GOKAK CAVITIES
16.183300,74.750000
Description
»Large circular cavities and some of great depth« (note 1), which probably represent whirlpools in the sandstone exposed in the cliff faces and the riverbed of the Ghatprabha or »Gulpurba« (note 2) at a place that may have been drowned in the waters of a reservoir / tank above the waterfall near »Gokauk« (note 3). CAVITIES DESCRIPTION after FALLS NEAR GOKAUK (1820): »The bed of the river above the fall is broken and irregular, from the broken ends of the strata coming obliquely from the earth, in the most solid parts of which large circular cavities (and some of great depth) have been wrought by the action of the torrents of the monsoon, illustrative of Gutta cavat lapidem non vi sed sæpe cadendo« (note 4).
NOTE 1: My only source of information is FALLS NEAR GOKAUK (1820: 433-434), an anonymous correspondent accompanying a certain »Brig.gen. Wood's force.« NOTE 2: The river Ghatprabha (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909) near N16°20': E075°48' Gat Prabha nima.mil/geonames (accessed 2003.11.16) Ghatabha India Road Atlas, Eicher Goodearth (2006: 99: G4) Ghatparba nima.mil/geonames (accessed 2003.11.16) Ghatprabha SMITH, G (1882: 279); nima.mil/geonames (accessed 2003.11.16) Gulpurba FALLS NEAR GOKAUK (1820) Gutpurba NEWBOLD, T J (1845a: 277; 1846e "summary" 157). NOTE 3: »Gokauk« (NEWBOLD, T J 1845a) is indicated as the town »Gokak« near N16°10': E74°49' (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 12: 306) or near N16°10': E74°50' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) in the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006: 99 F4) but as the Gokak Road Railway Station near N16°12': E74°45' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003). NOTE 4: Not by force do drops pierce stone but by steady falling.
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1818 March: Seen by an anonymous correspondent accompanying Brig.gen. Wood's force. 1819 November 23: Reported in a letter to the editor of the Madras Courier. 1820 October: Published in Asiatic Journal.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | GOKAK CAVE | ||
| 0.0 | Gokak Fissure | ||
| 17.9 | HIRANYKESHI (Cave at) | ||
| 121.0 | RAVALA PHADI CAVE | ||
| 141.1 | NAGESHWAR HILL (Cavern on the) | ||
| 145.7 | INGLESHWAR (Cave near) | ||
| 183.7 | BHUYAR, Indi | ||
| 220.2 | KANDAR UNDERGROUNDS | ||
| 254.4 | Daund Lava Tube |