KOTTALA GAVI
15.440300,78.174200
Description
A low cave entrance gives access to a small chamber with a hole in the south-eastern wall which leads, at a right angle, to an adjacent rift cave passage. On the south-west (right hand) side, a second, high but narrow entrance resurfaces to the cliff. The third cave entrance lies about 12 m north-west. ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known name has been identified for this cave, which GEBAUER & ABELE (1983) christened after the nearest village. SITUATION: At a linear distance of about 4.5 km south-east of Betamcherla, and approximately north-east of the village of »Kanumakindi Kottala« or »Kinda Kanama Kottala« (note 1). APPROACH: In case of arriving from Betamcherla and at a spot about 100 m short of Kottala, a limestone cliff can be seen in a short tributary valley from the north. At the foot of the cliff lies a small cave with three entrances. About 100 m further upvalley lies –>Kottala Guhalu. CULTURAL HISTORY - human use: The cave appears to be used by humans (to shelter goats?): Bundels of dry thorny branches, the local barbed wire, secured the third entrance. Just inside the first entrance, a pile of stones lay at hand to close this door.
NOTE 1: The village of »Kinda Kanama Kottala« (HASLAM, M et al. 2010: 1 after ALLCHIN, F R & ALLCHIN, B 1962: 302-304), in short »K. Kottala« or simply »Kottala« (DUTT, N V B S 1981: 1; PRASAD 1996: 30 figure 1) and »Kotal« (FOOTE, Robert B 1884a: 30), is 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). »K. Kottala« is not to be confused with »H. Kottala« (in full: Hanumantharaya Kottala or Hanumantha Raya Kottala) 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 (N15°26'50”: E078°08'55” Everest 1830).
Cave has been destroyed
I was at this location on 2016-11-04 and saw the entire place has been blasted by land mafia for extracting ( granite ) stone slabs. The description of the location matches to that mentioned by H D Grabauer since I followed his description to entry locaiton. The google maps read the co-ordinates as : 15.443801 N,78.174206 E ( 15°26'37.7"N 78°10'27.1"E )
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1884: FOOTE, Robert B. (1884a: 30-31) drew attention to »smaller caves equally promising with large ones … north of the hamlet of Kotal, which [probably the caves] should be explored« in the archaeological sense of the word by excavation. 1981.12.26: H D Gebauer (book), Andre Abele (compass and clinometer) and Werner Busch (tape) stumbled across the cave and instantly mapped to commence speleological exploration.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.3 | KOTTALA (Cave near) | ||
| 1.1 | PEDDA PAVURALLA BADDE GAVI | ||
| 1.2 | BILLA SURGAM | ||
| 1.4 | BILLA SURGAM 6: Chapter House | ||
| 1.4 | BILLA SURGAM: U-SHAPED CAVE | ||
| 1.4 | BILLA SURGAM, cave under present study | ||
| 1.4 | BILLA SURGAM 5: North Chapel | ||
| 1.4 | BILLA SURGAM 4: South Chapel | ||
| 1.4 | BILLA SURGAM 1: Charnel House |