KRISHNAMMAKONA CAVE 1
15.494400,78.247200
Description
The first of altogether three speleologically unexplored and lost natural caves which seem to have disappeared (from view) as they got buried beneath quarry spoil. SITUATION: FOOTE (1884a: 34) had »… heard of a cave [no name mentioned] near Buganpilly [note 1], 3 miles [4.8 km] north-east of Betumcherru« (note 2) which may have been the group of caves in the Krishnammakona or, perhaps, even the –>Sanyasula Gavi (Sinigasivani Gavi). FOOTE (1885: 235) had visited »a group of small caves [no name mentioned] lying 3 miles [4.8 km] north of Billa Surgam, and known as Boganpalli Caves« (note 3) which seem to be rather the three or four Krishnammakona caves than –>Sanyasula Gavi (Sinigasivani Gavi). CAMMIADE (1927: 11) suggested »… the group referred to by Bruce Foote is a) is either in the canyon that runs close to the north of the railway line at mile 308 [kilometre 495.572] of the Guntakal Bezwada railway [–>Krishnammakona CAMMIADE 1927] b) or is the group that lies to the south of the line at mile 308 1/2 [kilometre 496.377] and known locally as the Kistawa Kona (valley)« but is indicated on the one-hand side as »Krishnammakona Temple« near N15°29'40”: E078°14'50” (Everest 1830) in the very top right corner of Survey of India sheet 57-1/03 (edition 1983) and on the other hand as »Krishnammakona RS« (railway station) near N15°30'07”: E078°15'02” (Everest 1830) in the very bottom left corner of SI sheet 57-i/06 (edition 1982). CAVE DESCRIPTION: None. According to an employee of the Panyam Cement Factory at Cementnagar (1996.12.14 personal communication), there used to exist altogether three caves at the Kishnamma Kona temple. They were, however, buried under the spoil and waste of the limestone quarry. A fourth cave, quite a distance away and at a lower elevation, is the still accessible –>Krishnamma Kona Gavi no. 4. CULTURAL HISTORY - archaeology: A trial excavation by Soundara Rajan, K V and Joshi, R V in the 1957-58 season did not throw up any culture debris (ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA: Report for 1957-58; SOUNDARA RAJAN, K V 1989).
NOTE 1: »Buganpilly« (FOOTE 1884a: 34) or »Boganpalli« (FOOTE 1885: 235) is indicated as Bugganipalle (N15°28'20”: E078°10'30” Everest 1830) on Survey of India sheet 57-i/03 (edition 1983). NOTE 2: »Betumcherru« (FOOTE 1884a: 31) and »Baitumcherloo« (FOOTE 1884a: 28, 34) is indicated as Betamcherla (N15°26'50”: E078°08'55” Everest 1830) on Survey of India sheet 57-i/03 (edition 1983). NOTE 3: FOOTE (1885: 235) identified no autochthonous name (names) for the caves called after the »near« (5 km away!) village of »Boganpalli« (Bugganipalle N15°28'20”: E078°10'30” Everest 1830).
Documents
Bibliography 05/04/2016Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.3 | KRISHNAMMAKONA CAVE 2 | ||
| 0.3 | KRISHNAMMAKONA CAVE 3 | ||
| 0.3 | KRISHNAMMAKONA CAVE 4 | ||
| 1.1 | KRISHNAMMAKONA CAVE (Cammiade 1927) | ||
| 1.2 | KRISHNAMMAKONA CAVE (Gebauer 1996) | ||
| 2.5 | KRISHNAMMAKONA CAVE 5 | ||
| 7.4 | SANYASULA GAVI | ||
| 8.1 | BUGGANIPALLE CAVES | ||
| 8.1 | SANYASI CAVE, Bugganipalle (Dutt 1981) |