PANCHALINGALAKONA GAWI
14.379700,78.155600
Description
A modified natural sacred cave, which is used as a Hindu temple cave, lies near the waterfall »Panchalingalakona« (five linga gorge) in an east-facing gorge on the northern flank of the Seshachalam Hills (Palkonda Hills) and south-west of Yerraballa, a village about 60 km in a direct line (80 km along the road) approximately west of Cuddapah (N14°28': E78°49'). SITUATION 1915: »Yerraballa« (note 1) lies about »five miles« (8 km) south-west of Pulivendla (note 2) and lures with cases of subterranean drainage: »The big tank of Yerraballa affords an example of the disappointing nature of tank irrigation in Pulivendla taluk. In the scheme report for the resettlment of the taluk it is referred to as follows: "The Yerraballa tank occupies a fine natural position in the hills to the south of Pulivendla and when it receives a good supply all the spring channels lower down have a copious flow. Its history of late years is, however, one of short supplies and large remissions … Another feature of the tanks of this taluk is the great percolation through and beneath the bunds [reservoir dams] owing to the porousness of the soil and the lie of the strata underneath. So marked is this that for several tanks such as Yerraballa and Vemula [N14°17': E78°17' south-east of Pulivendla] no sluice is provided at all, the water escaping by percolation into the main supply channel« (BRACKENBURY 1915: 215). SITUATION 1951: GLENNIE (1951c: 8) located the cave in one »Pulwendla talug« (Pulivendla) on the Survey of India »sheet 57 J/3« near »Lat. 14°24' Long. 78°11'« and thus at distance of 3.5 km in a direct line north-east from the waterfall and at the »bund« (dam) of the »gundam« (water reservoir) half a kilometre north-east of Kottapalli village, which itself lies 6 km south-west of Pulivendla. SITUATION 1969: CRAVEN (1969: 24) repeats GLENNIE (1951c: 8) but shifts »Yerraballa, 40 miles [64.4 km] WSW of Cuddapah« to the position »78° 12', 14° 24'« (N14°24': E78°12') and thus even further north or 4.9 km in a direct line north-northeast from the waterfall. SITUATION 1985: At a traveling distance of »80 km from Cuddapah, located at a height of about 15 m on the southern face of a rocky and barren hill slope« (Reddy, M. Narayana 1985.03.12 Mss). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1915: »The waterfall near Yerraball, called Panchalingalakona, is worth a visit. It is situated in that part of the Palkonda hills [note 3] known as the Dorigallu reserve from the village of that name [note 4] in the adjacent taluk of Kadiri [note 5]. The water descends the face of a rock in a depression between two hills and falls into a "gundam" or reservoir whence it is carried away by the hill stream known as th Lingala vanka. The waterfall is named [216] Panchalingala from the sacred cave near by which contains five lingams [note 6]. The cave is approached by a winding passage the entrance to which is marked by a temple gateway. The passage is little more than a fissure in the rock, overhang by beetling crags, and at one place is so contracted that a man must crawl to get through it« (BRACKENBURY 1915: 215, 216). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1951: GLENNIE (1951c: 8) quotes from »Gaz. Cuddapah Dist. Vol.1. pp. 215,216« (i.e. BRACKENBURY 1915: 215, 216).CAVE DESCRIPTION 1969: CRAVEN (1969: 24) repeats GLENNIE (1951c: 8) quoting BRACKENBURY (1915: 215, 216). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1985: Reddy (1985.02.12 Mss edited in NARAYANA REDDY & GEBAUER 1988: 109), having visited and explored the cave himself, recorded from »Pancha Lingala Cave … a continuous caving of about 55 m with branches of further about 50 or 60 m ending in round shaped 0.75 to 01.00 high and 11.50 m diameter chambers (about four). In this cave a few stalagtites [sic! for: stalactite or stalagmite speleothems] are formed. The rock is sedimentary.« CAVE POTENTIAL: »Some unpassable, narrow extensions are there« (Reddy 1985.02.12 Mss). CULTURAL HISTORY - human use: »On mondays in the month of Kartigai [October / November]the place is visited [on occasion of Divali festival] by numerous devotees« (BRACKENBURY 1915: 216).
NOTE 1: »Yerraballa« (BRACKENBURY 1915) is not identified as it is neither listed on nima.mil/geonames (accessed 16.11.2003), in IMPERIAL GAZETTEER (1907-1909, 25: 628) and in the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006 index) nor shown on AMS sheet ND44-05 Cuddapah (U502 series, 1956 edition) or on the Survey of India sheet 57-J (edition 1986). BRACKENBURY (1915: 215) places »Yerraballa« about »5 miles« (circa 8 km) south-west of Pulivendla (N14°25'17”: E078°13'10” WGS84) and thus in the approximate area where a temple (without name) is shown near N14°22'05”: E078°09'50” (WGS84 modified from Everest 1830) on Survey of India sheet 57-J (edition 1986) at the north-eastern foot of the Palkonda Range and 2 or 3 km SSW of Kottapalli. NOTE 2: Pulivendla N14°25'17”: E078°13'10” (WGS84 modified from Everest 1830 coordinates; Survey of India 57-J) or at N14°25': E078°14' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003). NOTE 3: »Palkonda hills« (BRACKENBURY 1915: 215), »Palkona Hills« (GLENNIE 1951c: 8) or Palkonda Hills and Palkonda Range N14°05': E079°05' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003), the »Palkonda Hills« on AMS sheet ND44-05 Cuddapah (U502 series, 1956 edition) but »Seshachalam Hills« on the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006: 108 B4, B5, C4 and C5), which culminate at 658 m asl with the hill Palkonda N14°29'20”: E078°00'15” on the Survey of India sheet 57-J (edition 1986). NOTE 4: Dorigallu N14°25'30”: E078°02'05” (WGS84 modified from Everest 1830 coordinates, Survey of India sheet 57-J edition 1986). NOTE 5: Kadiri, near N14°07'45”: E078°09'30” (WGS84 modified from Everest 1830 coordinates, Survey of India sheet 57-J edition 1986). NOTE 6: GLENNIE (1951c: 8) never has been anywhere close to the site but savours a prejudice claiming straighforward that »the 'five lingums' [sic! for: five linga or five distinct lingam specimens] are evidently five stalagmite columns. A lingum is a phallic symbol. E.A.G.« but this »evidence« is nothing but guesswork.
Documents
Bibliography 01/05/2016History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1915: BRACKENBURY (1915: 215-216) describes the waterfall and mentiones a sacred cave in the »Panchalalingakona.« 1985.02.10 (circa): M. Narayana Reddy (1985.02.12 Mss personal correspondence) visited and explored (REDDY & GEBAUER 1988).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29.3 | PARNAPALLE (Cave near) | ||
| 51.0 | Pandi Gawi | ||
| 53.9 | BRAHMAGIRI GUHA, Dappepalle | ||
| 55.3 | DAPALLE SHELTERS | ||
| 62.4 | DHODIYAM POTHOLE | ||
| 64.5 | NELA BILAM, Talaricherevu | ||
| 68.9 | BANDARLAPALLE CAVE | ||
| 69.2 | NAYALA BILAMU | ||
| 70.8 | NELA BILAM, Bandarlapalle |