Deep beneath the Earth a mysterious realm is said to exist. It’s called Agartha. Sometimes it’s spelled Agartta, Agharti, or Agarttha. For centuries people have whispered about this hidden world. Some call it a myth. Others swear it’s real. What is Agartha and why does it captivate us?
What Is Agartha?
Agartha is back in the spotlight. In schizo edits on TikTok and X posts, it’s found new attention. People are obsessed with this idea of a secret underground kingdom. Legends say it’s a vast advanced civilization. Some believe it’s located on the inner surface of a hollow Earth. Some place it under the Himalayas. Others point to the North Pole or Antarctica. The stories vary but they agree: Agartha is a secret.
The people there are said to be wise and powerful. They’ve got advanced tech, like artificial suns and flying machines, and deep spiritual knowledge. It’s a popular idea in esotericism, occultism, and New Age circles. It sounds crazy, but that’s what makes it so intriguing.
Where did the idea come from?
The concept of Agartha has reaaaaally deep roots. Ancient myths talk about underground worlds. Hindu mythology has Patala, a realm beneath us. Tibetan Buddhists speak of Shambhala, a hidden paradise often confused with Agartha. But the modern Agartha story started in the 19th century.
It began with Louis Jacolliot, a French writer. In his 1873 book Les Fils du Dieu he introduced Agartha, or “Asgartha.” He was a colonial official in South India and claimed Brahmin friends in Chandernagore shared ancient manuscripts with him. These manuscripts, he said, revealed 15,000 years of Indian history. They told of Asgartha, an ancient city and capital of India, destroyed around 5000 BC before the Kali Yuga. Ruled by “Brahmatma,” priests who were manifestations of God, it rose and fell. Jacolliot’s tale doesn’t match real Indian mythology. It’s closer to Norse myths, like Asgard, with a Sanskrit twist.
Then came Alexandre Saint-Yves d’Alveydre. In 1886, he wrote Mission de l’Inde en Europe, making Agartha famous. He claimed he mastered astral travel and learned about Agartha from a man named Haji Sharif, a parrot shop owner he called a “high official of the Hindu church.” Unlike Jacolliot, Saint-Yves said Agartha still existed underground. It had moved there at the start of the Kali Yuga. He described it as a city of millions, ruled by a “Sovereign Pontiff” with magical powers and advanced tech. His version became the most influential.
In 1922 Ferdinand Ossendowski added more in his book Beasts, Men, and Gods. While traveling in Central Asia he heard Mongolian tales of a subterranean kingdom called Agharti, beneath the Himalayas. It was ruled by a “King of the World” who connected with kings, priests, and leaders, guiding their fates based on their godliness. This idea sounds very similar to theosophical beliefs about unity, humanity as one, and a supreme ruler. Ossendowski’s book went viral for its time.
Later, occultist René Guénon expanded the myth. He tied it to esoteric ideas of hidden powers. I find this evolution wild. From a lost city to a living kingdom. Some Agartha stories sound like science fiction. Artificial suns light the depths. People fly in advanced machines. A peaceful society that has no war. Some tie it to the Hollow Earth theory, that the Earth is hollow with an inner surface. It’s a cool idea.
The spiritual character of Agartha
Agartha is spiritual, too. In occultism it’s often seen as a “Right Hand Way,” a land of goodness, versus Shambhala as the “Left Hand Way.” No one knows where this rivalry idea came from. Theosophy groups believe in a Grand Lodge of Agartha, made up of ascended masters secretly controlling the world. The Order of the Solar Temple, a notorious group, believed this too. They saw Agartha as an advanced underground civilization. Tragically, they committed mass murder-suicides in the 1990s, partly to “complete the cycle” started by Agartha’s masters.
Could Agartha be real?
Most scientists would probably say no. There’s no evidence of an underground kingdom or hollow Earth. Satellites and geology studies show nothing unusual. The Earth’s interior is well mapped. A hidden civilization would be hard to miss. But some argue we haven’t seen everything. Oceans are still uncharted. Caves remain undiscovered. Could a small advanced group hide underground? The surface world is a mess, war, greed, division. The idea of a hidden peaceful place is a nice escape, even if it’s just a story.
Even if Agartha isn’t real, it’s important. It reflects our dreams and fears. A perfect society inspires us. It makes us ask: Could we build a better world? At the same time, it warns us. Maybe perfection is out of reach and maybe it’s hidden for a reason.
Agartha also shows our deep fascination with mystery. Humans are wired for it. We love the unknown, it’s in our DNA. We explore space, dive into oceans, and dig into the Earth. Because we can’t stand not knowing. Mysteries like Agartha pull us in. They promise secrets, adventure, and answers. Even when there’s no proof we keep searching. It’s why conspiracy theories thrive and it’s why schizo edits get millions of views. We want to believe there’s more out there.
I’ve noticed this in myself too. Sometimes, the idea of a hidden world keeps me up at night. It’s not just curiosity, it’s hope. Hope that there’s something bigger, something undiscovered. Agartha taps into that longing. We crave for wonder. We crave meaning. And when the world feels small or predictable, mysteries like Agartha give us hope that there might be more.