USUR HILL CAVE (Congreve 1879) (Cave on)
12.883300,79.066700
Description
An unspecified »cave« (note 1) with a lingam (note 2) reports CONGREVE, H (1879: 164) from »the side of the Usur hill« (note 3). This »cave« (or so) may be a temple cave (a natural or modified natural sacred cave or rock shelter) or 'cave temple' (a man-made rock chamber used for religious purposes).
NOTE 1: Manfred Moser (Regensburg) forwarded the reference to »Harry [sic!] Congreve, vol. 4, page 164« (1998.08.10 personal correspondence) and to »Congreve, Lt.-Col. Harry [sic!] , Madras Army 1811-187#« (2005.07.24 personal correspondence). This is Lieutenant Colonel Henry CONGREVE (1879 for 1878-1879): On druidical and other antiquities between Mettapoliam in Coimbatore and Karnul on the Tungabhadra.- Madras Journal of Literature and Science: New Series [later: Journal of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society] (Madras, Nungumbaukum: Asiatic Society), vol. 24 ("of the year 1878" edited 1879), pages 150-168. NOTE 2: CONGREVE, H (1879: 164) provides not the slightest clue upon which one could surmise wether this lingam (without any description whatsoever) is an artificial idol, a put up piece of allochthonous stone, or a natural, stalagmite (speleothem) of autochthonous origin. NOTE 3: Usur (in Dantewara district, Chhattisgarh / ex- Madhya Pradesh) N18°29': E080°44' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) on AMS sheet NE44-06 and on the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006: 95 E3) in the Alabeka Hills.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14.9 | MAHENDRAVADI ROCK-CUT TEMPLE | ||
| 14.9 | Vilapakkam, Vellor (Caves at) | ||
| 14.9 | SARAKKUMPARAU CAVES | ||
| 14.9 | PERUMAGAI CAVES | ||
| 14.9 | NARASAMANGALAM CAVE | ||
| 14.9 | SIYAMANGALAM CAVE | ||
| 16.9 | VELLAMALAI CAVE | ||
| 66.7 | MAMANDUR (Caves at) | ||
| 66.7 | RUDRALISHVARA, Kanchipuram (Grotte de) |