SUGRIVA CAVE, Hampi
15.338700,76.471000
Description
A modified, natural temple cave in gravitationally dislocated granite boulders is sacred to Hindus and associated with the legendary monkey god Sugriva (note 1) or Sugryha (NEUMAYER 1993: 285, figs. 281, 337, 338). SITUATION: At the edge of Sugriva Gudda (Sugriva's Hill) and at a distance of about 1.5 km north-east of Virupaksha temple at Hampi Bazaar. To reach the cave, walk from Hampi Bazaar towards east and along the path (mostly paved with granite slabs) above the right (southern) bank of Tungabhadra River towards the renowned Vittala (Vithala, Vitthala) temple. Having passed –>Hampi - Vittala Tunnel, one reaches the lively temple dedicated to Ramalakshmana (note 2) above Chakra Tirtha, the popular sacred bathing place. Bypass this temple on the left-hand side (keeping the temple to your right) and continue for some 50 or 100 metres towards Vittala along the well-trodden track) now covered with sand) and start keeping to the left, heading for bouldery accumulations embracing what will turn out to be a wide and low pass with a clean-swept granite floor. Here are (clearly distinguishable only from an elevated point of view (e.g. from the top of Matanga hill), are three hillocks. The smallest and easternmost hillock contains the cave of Sugriva. There are several gaps between the dislocated boulders which border the north-western flank of the pass but the famous cave is marked by a few inobtrusive human modifications (note 3) and a very long, 14 to 18 cm thick quartzite vein (120° / 300°) which runs across the exposed granite floor straight up to the cave entrance. CAVE DESCRIPTION: An about 6 m or 8 m long gap (triangular in cross-section, up to 2 m wide and 3 m high) leads via a walled door frame (0.9 by 1.9 m large, wooden parts recently removed, 23rd February 2004) to an irregular shaped chamber, up to 2 m high, with a nearly circular ground plan, some 7 to 9 m in diameter, is enclosed by white-washed bouders resting on a common, uneven floor of massive granite. Larger gaps between the embracing boulders, including two daylight windows, are walled off, plastered and white-washed. Carved on the surface of an inclined rock surface in the south-west corner of the chamber are figures of Rama, Sati and Sugriva, adorated by a smaller person which were freshly watered and decorated (circa 07h10 to 07h30 a.m.) with flowers (Frangipani) by a responsible attendant who had carefully swept the site with an handle-less grass-bundle broom. CULTURAL HISTORY - folklore: The "monkey brothers" (pre-Vedic chieftains) Vali (Bali) and Sugriva of Kishkindha (note 4) quarrelled and Sugriva exiled just at the time when Rama, hero of the epic Ramayana in search of his lost wife, was informed that Sugriva can give him news of her. Rama visited Sugriva and was told how he saw Sita being carried through the air by Ravana (ten-headed and twenty-armed demon of Lanka / Ceylon) and how she dropped one of her garments and her jewels (note 5); and how he had retained these latter in a cave. Sugriva brings them and shows them to Rama in proof of the truth of his story. Rama in his gratitude for this clue slays Vali, burns his huge body on a funeral pyre (note 6) and replaced Sugriva on the throne (after FILLIOZAT 1977 edited 1980, 1999 edited 2001: 6; LONGHURST 1917 edited 2002: 9, 123; Inernet websites, note 7). ROCK ART: NEUMAYER (1993: 122) gives three examples of mesolithic rock art (page 124 fig. 281, page 134 figs. 337, 338) showing »rock pictures of early hunters and gatherers« from »Sugryha Guha« (page 285) at »Humpi« (34) or »Hampi« (pages 34, 124, 134) to illustrate that »Human figures are conspicuously rare … in the later mesolithic stylistic group found almost at all sites of the Southern Deccan … and come mostly from sites in the Benakal region, from sites near Humpi [sic!] and from Korugodu in the Bellary District« (NEUMAYER 1993: 34) or to illustrate that »anthropomorph figures are quite rare [in the mesolithic rock pictures in the Southern Deccan] and come almost exclusively from sites in the Benakal Forest or from the regions in the vicinity of the ancient city of Vijayanagar« (NEUMAYER 1993: 122).
NOTE 1: KELLER & LUIDER (1989: 136-137) give a double-page photograph showing part of the interior [forwarded by Manfred Moser]. NOTE 2: Ramalakshmana temple is characterised by a much crumbled iron fence and marked by a large banyan tree (Ficus religiosa). It lies near N15°20'10.2”: E76°28'06.8” (±4.0 m, WGS84, H.D. Gebauer 01.03.2004) and below the ruined "Jain Temple above the river" described by LONGHURST (1917 edited 1982, 2002: 121-123). NOTE 3: On 23rd February 2004 there was a low, white-washed wall squeezed below a boulder on the right-hand side of the entrance and a inscription (Kannada characters) painted with fading enamel colour. In the early 20th century LONGHURST (1917 edited 1982, 2002: 123) recorded that »facing the path is the cave conspicuously marked with the usual red and white vertical lines …« NOTE 4: It is asserted by the local Brahmins and generally acknowledged by the learned in those matters that this Kishkindha was close to Hampi. See Rice's Mysore (1: 277), and the authorities there quoted. Also Dr. Bhandarkar in Bombay Gazetteer, Vol. 1, part 2: 142. NOTE 5: »The cave where Sugriva kept Sita's jewels and the mark made on the rocks by her garment as it fell to earth is pointed out to the pious pilgrim near the river bank« (LONGHURST 1917 edited 1982, 2002: 9, 123). NOTE 6: Compare the Cave at –>Nigondin. NEWBOLD, T J (1845c: »About a mile easterly from Nimbapur, a small hamlet in the suburb of Bijanugger [Vijayanagar], lies an oval-shaped heap of calcareous scoria, about forty-five yards long by about eighteen broad, and from ten to fourteen feet high, partially covered by grass and other vegetation. It is evidently artificial, and of considerable antiquity. The Brahmins aver it to be the ashes of the bones of the Giant Walli, or Bali, an impious tyrant slain here by Rama on his expedition to Lanka (For an account of these heaps of ashes, vide Journal Royal A.Soc. N. XIII, p. 129, &c.).« For the cultural history and archaeology of ash mounds, see F. Raymond Allchin (1963): Neolithic cattle-keepers of South India: a study of the Deccan Ashmounds.- (Cambridge: Cambridge University). NOTE 7: »There is a cave near the place where it is believed that Sri Rama and Lakshmana took rest after killing Bali. Behind the cave there is a mountain peak known as Hanuman Mountain …« (vikraman.com/MaruthiPramanam.htm accessed 2002.10.15). »It is believed that Sri Rama killed Bali on his battle with Sugriva … it is believed that Sri Rama and Lakshmana took rest after killing Bali« (colorado.edu/Conferences/pilgrimage/papers/Rama.ht… accessed 2002.11.21).
Documents
Bibliography 31/05/2016- Filliozat, Vasundhara 1977 edited 1980, 1999 edited 2001; Keller, Will & Luider, Emile 1989; Longhurst, Albert Henry 1917 edited 1982, 2002; Neumayer, Erwin 1993.
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 2004.02.23: H. D. Gebauer visited, looked around and took a GPS reading.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | SUGRIVA CAVE, Hampi, 2nd | ||
| 0.1 | SUGRIVA CAVE, Hampi 3 | ||
| 0.3 | NIGONDIN RIVER'S SIDE (Cave at) | ||
| 0.5 | Hampi-Vittala Tunnel | ||
| 0.8 | MATANGAPARVATA (Cave on) | ||
| 1.1 | HIMALAYAN CRYSTAL CAVE, Hampi | ||
| 1.3 | SABARI, Pampasarovar (Cave of) | ||
| 1.3 | PARVATI, Pampasarovar (Cave of) | ||
| 1.5 | Hampi Cave |