MANNASI AMMAN KOIL

(Uthukkottai - IN)
13.291700,79.833300
Grottocenter / carte

Description

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 18/04/2016

A north-facing, crescent-shaped rock shelter (up to 70 m wide, an estimated 10 m high and horizontally deep), which is formed in conglomerate and of dubious origin (note 1), is sacred to the mother goddess Mannasi Amman, Manche Amma, or Banachiamman. Compare: Allikkuli Cave 2, Allikkuli Cave 3. ETYMOLOGY: »Mannasi Aman« (KRISHNASWAMI, V D 1946: 86-111; DUPUIS, J 1958: 15) or »Banachiamman« (SUBIAH 1999) appear to represent versions of »Mancha Amma« (JAIN 2004), the Dravidian snake goddess, who is »variously called Nagamata, Mancha-Amma and Mancha-Mata. It is argued that the correct form of the deity's name is Mancha, which tends to be phonetically rendered as Manasa; hence the orthographic form is changed to Mansa Amma or Mansa Mata. The southern Mansa Mata became Mansa or Manasa in Bengal« (JAIN 2004: 340). The word "koil" appears to represent a version of the Tamil "kovil" (temple) but "koil" (in Urdu: coel), is the Anglo-Indian's »brain-fever bird« or black cuckoo (Eudynamys orientalis). Distinguished people, however, prefer to call the »cave-like rock shelters of which mention has been made by Foote« (KRISHNASWAMI, V D 1938: 92) not by the name proper but after the villages of Allikkuli (Alicoor), Gunipalayam (Gudem, Gudiyam) and »Allikuli, the name of the village nearest to them« (Krishnaswami, V D 1945.12.20 letter to Glennie, E A) or even after the Irula people (note 2). SITUATION: Apparently in the vicinity of Mangalam, a hill culminating at 1254 feet (382 m asl) near N13°16': E079°44' (AMS sheet ND44-10, 1957 edition) and in a kind of »shrub jungle« (SUBIAH 1999) or »in the midst of an untrammelled wilderness« (PRINCE, F 2004) at the base of an east-facing cliff of conglomerate, which lies about 5 km on foot north-east from the villages of Allikkuli / Allikuli (note 3) and »Place Pâlayam« (DUPUIS, J 1958: 16 location map), »Place Palaiyam« (SUBIAH 1999) or Placepalayam (note 4), and about 7 km or 8 km approximately north of the village of »Ramanjeri« (AMS sheet ND44-10 Madras, U502 series, 1957 edition) or »Ramancheri« (DUPUIS, J 1958: 16; India Road Atlas, Eicher Goodearth 2006: 113 G3), and north-west from the water reservoir »Satyamurti Sagar« (note 5) at the village »Poondi« (SUBIAH 1999; PRINCE, F 2004) or »Pundi Reservoir« (DUPUIS, J 1958) and (India Road Atlas, Eicher Goodearth 2006) and at about halfway on the 37 km long road from the town of Tiruvallur, the Indo-English »Tiruvellore« (N13°9': E079°55') west to Tiruttani (Tirutani N13°11': E079°38'). SITUATION 2004 »You may take a bus to Poondi or a train to Tiruvallore, and hire an autorickshaw from either of the places. Considering that most auto [motor-riksha] drivers are reluctant to take the road to the scrub forest, driving your own vehicle or hiring a cab from Chennai is the most preferable option« (PRINCE, F 2004). SITUATION 1993: In a certain »Madras Coastal Region« (ALLCHIN, B & ALLCHIN, F R 1993: 60-61). SITUATION 1999a: In the basin of the river »Kortallayar« (PAPPU, S 1999) or Cotteliar, Kortalaiyar, Kortallaiyar, Kortallayar, and Korttalaiyar (note 10). SITUATION 1999b: »At the foothills of the Puttur range near the Andhra- Tamilnadu border« (SUBIAH 1999). SITUATION 1969: Dr. med. Stephen A. CRAVEN (1969: 24) mixes two distinct items within one single, effective sentence: »Foote (1873, 1879) describes a few rock shelters, two miles south of Kolatur off the Trichinopoly road, and in a natural amphitheatre in the NE end of the Alicoor Hills.« SITUATION 1958: »Sur le versant oriental des collines d'Allikkuli. Sur la carte à 1 inch = 1 mile (carte n° 57.O 15), on repérera leur position dela manière suivante: suivre, à partir du village de Gunipalayam, le sentier conduisant vers l'Ouest: les grottes sont situées à l'endroit où ce sentier rencontre la courbe de niveau 750 pieds (225 mètres). … L'excursion doit se faire en jeep. Passer la nuit au P.W.D. Bungalow de Pundi (dépendant de l'Executive Engineer, P.W.D., Pundi) ou, de préférence, au Forest Bungalow d'Allikkuli (dépendant du Forest Officer of Chingleput District, Saidapet). On trouvera facilement un guide au village d'Allikkuli aou à celui de Place Pâlayam. Quitter le bungalow très tôt le matin. Au nord du village d'Allikkuli, la voiture peut faire encore deux ou trois kilomètres sur une piste [note 9]. Le reste de l'excursion demande une heur de marche« (DUPUIS, J 1958: 15, 16 location map). SITUATION 1952: »Near Madras in South India« (GLENNIE, E A 1952a). SITUATION 1948: »In the Alicoor hills not far from Gudem [note 7] … Mr. Krishnaswami writes "The group of caves mentioned therein … occur at Long 79°48'30” E and Lat 13° 14'20” N. … They are situated W N W of Madras and 12 miles [19 km] N W of Trivellore in the Trivellore Taluk, Chingleput dt. (vide 1" sheet 57 O/16 of the Survey on India maps) [note 8]« (Glennie, E A s.a. circa 1948 Mss Preliminary record). SITUATION 1946.07.03: »Near Madras in South India« (Krishnaswami, V D 1946.07.03 Mss: Information sought by Brigadier Glennie). SITUATION 1945.12.20: »The group of caves … occur at Long.79"48'30”E and Lat. 13°14'20” N. These go by the name of Allikuli caves, the name of the village nearest to them. They are situated WNW of Madras and 12 miles N.W of Trivellipore in the Trivellipore taluk, Chingleput Dt. /vide 1" sheet 57.O/16 of the Survey of India maps« (Krishnaswami, V D 1946.12.20 Mss). SITUATION 1938: »In the Alicoor hills not far from Gudem are a few cave-like rock shelters of which mention has been made by Foote. They are scooped out in the Jurassic boulder conglomerate. With some difficulty the writer traced the bigger one, which in plan is a shallow crescent some 250' wide and 30' high at the entrance with a depth of about 70'. Both floor and roof consists of conglomerate and are not covered by any incrustation. (See Plate 6)« (KRISHNASWAMI, V D 1938: 92). SITUATION 1873: »The highest ridge of the whole group of hills north of Alicoor [note 6] is divided into two … and a deep narrow valley is formed opening south near Alicoor. On the eastern ridge is a very fine cliff at the head of the ravine opening eastward, to a depth of fully 100 feet [30 m]. The conglomerate has been eaten into … a perfect amphitheatre [200 to 300 m across] … on the south of the amphitheatre a cave has been formed undermining the cliff« (FOOTE, R B 1873: 73-74). APPROACH: To get there, »drive nearly 55 km from Chennai [the former Madras] to Poondi, cross the dam, take the road which goes to a Place Palayam (that’s the last village on the Andhra - Tamilnadu border) and then drive 11 km, take diversion to the right, follow the lane and you reach Gudiyam village« (SUBIAH 1999). The last 4 or 6 km (note 11) of the way from Gudiyam to the cave are to be covered on foot (note 12). POSITIONS: Latitude Longitude sourceN 13°14'20” E 79°48'20” Krishnaswami, V D (1945.12.29 letter to Glennie, E A) N 13°14'20” E 79°48'20” Glennie, E A (s.a. circa 1948: Mss Preliminary record) N 13“16' E 79°49' BANERJEE, K D in GOSH, A (1989: Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology.- vol. 2: 155). GEOLOGY 1873: »Both floor and roof consist of the conglomerate, and are not covered by any incrustation. At the back of the cave is a perfectly loose accumulation of grey calcareous dust, one or two feet thick, consisting apparently of decomposed bat's dung [bat guano] and ashes. It contains nothing but some dead snail shells of the species common in the neighbourhood« (FOOTE, R B 1873: 73-74). GEOLOGY 1945: »… my paper on 'Prehistoric Man Round Madras' published in the Scientific Survey of Madras. Vide page 92 qnd plate 6 of this article for the quartzitic caves … at Long.79"48'30”E and Lat. 13°14'20” N. These go by the name of Allikuli caves, the name of the village nearest to them. They are situated WNW of Madras and 12 miles N.W of Trivellipore in the Trivellipore taluk, Chingleput Dt. [note 2] (vide 1" sheet 57.O/16 of the Survey of India maps)« (Krishnaswami, V D 1945.12.20 letter to Glennie, Edward Aubrey). GEOLOGY 1989: There are small inliers of Upper Gondwana rocks in the coastal region of Tamil Nadu, which constitute relics of marine transgressions among younger Tertiary and post-Tertiary formations. At the type locality Gudiyam, one of these transgressions is represented by Satyavedu Sandstone above Sriperumbudur Shale deposited on Archaean gneisses. The Satyadevu Sandstone is mainly a boulder conglomerate (ferricrete), of which the ferrugineous cement is liable to loose its holding capacity under water action. This, in addition to easy creep on the clayey underlying shale, resulted in cones, slopes and generally NE-SW trending ridge-like hills. The ferrugineous cementation mixed with the clayey mass assumes the form of and even has been described as laterite, often attains approximately 15 m of thickness, and has passed several times over the different regions and forms datable slopes and terraces that contain Middle Acheulian to Middle Palaeolithic tools (BANERJEE, K D in GOSH, A 1989: Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology.- vol. 2: 155). GEOLOGY 2002: »The regional geological context comprises the NNE-SSW-trending Allikulli and Satyavedu hills (200-380 m asl) and their outliers and lowlands comprising Cretaceous conglomerates and shales. The shales are capped by Tertiary to early Quaternary ferricretes. Quaternary ferricretes or ferricritised gravels containing, in general, Late Acheulian to Middle Palaeolithic artefacts, disconformably overlie the bedrock« (PAPPU, Shanti 2002). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1873: »… exposed in a very fine cliff, at the head of a large ravine opening eastward, to a depth of fully 100 feet [30.5 m]. The head of this ravine is very remarkable, as presenting unmistakeable evidence of having been excavated by marine action. The conglomerate has been eaten into by surf action so much that a perfect amphitheatre 200 to 300 yards [183 or 274 m] across and about the same depth has been formed, surrounded by truly vertical cliffs. These cliffs are highest at the apex of the curve, the dip of the bed being down the valley (eastward). On the south of the amphitheatre a cave of some magnitude has been formed by the undermining of the cliff. The shape of the cave in plan is that of a shallow crescent, the chord of the arc measuring about 230 feet [70 m] and the greatest depth being about 65 feet [19.8 m]. The greatest height of the arched opening cannot be much under 30 feet [10 m], which decreases to 4 or 5 feet [1.2 or 1.5 m] at the back of the cave, the floor rising also in the same direction. Both floor and roof consist of the conglomerate, and are not covered by any incrustation. At the back of the cave is a perfectly loose accumulation of grey calcareous dust, 1 or 2 feet thick, consisting apparently of decomposed bat's dung [bat guano] and ashes. It contains nothing but some dead snail shells of the species common in the neighbourhood. A small quantity of deliciously clear and cool water drips from the roof at the west end, and is collected in chatties by the goat herds frequenting the valley. The waters of the small stream falling over the cliffs just above the cave, when in flood, must scour the greater part of the floor, and this alone is sufficient to account for the absence of any accumulation of soil, &c., in the cave, but the stream drains too small an area ever to have been large enough to have had much influence, if any, in enlarging the cave. Another similar but much smaller cave occurs in the next overlying conglomerate bed a few hundred yards further down the ravine« (FOOTE, R B 1873: 74). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1938: »… a few cave-like rock shelters … are scooped out in the Jurassic boulder conglomerate. … the bigger one … in plan is a shallow crescent some 250' [76.2 m] wide and 30' [9.15 m] high at the entrance with a depth of about 70' [21.3 m]. Both floor and roof consists of conglomerate and are not covered by any incrustation. (See Plate 6) [note 13]« (KRISHNASWAMI, V D 1938: 92). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1946: »… an important group of prehistoric caves […] carved [by Mother Nature Enterprises & Co.] out of Jurassic conglomerate both the floor and the roof of these caves consist of quartzitic conglomerate« (Krishnaswami, V D 1946.07.03 Mss: Information sought …). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1948: »They go by the name of Allikulicaves [sic!], the name of the village nearest to them« (Glennie, E A s.a. circa 1948 Mss: Preliminary record). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1952: GLENNIE, E A (1952a: 2 item 7) quotes not only Krishnaswami, V D (1946.07.03 Mss) and Krishnaswami, V D (1946.12.20 Mss) but also (note 14) KRISHNASWAMI, V D (1938: 92). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1958: »Le site est un amphithéâtre large de 200 à 300 mètres, limité par des falaises verticales de conglomérats jurassiques, haute d'une trentaine de mètres. Cet amphithéâtre dessine sur la carte une ravine orienté Est-Ouest et fermé à l'Ouest : l apparait nettement sur la carte en courbes de niveau à 1 inch = 1 mile. A la base dela falaise sud, s'ouvrent la grotte principale et deux grottes adjacentes plus petites« (DUPUIS, J 1958: 15). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1969: »Foote (1873, 1879) describes a few rock shelters …« (CRAVEN, S A 1969: 24). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1999: Part of the cave (the cult spot) is always wet due to »water dripping from the roof of the huge, more than 100 ft. tall [30 m high?] cave« (SUBIAH 1999). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2004: The »entrance looks like a giant toadstool that has keeled over [resembling an inverted letter T]. And in contrast to the sun- drenched exterior, it is cool within. … The scene is impressive, but marred by the graffiti on the rocks … Ignoring this, I bend and crawl through silent and dark passages« (PRINCE, F 2004). CAVE POTENTIAL 1938: »The abundance of palæolithic artefacts in its proximity enhances its prehistoric value and it may be expected to yield a concise stratigraphic history of early man to the archaeologist's spade« (KRISHNASWAMI, V D 1938: 92). CAVE POTENTIAL 1999: »There are other, smaller caves high up in the hillsides, though we did not visit them« (SUBIAH 1999). CULTURAL HISTORY - Archaeology: »The abundance of palæolithic artefacts in its proximity enhances its prehistoric value and it may be expected to yield a concise stratigraphic history of early man to the archaeologist's spade« (KRISHNASWAMI, V D 1938: 92). 1946: »Just outside the biggest cave, Stone age artefacts are found in abundance which enhance the prehistoric value of the cave. Excavation of the floor is expected to yield a concise stratigraphic history of the march of palaeolithic Man in South India. This cave is recorded in the Memoires of the Geological Survey of India, Vol. X. 1873 by Foote but he does not appear to have suspected its prehistoric importance« (Krishnaswami, V D 1946.07.03 Mss: Information sought … page 2). 1956: Archaeological excavation revealed microliths (SANKALIA, H D 1974: 244) and a post-Acheulian industry developing into a microlithic one (SANKALIA, H D 1974: 68 after SHESDARI 1956: 29). 1993: »… a small excavation showed a corresponding sequence of Early, Middle and Late Stone age tools, but they were very few in number, and other evidence of occupation was almost entirely absent, suggesting that the cave was not regularly inhabited« (ALLCHIN, B & ALLCHIN, F R 1993: 60-61). CULTURAL HISTORY - temple cave: The cave »contains the shrine of a local mother goddess [note 15]« (ALLCHIN, B & ALLCHIN, F R 1993: 60-61). 1999: A »couple of barefoot locals … beat us to the cave. They came, after an oil bath to pray to the cave goddess, Banachiamman. A few stone idols and a framed picture were installed. … There were broken Ayyanar [ayya = aunt] statues (the village guardian deity) and some prehistoric tools« (SUBIAH 1999). 2004: »A kindly Amman deity sits in a framed photo, as other deities and their war-worn steeds stand impressively by. Colourful pieces of cloth are strung on a tall plant … The scene is impressive, but marred by the littered remains of sacrificial birds on the ground« (PRINCE, F 2004). CAVE LIFE: DUPUIS, J (1958: 15 note 1) recommends to keep quiet to avoid being attacked by the myriads of the Asiatic giant honey bee (cliff bee, Apis dorsata) that dwell in the amphitheatre (note 16): »Au cours de la visite des grottes, observe le silence, pour éviter l'aggression des abeilles, qui tournoient par myriades dans l'amphitéâtre des falaises.« SUBIAH (1999): »The locals told us not to make any noise whatsoever (it would disturb the rock bees from their hives).« PRINCE, F (2004): »In a hushed tone, Sriram asks me to keep my silence. Looking upward, he points to the huge bee hives on the roof of the cave. "They will sting the life out of you if you raise your voice," he warns.«

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 18/04/2016

NOTE 1: Robert Bruce FOOTE (1873) assumed »unmistakeable evidence of having been excavated by marine action« without revealing any clue why his cave in the Alicoor hills should be wave-cut sea cave. DUPUIS, J (1958) says -- without bibliography -- that one B. M. Thirunaranan (1952) had taken up the marine origin while one Prof. Dowie (1939) refused it. DUPUIS (1958: 15-18) argues for an origin due to the action of water of a giant whirlpool gnawing at the base of the cliff (in German: Klingensohlenhöhle / Tosbeckenhöhle). NOTE 2: So far, I found »Mannasi Amman Koil« (DUPUIS, J 1958: 15) referred to as Alicoor Cave KRISHNASWAMI, V D (1938: 92 plate 6 opposite page 108) cave in the Alicoor Hills FOOTE, R B (1873: 73-74); Glennie, E A (s.a. circa 1948 Mss); »cave-like rock shelters in the Alicoor hills not far from Gudem« (KRISHNASWAMI, V D 1938: 92) grottes d' Allikkuli, Deccan DUPUIS, J (1958: 15) Allikuli caves Krishnaswami, V D (1945.12.20 letter to Glennie) Allikulicaves Glennie, E A (s.a. circa 1948 Mss) GDM ALLCHIN & ALLCHIN (1993); SANKALIA, H D (1974) GDM-1 ALLCHIN & ALLCHIN (1993); SANKALIA, H D (1974) Gudiyam Cave ALLCHIN & ALLCHIN (1968, 1993: 60); SANKALIA, H D (1974) Gudiyam Caves PRINCE (2004.04.10); SUBIAH (1999) Gunipalayam site PAPPU, S (2002) cave of the Irulas THAMIZOLI & SUDARSEN (1994: 11). NOTE 3: Allikkuli or Allikuli is neither listed on nima.mil/geonames (accessed 16.11.2003) nor in the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006 index) but shown as the village of Allikkuli near N13°15': E079°48' on AMS sheet ND44-10 Madras (U502 series, 1957 edition) on the Allikkuli stream and about 18 km in a direct line north-west from the town of Tiruvallur (Tiruvellore N13°9': E079°55' nima.mil/geonames, accessed 16.11.2003). NOTE 4: »Place Pâlaiyam« (DUPUIS, J 1958: 15, 16 location map) or »Place Palayam« (SUBIAH 1999) and »Placepalayam« (PAPPU, S 2002) is indicated as Placepalayam near N13°17': E077°47' on AMS sheet ND44-10 Madras (U502 series, 1957 edition). NOTE 5: The water reservoir »Satyamurti Sagar« (India Road Atlas, Eicher Goodearth 2006: 113 G3) is called »Pundi Reservoir« (DUPUIS, J 1958) and »Poondi reservoir« (SUBIAH 1999; PRINCE, F 2004) after the village of Pundi N13°12': E079° 53' (AMS sheet ND44-10 Madras (U502 series, 1957 edition). NOTE 6: »Alicoor« (FOOTE, R B 1873: 73) is not identified unless it corresponds to the village of Allikuli (N13°15': E079°48'). NOTE 7: The village of Gudem KRISHNASWAMI, V D (1938: 92); Glennie, E A (s.a. circa 1948 Mss) Gudiyam ALLCHIN, B & ALLCIN, F R (1993); PAPPU, S (1999, 2001a, 2001b, 2002); »about 20 km from the Poondi Reservoir« (PRINCE, F 2004.04.10); SANKALIA, H D (1974); SHESHDARI, M (1956); »17 km from Poondi« (SUBIAH 1999) seems to be the same as the village of Gunipâlaiyam DUPUIS, J (1958: 15) Gunipalayam PAPPU, S (2002) Gunipalaiyam near N13°17': E079°51' on AMS sheet ND44-10 Madras (U502 series, 1957 edition). NOTE 8: The location suggested by Krishnaswami, V D (1945.12.20 letter to Glennie) and Glennie, E A (circa 1948 Mss) is problematic insofar, as a) the position N13°14'20”: E079°48'30” does not indicate a location »12 miles« (19 km) but 8 miles (12 km) in a direct line approximately north-west of »Trivellore« (Tiruvallur N13°9': E079°55') and in an area without any hills. b) the distance of »12 miles« (19 km) north-west from »Trivellore« (Tiruvallur N13°9': E079°55') takes one into the vicinity of the village of Allikkuli (N13°15': E079°48'), which lies about 5 km south of the peak .1029 (314 m asl) shown on AMS sheet ND44-10 Madras (U502 series, 1957 edition). NOTE 9: Here, at the end of the road, seems to lie the village of Placepalayam / Place Palayam (N13°16": E079°46'), the »last village on the Andhra - Tamilnadu border« (SUBIAH 1999). NOTE 10: The river flowing into the Bay of Bengal debouches near N13°14'04”: E080°15'23” (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) on the Coromandel coast. It is the Cotteliar BARTHOLOMEW (1996: Indian Subcontinent 1: 4 mill.) Kortalaiyar N13°14'04”: E080°15'23” (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) Korttalaiyar N13°14'04”: E080°15'23” (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) Kortallayar PAPPU, S (1999, 2002) Korttalayiar N13°14'04”: E080°15'23” (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003); AMS sheet ND44-10 Madras, U502 series (1957 edition); DUPUIS, J (1958: 16) Kusastala N13°14'04”: E080°15'23” (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003). NOTE 11: The cave was said to lie an hour's march (DUPUIS, J 1958: 15 note) from the village of Gudiyam or at a distance of »4 km on foot« (SUBIAH 1999) along a »meandering 6 km or so route … arduous and lined with thistles and bramble« (PRINCE 2004). NOTE 12: You'll need a guide, drinking water and sun glasses. SUBIAH (1999) narrates having »… walked through some of the most beautiful, dreamy Acacia mangium trees planted by the Forest Department and the mango groves by the villagers. The mangium trees have these silver-grey leaves … Of course, with the naked eye, the leaves kind of reflect the sun rays and you can't see for too long.« PRINCE, F (2004): »As the mid-day sun glares pointedly at us, I feel like a sea animal stranded on land. The fact that I have not carried sufficient quantities of water does not help much either … On more than one occasion, I think I came within inches of losing my eyesight. Lesson: enough water is not enough; pack a pair of face-hugging sunglasses too.« NOTE 13: KRISHNASWAMI, V D (1938: 92 plate 6 opposite page 108) gives a monochrome photograph captioned »Alicoor Cave« and showing a row of six people in local dress standing side by side in one corner of a daylight-lit rock shelter. NOTE 14: Krishnaswami, V D (1946.07.03 Mss: Information sought …) and KRISHNASWAMI, V D (1938: 92) quoted by Glennie, Edward Aubrey (s.a. circa 1948 Mss: Preliminary record) and GLENNIE, E A (1952a, bibliographical reference no. 7). CRAVEN, S A (1969: 24) arrived at understanding that »Glennie [1952a] writes that this latter cave [in the Alicoor Hills] is identical with that described by Krishnaswami (1937) [sic! qua: 1938], but despite an extensive search I have been unable to trace this work.« Searching for KRISHNASWAMI, V D (1938) instead solves this problem. NOTE 15: lekti-ecriture.com/reve_indien.htm (accessed 11.04.2004) had confirmed that »… la caverne de Gudiyam, dans la région de Madras, abrite un sanctuaire dédié à une déesse-mère locale.« NOTE 16: One single colony (nest) of the Asiatic giant honey bee (cliff bee, Apis dorsata) may hold up to 120'000 individuals and there exists clusters of up to 300 colonies (KASTBERGER, Gerald (2009).FOOTE, R B (1884a: 28-29 note 2) pointed out that »… cliff bees are of very unreliable temper, and the natives are much afraid of them. Though often inoffensive, they are sometimes roused and sally forth and attack with great fury any human or animal they may come across.« Already Captain FRYER (1698 letter II, chapter V, edited 1873 edited 1993: 350) had known that disturbing these »Wasps … is dangerous, being overgrown and desperately revengeful, following their Agressors till they have Whealed them into Contrition for their unadvised Provocation …«

Documents

Bibliography 18/04/2016

History

EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1873 enters FOOTE, R B 1938: »In the Alicoor hills not far from Gudem are a few cave-like rock shelters of which mention has been made by Foote. They are scooped out in the Jurassic boulder conglomerate. With some difficulty the writer traced the bigger one, which in plan is a shallow crescent some 250' wide and 30' high at the entrance with a depth of about 70'. Both floor and roof consists of conglomerate and are not covered by any incrustation. (See Plate 6). The abundance of palæolithic artefacts in its proximity enhances its prehistoric value and it may be expected to yield a concise stratigraphic history of early man to the archaeologist's spade« (KRISHNASWAMI, V D 1938: 92). Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 18/04/2016

Caves nearby

Distance (km)NameLength (m)Depth (m)
30.6KAMBAKHAM NAGALPURAM HILLS (Cave in the)
159.0Madras Cistern
345.1BELLAM GAVI, Guthikonda
345.1DAIDA TEMPLE CAVE
357.2VADDAMU CAVERN
357.7MANGALAGIRI CAVES
363.9Undavalli Cave Temples
364.7GURZALA (Foote 1916)
367.0MOGALARAJAPURAM, Vijayawada (Caves at)