Cenotes are water-filled cavities and the only source of fresh water in the Mexican state of Yucatan. Some are vertical shafts and others are caves with pools and underwater passages. For the ancient Maya, some of the holes were reserved for drinking water, while others were considered exclusively sacred, and these places were secret.
Mayan underworld entrance
To the east of the main ruins of Chichen Itza lies a dark Mayan underworld named Cenote. They are deep-sea funnels formed by water seeping through soft limestone. There are no surface rivers or lakes on the Yutakan Peninsula, and these underground cavities were extremely important for settlements.
For the Maya peoples, life after death was very different from the concept imposed on them by the Catholic religion after the Spanish invasion. In "Mesoamerica" there was no concept of heaven and hell for Catholicism. Their religion was polytheistic, meaning they believed in many gods.
The Maya believed that freshwater sinkholes were sacred portals to the underworld called Xibalba (place of fear). It consists of nine levels, guarded by Lords. Access to each step depends on the cause of death, not life, unlike the Christian religion or Catholicism. Xibalba served as a court for the dead and contained 12 gods called the Rulers or Lords of Xibalba. The gods acted in pairs to cause human suffering and had names that personified their gruesome roles. The gods sometimes ventured to the surface to inflict illness and torment on the living when they were not enjoying the suffering of the dead.
Promotional video:
Sacred Cenote Light
One of the famous cenotes of Chichen Itza is entered through a vertical opening with narrow steps carved by the Maya themselves. The air here is thick and musty. One slip on the slimy ridges threatens to send a person several meters down.
As soon as the eyes become accustomed to the light, a strange world emerges - stalactites seem to seep from the damp walls.
Ahead is a strange green pool of glowing water. As you approach the pool, hanging tree roots appear. In search of water, they penetrate the cave vault. It looks like an eerie underground forest.
Having made your way under especially low-hanging stalactites, an incredible scene opens up - a beautiful emerald pool of unknown depth. A huge stalactite hangs down, inches from touching the surface of the water. Once a year, in April, a ray of light touches the tip of the stalactite, illuminating the cave. There are many examples where ancient people built monuments to take advantage of such events, but this is something completely natural and unplanned.
The underwater labyrinth of rivers in the Yucatan Peninsula was a previously hidden area. Only in recent history have adventurers risked their lives exploring secret passages and caves littered with human remains and sacrificial objects in order to reveal the secrets of the underworld of an ancient civilization.