An early source for the belief in underground civilizations is The Smoky God
(1908) by Willis George Emerson (1856 - 1918), which claims to be the biography of a Norwegian sailor named Olaf Jansen. The book explains how Jansen's sloop sailed through an entrance to the Earth's interior at the North Pole. For two years he lived with the inhabitants of an underground network of colonies who, Emerson writes, were a full 12 feet tall and whose world was lit by a "smoky" central sun. Their capital city was said to be the original Garden of Eden. While Emerson does not use the name Agartha, later works such as Agartha - Secrets of the Subterranean Cities have identified the civilization Jansen encountered with Agartha, and its citizens as Agarthan.
According to Secrets, Shamballa the Lesser,
one of the colonies, was also the seat of government for the network. While Shamballa the Lesser is an inner continent, its satellite colonies are smaller enclosed ecosystems located just beneath the Earth's crust or discreetly within mountains. Cataclysms and wars taking place on the surface drove these people underground. These were said to include a lengthy Atlantean-Lemurian war and the use of thermonuclear weaponry that eventually sank and destroyed these two highly advanced civilizations. The Sahara, Gobi, the Australian Outback and the deserts of the southwestern U.S. are said to be but a few examples of the devastation that resulted. The sub-cities were created as refuges for the people and as safe havens for sacred records, teachings and technologies that were cherished by these ancient cultures.
It is believed that the great kingdom of Lemuria which was located in the Gobi desert in Mongolia was destroyed by Atlantis in a great war that led to a cataclysmic destruction of Atlantis and Mu. Mu was a great city on the surface of what is now the Gobi desert. It had 2 satellite cities by the name of Agartha Alpha and Beta that survived the destruction.
The inhabitants of Agartha are said to have scientific knowledge and expertise far beyond that of the people who live on the surface of the planet, lost technology from the days of Atlantis.
The descendants of ancient Lemuria now live in peace in subterranean caverns. The leaders of these states (variously called Ascended Masters, Guardians of the Tradition, Psychoteleios or "the perfected ones", the the Shining Ones, the Ancients, the Watchers, the Immortals, the Monitors, the Hidden Directorate, the Children of Seth, etc.) all follow what is known as the Ancient Path and do not interfere in the lives of humans that live above the surface. Nor is there any interaction between them.
There are no entrances to Agartha Alpha and Beta from any other part of the planet. The only entrances are in the Gobi desert itself and are secured by illusory technology that is beyond the comprehension of modern science.
The Tibetans refer to the cities of Agartha as Shambala and have believed for centuries in their existence as reservoirs of ancient knowledge and advanced technology. Tibet
In Tibet, there is a major mystical shrine also called 'Patala,' which is said by the people there to sit atop an ancient cavern and tunnel system, which reaches throughout the Asian continent and possibly beyond. The Nagas also have an affinity with water, and the entrances to their underground palaces are often said to be hidden at the bottom of wells, deep lakes and rivers." Inhabitants
The Old Ones - In an article entitled "The Hollow Earth: Myth or Reality" for Atlantis Rising, Brad Steiger writes of the legends of "the Old Ones," an ancient race that populated the surface world millions of years ago and then moved underground. "The Old Ones, an immensely intelligent and scientifically advanced race," Steiger writes, "have chosen to structure their own environment under the surface of the planet and manufacture all their necessities."
"The Old Ones are hominid, extremely long-lived, and pre-date Homo sapiens by more than a million years. The Old Ones generally remain aloof from the surface peoples, but from time to time, they have been known to offer constructive criticism; and it has been said, they often kidnap human children to tutor and rear as their own." The Elder Race
One of the most controversial tales of inner-Earth-dwellers is the so-called "Shaver Mystery." In 1945, Amazing Stories magazine under the editorship of Ray Palmer ran a story told by Richard Shaver, who claimed he had recently been the guest of what remained of an underground civilization. Although few really believed the story, and many suspect that Shaver may actually have been psychotic, Shaver always averred that his story was true.
He contended that the Elder Race, or Titans, came to this planet from another solar system in our prehistoric past. After a time of living on the surface, they realized our sun was causing them to age prematurely, so they escaped underground, building huge subterranean complexes in which to live. Eventually, they decided to seek a new home on a new planet, evacuating the Earth and leaving behind their underground cities populated by artificial beings: the evil Dero - detrimental robots - and the good Tero - integrated robots. It was these beings that Shaver claimed to have met.
Despite the enormous popularity of the Shaver Mystery in Amazing Stories - Palmer milked it for all it was worth, and more - the location of the entrance to this underground world was never divulged Buddhist Theory
It is believed to be a race of supermen and superwomen who occasionally come to the surface to oversee the development of the human race. It is also believed that this subterranean world has millions of inhabitants and many cities, its capital being Shambala.
Ancient philosophy states that Agartha was first colonized thousands of years ago when a holy man lead a tribe to the underground. The people have scientific knowledge and expertice far beyond that of the people who live on the surface of the planet. Hindu
one of the most famous texts of India, tells the story of the great avatar, Rama. It describes Rama as "an emissary from Agartha" who arrived on an air vehicle.
In India there is an ancient belief, still held by some, in a subterranean race of serpent people who dwell in the cities Patala and Bhogavati. According to the legend, they wage war on the kingdom of Agharta. "The Nagas," according to "The Deep Dwellers," "are described as a very advanced race or species, with a highly-developed technology. They also harbor a disdain for human beings, whom they are said to abduct, torture, interbreed with and even to eat."
The Entrances. While the entrance to Bhogavati is somewhere in the Himalayas, believers assert that Patala can be entered through the Well of Sheshna in Benares, India. Says William Michael Mott in "The Deep Dwellers": "According to herpetologist and author Sherman A. Minton, as stated in his book Venomous Reptiles, this entrance is very real, with forty steps which descend into a circular depression, to terminate at a closed stone door which is covered in bas-relief cobras.
Quetzalcoatl is linked to the gods of Mesoamerica. Legend has it that he vanished on a flying saucer for eight days when he visited the inner worlds beneath the sea.