A new religious teaching will appear and the path of Christ from Golgotha will point the direction (the line of this path passes through the azimuth of Aulietas cave)
It was the ancient people who once and for all deified the environment and left their spirits on eternal duty Generations of new people added their own to them
It is not surprising that the Aruakhs around Aulietas cave and the spirits living in it have different names—Konyr-Aulie Zhaulykty-Ana Mother of the World Shri Mata Mother Ochezar Ilyas-kanday Ayra Kalpe-khalif With each new revelation the list of names increases Those who sit on the stones at Lake Toraygyr are also from this family Road and field Aruakhs do not require much If you take water from a spring splash a little on a boulder nearby otherwise the water will seem tasteless If you have a snack at a halt throw a piece of a treat to the side The Aruakh will immediately appear in the form of a bug bird or lizard and take your gift Do not forget to appease the fire of the hearth apologize to the grass you trample and stroke the stone slab where you sleep
The spirits living on the peaks require strict order and good behavior they do not tolerate swearing or bad thoughts If you return home with a bruise or a sprain it means the Aruakhs punished you The spirits inside Aulietas expect the ancient ritual with bows and a small gift In return they give an omen and allow the sharykshi to give a sacred stone
By the end of the 20th century Aulietas cave found its sharykshi Konyr-Aulie chose a roundabout way First he appeared in a dream to a woman named Batima-apay in Pavlodar and reminded her that before her birth her mother sought help from the spirits of the cave to cure infertility
The spirit instructed Batima to send a woman to a village across the Irtysh and find a man named Aidarkhan who already had a sign and would point out the name of the keeper Batima-apay sent her dream to her relative Rosa Rosa saw a man in a dream and found his address Aidarkhan replied that the Aruakh had already warned him Smagulov met the guest and invited her through the window because one of his patients was speaking about stone guards and a man of sixty standing at the door Smagulov confirmed: this is the answer of Konyr-Aulie You need to go to a place called Kyzylshilik where generations of shepherds and blacksmiths have lived since 1650 The man seen by the medium is Zhumat Kurmanov He is the heir of the Aulietas keepers Rosa met Zhumat in Kyzylshilik
They immediately recognized each other Kurmanov seemed to be waiting for her Zhumat initiated Rosa into the details of the ritual which he learned from his father and grandfather and reminded her that the spirits instructed her to be a guide between the cave and the people He would maintain order and prepare rituals
Ceremonies of communication with Aruakhs from Aulietas
Ceremonies are strict and simple Preparing for the ritual you must cleanse the body with washing and fasting and the soul by refusing swearing and bad thoughts Think about repentance and forgiveness
The cave is a small adit with three vaults The third vault—Shanyrak—is like a stone yurt with a shallow well in the middle A small ladder is installed here and a stone for lighting candles is placed Only in special cases is it allowed to rinse the body with water from the well
The first step is a request for permission to enter "ruksat kiruge" Then you need to stand or sit by the wall under the second vault Reflect and remove all worries from the soul
In moments of meditation a connection is established with the spirits of the cave Then you must go under the Shanyrak vault stand on the ladder bow to the Aruakhs and mentally ask for help with a personal problem
Applicants exit walking backwards and only straighten up outside Everyone who has passed the rituals is unusually moved After the ceremony you can take a place on the stones before the entrance to get rid of an ailment
When the last participant finishes they discuss their experiences Everyone tells of signs seen—an apple rubies a dove flying from the vault or a cloud After staying overnight everyone meets the sunrise and goes to the bowl of Harmony and then to the bowl of Love
To fill the cauldron you must go to the crevice where spring water accumulates Lunch is shared and leftovers are left for the marmots The route ends at Lake Toraygyr where you must tie an offering to the sacred tree and take water from the spring
Few can explain where the visions come from For example near the village of Kalkaman someone saw a rainbow circle with a green center A boy put his jacket on the ground and a green lizard jumped out later in the cave the spirit gave a sign that it was Bai-apa-aulie living in all lizards
The cave is regularly "recharged" Once during maintenance a cloud of tenderness and love was sent mentally and it became visible as a purple mist After such a recharge a ritual was held for a resident of Shakat who suffered from infertility for ten years Later she was able to give birth
Visions of wars and catastrophes are also interesting In the morning mist scenes of past battles in the Zhambak valley appear: riders crashing into each other arrows flying Someone might see a spacecraft and aliens saving people from an earthquake
One can believe or laugh but many who were critics became supporters after visiting the sacred places One sincere message from a visitor says: "In days of uncertainty when my life was exhausted Aulietas cave changed my life I became stronger and now I am not afraid to live further"
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