SUNNAPURALA VANKA GAVI, 1st
15.425000,78.126900
Description
Carefully laid steps ascend two or three metres up along a west-facing limestone cliff to a artificial terrace (nicely build from limestone slabs) in front of a 4 m long cave used to shelter and home of a troglodyte hermit, bandit, or phlegmatic inclined to watch the ripening of the crops and to listen to the sounds of the silent glen. ETYMOLOGY: The Telugu noun "sunna" (limestone) is a version of the Hindi, Bengali, etc. "chuna" (slaked lime), a derivate of the Sanskrit "churna" (powder) and means limestone, but "purala" remained unexplained, while the Telugu "gavi" is the same word as the English »cave« and the Telugu "vanka" is a water course (stream, streambed, valley). Since the cave name "Sunnapurala Vanka Gavi" means something along the lines of a »Limestone Valley Cave« and is not exactly peculiar for a cave in a country full of limestone and valleys, it is possibly an impromtu name made-up on 16th December 1996 by the guides Rama Moorthy and Rangya from the village of H. Kottala (in full: Hanumantharaya Kottala) or Hanumantarayakottala (note 1).SITUATION: About 5 km in a direct line approximately south-west of Betamcherla (N15°27': E078°09') and south (south-east) of the South Central Railway and the road from Betamcherla south-west to Dronachellam (N15°24': E077°52') in a generally SSE trending valley draining a seasonal stream to the northern (orographically right) bank (N15°24'25”: E078°07'25” Everest 1830) of the Muchchatla vagu. INTERIOR DESIGN: To increase both comfort and kitsch, a bed-stead was put up below a cheap print showing (in December 1996) a heart rendering Jesus Christ in an advanced stage of fading into blue.
NOTE 1: The village of »H. Kottala« (Hanumantharaya Kottala, Hanumantha Raya Kottala) is indicated as »Hanumantarayakottala« near N15°26'28”: E078°07'11”: 432 m asl (Everest 1830) on the Survey of India sheet 57-i/03 (edition 1983) about 4 km in a direct line WSW of Betamcherla. »H. Kottala« is not to be confused with the village of »K. Kottala« (Kanumakini Kottala) near N15°26'20”: E078°10'45” (Everest 1830) indicated as »Kanumakindi Kottala« near N15°26'20”: E78°10'45” (Everest 1830) on the Survey of India sheet 57-I/03 (edition 1983) about 3 km in a direct line ESE of Betamcherla (N15°26'50”: E078°08'55” Everest 1830).
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1996.12.16: H. D. Gebauer and Werner Busch mapped and explored, guided by M. Narayana Reddy (retired Special Police Officer, Nandyal), Rama Moorthy and one Rangya from the village of »H. Kottala« (in full: Hanumantharaya Kottala), the »Hanumantarayakottala« indicated on the Survey of India sheet 57-i/03 (edition 1983).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | SUNNAPURALA VANKA GAVI , 2nd | ||
| 0.0 | SUNNAPURALA VANKA GAVI, 3rd | ||
| 1.3 | CHINTAMANU GAVI, Passimani vanka | ||
| 2.2 | MUCHCHATLA CHINTAMANU GAVI | ||
| 2.3 | MUCHCHATLESWARA GAVI | ||
| 2.5 | GOKARABADDHA GAVI | ||
| 2.5 | BOYA DARI | ||
| 2.6 | NEMMICHELI GAVI | ||
| 2.6 | NEMMICHELI GAVI (Perrin 2010) |