BILLAM GUHA, Angampally
15.000000,78.750000
Description
This Billam Guha at one »Angampally (?)« in the »Nallamalla Hills« (or Velikonda Range?) is a very spacious cave, which descends and ascends steeply. The cave walls and ceiling is rather unstable and even large boulders are liable to move when touched. SITUATION (after Reddy 1984.07.25 Mss): At a walking distance of 18 km in an unspecified direction (approximately west) through tiger infested hills and valleys from »Porumamilla« or Perumamilla (note 1), the entrance to this Billam Guha lies in the Nallamalla Hills and about halfway up a hill (no name mentioned) that rises 80 m above the floor of a valley (no name mentioned) somewhere in the vicinity of a village called »Angampally (?)« or so (note 2). CAVE DESCRIPTION (Reddy 1984.07.25 Mss): »Billam Cave: Cuddapah dist. … is very spacious and discends [sic!] deep and ascends steep. The rock is loose, big boulders tumbled on the floor. The tunnel [read: cave passage, gallery] at its maximum ascent collapsed and is slippery with loose earth.« CAVE POTENTIAL: M. Narayana Reddy (1984.07.25 Mss) considered a »hole beyond station 8 is like a ventilator non-negotiable. Over two years this part of the cave has collapsed much making it difficult to reach the overlooking opening which, perhaps, leads to a longer passage as is said by locals.«
NOTE 1: »Porumamilla« (Reddy 1984.07.25 Mss) at N15°01': E078°59' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) on AMS sheet ND44-01 Kurnool (U502 series, 1956 edition) is indicated as »Perumamilla« on the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006: 109 E3). IMPERIAL GAZETTEER (1907-1909, 20: 215): »Porumamilla … Town in the Badvel taluk of Cuddapah district … situated in 15°01' N and 79° E. … There are the ruins of an old fort to the north of the town, and the place was formerly the seat of a local chieftain. … There is a very old temple of Lakshmikantaswami in the town … To the west of the place, on the bank of the Sagileru river, are some stone cromlechs« or megalitic structures. NOTE 2: »Angampally (?)« (Reddy 1984.07.25 Mss) or Angamapalli, Angamapally, Angampalli, etc, in the west of Porumamilla is neither shown on Survey of India sheet 57-I (edition 1966) or 57-J (edition 1986). Keeping in mind that M. Narayana Reddy walked 18 km from Porumamilla into the Nallamalla range, it is strange to see how the north-south aligned Nallamalla range rises at a linear distance of 17 to 35 km due west of Porumamilla. Exchanging Reddy's »west« for east, a winding travelling distance of 18 km from Porumamilla would take one into the parallel Velikonda Range, while a travalling distance of 18 km south from Porumamilla along the road to Badvel would take one to one to the village of Akkapalam (Reddy's Angampally?) near N14°52'30”: E079°02' on AMS sheet ND44-05 Cuddapah (U502 series, 1956 edition). NOTE 3: M. Narayana Reddy (1984.07.25 Mss: Visit 5-4-1984): »I am to state here that these readings are a bit confusing to me and I am not sure of their order /station way. Due to my disappointment due to its non continuity and collapsing, I had not checked the readings at that time.«
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.3 | KANNIKALA GUNDALU POTHOLES | ||
| 13.6 | PEDDA AHOBILAM CAVES | ||
| 13.8 | BHIRAVA GUNDAM POTHOLE | ||
| 13.9 | VARAHA GUNDAM POTHOLE | ||
| 14.0 | BHAIRAVA GUHA, Pedda Ahobilam | ||
| 16.6 | CHINNA AHOBILAM | ||
| 18.2 | CHENCHULA GUNDALU POTHOLES | ||
| 33.5 | Pachagundalu Potholes | ||
| 55.6 | SARYA NARASIMHA SWAMY GUHA |