The legend of Agartha: The lost underground Kingdom

Agartha, sometimes spelled as Agarath or Agharti, is an underground city steeped in esoteric lore.

This magical mystery, like many enigmatic lost worlds, has suffered from widespread misinterpretation and has been co-opted for unintended purposes throughout history.

While some might associate Agartha with German occultists around World War II, its origins date back to the 19th century when French philosopher and occultist Joseph Alexandre Saint-Yves published a book in 1886 recounting his encounters with “initiates” from this concealed realm.

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Later, German occultists borrowed elements from various traditions to construct their own theories around Agartha.

So, what exactly is Agartha, and how has it evolved to influence modern concepts of governance and culture? Keep reading as we unravel the mysteries of Agartha and its fascinating story.

What is Agartha

Agartha can be succinctly described as an inner earth kingdom connected to every continent through an extensive network of tunnels. Its roots can be traced back to ancient India, where legends spoke of an island north of the Himalayas, inhabited by superhuman individuals possessing profound wisdom.

Fleeing an unspecified catastrophe, they relocated their civilization underground and established Agartha.

Over time, Agartha’s concept has become intertwined with Hollow Earth theories. David Standish, in his book on Hollow Earth theory, referred to Agartha as “the name Buddhists give to the underground world they believe in”.

However, Western occultists have often blurred the lines between Agartha and Shambhala, a spiritual kingdom associated with Tibetan Buddhist traditions.

The Legends Surrounding Agartha

Joseph Alexandre Saint-Yves, the first Westerner to write about Agartha, shared his experiences in his 1886 work, “Mission de l’Inde en Europe”.

This was influenced by Eastern Initiates, including a Sanskrit teacher who went by Prince Hardjij Scharipf. Saint-Yves later tried to suppress his book, fearing that he had disclosed too much, and it remained unpublished until 1910, a year after his death.

However, Saint-Yves was not the last to write about Agartha. In 1908, Willis George Emerson published “The Smoky God”, a purported true account of a Norwegian sailor named Olaf Jansen, who journeyed through an entrance to the Hollow Earth at the North Pole and lived among its inhabitants for two years.

Although Emerson’s book didn’t explicitly name the place as Agartha or Shambhala, subsequent writers associated these names with the Hollow Earth realm described in the book.

The Theories Surrounding Agartha

Following World War I, German occultists, including members of the Nazi Thule Society, incorporated various beliefs and traditions into their ideologies, including stories of Agartha.

However, they were not the first to do so, as earlier occultists like Madame Blavatsky and her Theosophical Society had already drawn from Shambhala and other Hollow Earth concepts in their teachings.

Rumors suggest that the Nazis took their occult ideas seriously, even using Hollow Earth theory to locate British ships or target V1 missiles during World War II.

Consequently, Agartha and Shambhala became intertwined and associated with Hollow Earth theories. Some maps depicting the inner earth identify it as “Agartha, the Land of Advanced Races”, with its capital city as “Shamballah”.

Joseph Alexandre Saint-Yves, who wrote about Agartha, is also known for coining the concept of “synarchy”, a form of political philosophy that, over time, has come to refer to secretive elite rule or a “deep state”. He believed that a synarchist “world government” existed within Agartha, or had existed at some point.

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Agartha in the Modern Age

Like many fringe beliefs, Hollow Earth theory, including the concept of Agartha, has experienced a resurgence in the internet era.

Online forums and websites discuss various conspiracy theories linked to the inner earth kingdom and detail supposed entrances to the tunnel systems leading to Agartha, such as military bases in Dulce, New Mexico, Batesville, Arkansas, Mato Grosso in Brazil, and the Himalayas.

The narratives surrounding these tunnels and their destinations vary, featuring superhuman deities with green or blue skin or encounters with extraterrestrial intelligences.

However, these stories owe their origins, to some extent, to the early accounts of Agartha documented by Saint-Yves and his contemporaries.

Concluding Reflections

The enigmatic tale of Agartha, the underground city, embodies a fascinating journey through history and human imagination. It’s definitely never a bad moment for such magical stories.

This story is a testament to the enduring power of myth and legend in shaping our understanding of the world. Agartha, a place of wisdom and hidden knowledge, has captured the imaginations of many, even finding its way into the beliefs of German occultists during World War II.

As we transition to the modern age, the internet has breathed new life into the Agartha myth, with conspiracy theories and supposed tunnel entrances proliferating across online communities. These contemporary narratives, though diverse in their details, owe a debt to the early accounts of Agartha and the timeless allure of the unknown.

Agartha, a testament to the human thirst for mystery and wonder, continues to captivate, enthrall, and inspire seekers of the unknown, reminding us that the boundaries of our understanding are always subject to exploration and reinterpretation.

Either way, this continues to be a mysterious and enigmatic story.

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