SAMANAR CAVE, Nagamalai, 2nd
9.950000,78.050000
Description
Unspecified Jain Hills caves contain a a vertical rock crevice (CHANDRASHEKARAN 2005: 2) and are posibly identical with –>Samanar Cave (Nagamalai) 1 and the –>Mahavira Cave (Samana Malai). ETYMOLOGY: In Tamil, the Jain (Jaina) community is called samanar (shramana) (note 1) or samana (SAIRAM 2006.09.27). SITUATION: The Jain Hills caves (CHANDRASHEKARAN 2005: 2) were got at in summer 1978 by travelling about 7 km on the Madurai (N09°55': E078°07'30”) - Bodinayakanur (N10°01': E077°21') passenger train up to the Nagamalai - Pudukkottai unmanned rail stop (note 2). ARCHAEOLOGY: The Archaeological Survey of India, Chennai Circle (note 3) lists SI no. 85 Rock-cut Beds under natural rock shelter in Amanarmalai [sic!] or Samanar Malai at the Locality: Melakuilkudy (note 4). CAVE LIFE: SUBBARAJ & CHANDRASHEKARAN (1977 Oecologia (Berlin) 29: 341-348) draw attention to rigid internal timing in the circadian rythm of flight activity in a tropical bat.CHANDRASHEKARAN (2003a) deals with inectivorous bats (Chiroptera) which were observed between 1975-1995 not only within a laboratory but also inside natural caves (no names mentioned) and open spaces (Jain Hills Caves). CHANDRASHEKARAN (2005: 2) mentions a day roost of Taphozous bats (Chiroptera) in a vertical rock crevice inside the Jain Hills caves (note 5).Unspecified Jain Hills caves contain a a vertical rock crevice (CHANDRASHEKARAN 2005: 2) and are posibly identical with –>Samanar Cave (Nagamalai) 1 and the –>Mahavira Cave (Samana Malai). ETYMOLOGY: In Tamil, the Jain (Jaina) community is called samanar (shramana) (note 1) or samana (SAIRAM 2006.09.27). SITUATION: The Jain Hills caves (CHANDRASHEKARAN 2005: 2) were got at in summer 1978 by travelling about 7 km on the Madurai (N09°55': E078°07'30”) - Bodinayakanur (N10°01': E077°21') passenger train up to the Nagamalai - Pudukkottai unmanned rail stop (note 2). ARCHAEOLOGY: The Archaeological Survey of India, Chennai Circle (note 3) lists SI no. 85 Rock-cut Beds under natural rock shelter in Amanarmalai [sic!] or Samanar Malai at the Locality: Melakuilkudy (note 4). CAVE LIFE: SUBBARAJ & CHANDRASHEKARAN (1977 Oecologia (Berlin) 29: 341-348) draw attention to rigid internal timing in the circadian rythm of flight activity in a tropical bat.CHANDRASHEKARAN (2003a) deals with inectivorous bats (Chiroptera) which were observed between 1975-1995 not only within a laboratory but also inside natural caves (no names mentioned) and open spaces (Jain Hills Caves). CHANDRASHEKARAN (2005: 2) mentions a day roost of Taphozous bats (Chiroptera) in a vertical rock crevice inside the Jain Hills caves (note 5).
Documents
Bibliography 06/01/2018- Chandrashekaran, Maroli K 2003b, 2005; Subbaraj, R & Chandrashekaran, Maroli K 1977.
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1978 summer: M. K. Chandrashekaran, R. Subbaraj, one Marimuthu (perhaps G. Marimuthu) and the animal procurer Raman took Eberhard Gwinner (Max Plank Institut für Ornithologie, Andechs) to the Jain Hills caves by taking the 5 p.m. Madurai - Bodinayakanur passenger train up to the Nagamalai - Pudukkottai unmanned rail stop. CHANDRASHEKARAN (2005: 2) narrates how we were in the Jain Hill slopes by about 18.30 hrs and there was no time to loose. We lay on the still hot rocky floor looking skyward to sight the bats. … It was 18.30 hrs and no bat had stirred out but we heard the noisy pre-flight vocalizations of the bats which got louder by the minute. At 18.35 hrs Gwinner asked Subbaraj why nothing was happening.Subbaraj said that there were seven more minutes minutes to go before we give up. As he was whispering this a batch of seven to eight Taphozous bats shot out into the darkening northerly sky. Ebo Gwinner broke into loud appreciative laughter. Then more and morebatches of bats swiftly followed and by 18.42 hrs literally the last bat of the colony had departed.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | MAHAVIRA CAVE, Samana Malai | ||
| 2.8 | SAMANAR CAVE, Nagamalai 1 | ||
| 7.6 | PANNIAN MALAI CAVE | ||
| 7.8 | ANAIPATTI, Madurai (Cave on) | ||
| 7.9 | KANAVAI KATHA BOOTHAM CAVE 1 | ||
| 7.9 | KANAVAI KATHA BOOTHAM CAVE 2 | ||
| 8.2 | KONGAR PULIYANGULAM PALLI | ||
| 8.4 | SUBRAHMANYA, Tirupparankunram Malai (Cave of) | ||
| 9.4 | TIRUNPARANKUNRAM CAVERN |