CHIRUTIPULLI - VEEPAMANI GUHALU
15.105400,78.101900
Description
Two collapse dolines (note 1) give access to a solitary cave passage (90 m long, up to 20 m wide and on average 5 m high, probably with a flat and nearly horizontal ceiling), which represents the relic of a major stream cave passage which, now buried and currently impenetrable, is suspected to connect with the –>Belum Guhalu cave system (note 2). ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known name has been identified for what has been suggested to call Cheetah Cave M. Ramasubbha Reddy (1981 December personal communication) --a curious mix of the Farsi "cheetah" (hunting leopard, Felis jubata) and the English 'cave' --based on rumours about wild cats taking refuge here. Chirutipulli Guha and Veepamani Guha (Sri Chelapathi Reddy 1984 January, personal communication) combined into one Chirutipulli - Veepamani Guhalu (note 3).The Telugu "chirutipulli" is a kind of tree (Sri Chelapathi Reddy 1982 February, personal communication) and "veepamani" (veppu, Malayalam) is the same as the Hindi "neem" (also: neam, nim), called Nimba or Arishta (note 4) in Sanskrit, the Margosa Tree of the Portuguese and Anglo Indians, and the botanist's Azadirachda indica Jussieu (YULE & BURNELL 1886, 1903: 622) or Melia azadirachda (CROOK, William 1917). SITUATION: In the plains south-west of Belum hill and almost 2 km in a direct line west or west-northwest of the Belum Guhalu cave entrances. The area is indicated as »Stone Quarries« on the Survey of India sheet 57-I/04 (1983 edition). CAVE DESCRIPTION: The larger doline (12 by 13 m wide) is called Chirutipulli Gavi (note 5). The eastern doline (25 by 15 m wide) is called Veepamani Gavi (note 6). At the lowest and southernmost point of the cave, a low and easy to miss continuation is soon blocked by what was considered (Andre Abele, personal communication) washed-in debris. CULTURAL HISTORY in 1982 and left with the concurrent Archaeological project at Ramapuram. CAVE POTENTIAL - Prospects: To open the sink would require the lifting of boulders weighing up to 300 kg. Removing the infilling at the lowest part of the cave may gain low level cave passage. Mapping the sinks at the surface will possibly result in a pattern which will give some clues to the unexplored, remote and difficult to reach upstream of –>Belum Guhalu. CAVE LIFE: According to local rumours, the cave is (or was) the occasional home of a "cheetah" (hunting leopard, Felis jubata), say: wild cat (conf. felis).
NOTE 1: In the fields adjacent to the cave occur altogether seven premature (not yet developed) »collapse dolines« represented by more or less circular patches of barren rock, measuring some 15 m to 40 m in diameter and exposing karstified limestone criss-crossed by tight fissures (found impenetrable when visited on 16th January 1984). These "sink spots" are surrounded by low stone walls, erected to prevent loss of soil during the rains, when the noise of water rushing is said to issue from underground (keyword: typhon cave). NOTE 2: For humans, however, this in-filled cave passage is soon terminated by chokes at both ends that need removal fallen limestone slabs and digging of angular debris to yield more penetrable underground space. To arrange for lorry, labourers and cement works contract may yield not only economic profit but also caving experience. NOTE 3: IIn January 1984, upon requesting names for each entrance, the always polite Sri Chelapathi Reddy procured instantly the titles Chirutipulli Gavi and Veepamani Gavi, in accordance with the two young trees which he saw starting to grow near the two cave entrances at that time. After years of stumbling across caves in South Asia, I suspect neither the cave passage nor the cave entrances are honoured with names of their own because the role they currently play in the local society and culture, combined with their rank in the economy, is far too marginal. NOTE 4: The "neem" (also: neam, nim) is a kind of tree esteemed for its medical properties (adstringent). Called "nimba" or "nimbo" and "arishta" in Sanskrit, "nimb" in Marathi (YULE & BURNELL 1886 ed. 1903: 622), "veepamani" in Telugu (Sri Chelapathi Reddy, Belum, January 1984 personal communication), "veppu" in Malayalam (Crooke, W. in YULE & BURNELL 1903: 622) and "margosa" in Portuguese. It is the botanist's Azadriractha indica (OLOFINTOYE, L K & AKINBILE, P A 2007), Azadirachda indica Jussieu (YULE & BURNELL 1886 ed. 1903: 622), Melia azadirachta (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 25: xx; CROOK, William 1917 editor of Mrs. Meer HASSAN ALI, B. 1832 letter 21 note 11 after Sir G. WATT's Economic Dictionary, v. 217) or Melia azedirachta (HAMILTON, W 1828, 2: 728).
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1982: Andre Abele and Werner Busch explored and surveyed. 1984.01.16: Sri Chelapathi Reddy indicated to H. D. Gebauer the impenetrable sinkholes in the area, ordering a distant field worker to exploit the earth bee's nest I happened to step into half an hour before. Soon we shared a lunch never repeated on my side: Seated on the regur soil of coriandrum fields up to the horizon and below the shade of umbrellas, a pound of honey each at temperatures around 40°C. Coriandrum leaves, I learned, render overpowering sweetness bearable. And wriggling white bee larvae, I was told, make good eating and strengthen the eye sight. Such is the power of magic, that I only heard this story and yet I was one of last among my age group who took to reading glasses! Scarcely ever putting them down again…
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | BELUM GUHALU | ||
| 1.4 | Belum Caves | ||
| 2.8 | NELA BILAM, Belum village | ||
| 8.8 | NELA BILAM, Cherlopalle, 2nd | ||
| 8.9 | UPPALAPADDE TALUS CAVE | ||
| 9.1 | NELA BILAM, Cherlopalle, 1st | ||
| 11.7 | ALAGAR CAVERN, Kidampatti | ||
| 11.8 | NELA BILAM, Bandarlapalle | ||
| 11.9 | GOLLALERU UNDERCUT |