PANDAVA CAVE, Pandavapura - Kuntibetta
12.505900,76.693200
Description
Five steps lead up to an ample sized door in the walled, south-west facing entrance (somewhat triangular, on ground level about 3 m wide and up to 4 m high) of a twilight-lit "cave" (almost a rock shelter) talus cave (note 1). CULTURAL HISTORY - religious folklore: The cave, obviously modified by man to suit unknown religious or troglodyte purposes, may represent a disused temple cave sacred to one or several goddesses or gods. According to local legend the cave derives »its importance from the belief that the exiled Pandava brothers and their mother Kunthi spent some time here« (gardencityonline.com/Karnataka_info/mandya/, accessed 15.10.2003). CAVE DESCRIPTION: There is no dark zone. The 6 m long main cave ends abruptly in a dry wall with a niche (about 70 cm wide, 50 cm high, 30 cm deep), which once may have held religious paraphernalia. Most of the dry and dusty floor once has been levelled. About halfway in supports a broken row of angular stones a 70 cm step up to a sort of interior section. Here, from the right-hand side, pour in soil, rocks and twilight from a lateral entrance gained by a steep 4 m-walk up. Exiting requires a bit of awkward clambering up over an uncomfortably placed boulder and leads to a chaos of boulders, grasses, undistinguished paths and overhanging rock faces with cliff bees (Apis dorsata). SITUATION: At a distance of 10 km along the road towards the approximate north of Shrirangapatnam (note 2) and about four or five kilometres from Pandavapura Railway Station lies the village of Pandavapura (note 3) at a distance of 35 km along the road from Mandya, the district headquarters. At Pandavapura an "auto" (scooter) may be hired to travel 2 km east-north-east to reach the temple and sacred site in the gap (circa 830 m asl) between the two granite hills (culminating at 880 and 879 m asl) which form the "Kuntibetta Range" (Kuntibetta Malai, well known in the area). A straight flight of steps from the parking place at the foot of the hill (school, several dukan-style mini-shops, shade) gains some 15 vertical metres to the sacred compound. To reach the cave, keep to the right after having gained the level ground or ask for the Nandi, the big granite bull which, painted with gaudy colours but yet beautiful, faces the cave. CAVE LIFE: A single bat (Chiroptera) fled away when entering the cave on 14th February 2004 but guano is absent.
NOTE 1: SARKAR et al. (1980: 993) are correct with reporting »many cave formations and rock crevices« from the spot but all of them consist only of gaps and spaces between and/or below gravitationally dislocated granite boulders. NOTE 2: Shrirangapatnam (also found spelled Seringapatam, Shrirangapattana, Seringapattana, Srirangapatna, Shrirangapattana), N12°24'49”: E76°42'15” (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) on AMS sheet ND43-16, Survey of India sheet 57-D/10 (1988 edition) and in the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006: 111 F5) in the Kaveri (Cauvery / Cavery / Kaubari) river valley lies some 15 km along the road north-east of Mysore town. NOTE 3: Pandavapura N12°30'00": E76°40'25" (Everest 1830) on the Survey of India sheets 57-D/10 and 57-D/11, and on AMS sheet ND43-16.
Documents
Bibliography 05/04/2016Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.7 | GAUTAMA RISHI CAVE, Seringapatam | ||
| 10.3 | BAILEY'S DUNGEON, Seringapatam | ||
| 50.6 | HULIYURDURGA TUNNEL | ||
| 57.7 | PURUSHOTTAMA GUHA | ||
| 65.9 | KABBALDURGA DUNGEONS | ||
| 74.6 | Mile 26 Cave | ||
| 79.7 | SAVANADURGA BAT CAVE | ||
| 92.5 | SHIVAGANGA HILL (Caves on the) | ||
| 92.5 | PATALE GANGA, Shivaganga |