KANAVAI KATHA BOOTHAM CAVE 1
9.967800,77.980600
Description
A north-west facing entrance (KOILRAJ & MARIMUTHU 1998: 1111) gives access to what appears to consist of a daylight-lit a rock shelter, probably in granite and overhanging for more than 4 m (KOILRAJ & MARIMUTHU 1998: 1112 table 1). The items has been reported under various confusing titles and acronyms (note 1) from the Nagamalai (Naga Malai), a chain of hillocks near the Madurai Kamaraj University campus (note 2), which lies south-west of Madurai city (N09°56': E78°07'). SITUATION 1986: »Close to the pass [note 3] of Nagamalai ridge, 8 km [probably along a road in an unspecified direction] from the Madurai Kamaraj University campus (9°58'N, 78°10'E). The pass [note 4] is called 'Kanavai Katha Bootham' (abbreviated KKB)« (USMAN 1986: 121). SITUATION 1998: »Within a radius of about 10 km from the Madurai Kamaraj University campus (9°58'N, 78°10'E) [note 5]« (KOILRAJ & MARIMUTHU 1998: 1111). SITUATION 1999: The cave entrances to »Pannian cave, KKB cave I and KKB cave II are towards to the north-west and are at a distance of about 10 km from the Madurai Kamaraj University campus (9°58'N, 78°10'E)« (KOILRAJ, MARIMUTHU et al 1999). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1986: The bat watching site »KKB« was selected to study aspects of a bat population because »easy accessibility to day time retreats and possibility of easy visual observation of the roosting site« (USMAN 1986: 121). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1998: »Cave 3 is well illuminated and hence shows the absence of dark zone in it« (KOILRAJ & MARIMUTHU 1998: 1111-1112). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1999: »KKB cave 1« is characterised by the absence of a dark zone since »environmental light can be perceived even from the deeper area« (KOILRAJ et al 1999). CAVE CLIMATE: KOILRAJ et al. (1999) narrates how MARIMUTHU (1984: 352-357), USMAN (1981) and HABERSETZER (1983) recorded numbers resulting from measuring cave temperature, humidity, relative humidity and light intensity for a period of one year. CAVE LIFE: USMAN (1986: 121) reports having counted in December 1980 up to 1574 individuals of Chiroptera: Rhinopoma hardwickei hardwickei GRAY 1831 in the resident population which occupies the cave exclusively. KOILRAJ et al (2002) had soil samples (bat guano) collected between September 1997 and August 1998 to study their algae and fungal diversity. KOILRAJ & MARIMUTHU (1998: 1112 table 2) report that a certain »Mrs. Elizabeth« (no name mentioned) reared algae from soil samples collected in the daylight-lit area 0 to 4 m from the entrance: One species of Chlorophyceae (Chlorococcum sp.) and two species of Bacillariophyceae (Cyclotella sp., Navicula sp.).
NOTE 1: This item is called »(3) KKB cave I« (KOILRAJ, MARIMUTHU et al. 1999), »KKB« (USMAN 1986: 121), »KKB Cave« (USMAN 1986: 123), »KKB cave 1« (KOILRAJ et al 1999), »KKB I (C3)« (KOILRAJ & MARIMUTHU 1998: 1111). NOTE 2: A. D. Edward Raj (2002.07.02 personal correspondence) »… never heard about this cave. But I heard about Nagamalai -- it means 'cobra hills'. I am also graduated from this University. I do not think there is a road in the ridge. Also, please note that, Madurai is about 450 km from both Bangalore and Madras / Chennai!« NOTE 3: The Survey of India sheet 58-G/13 (edition 1971) shows at a distance of about 18 km along the road approximately south-west from Madurai city a "pass" or rather a gap allowing passage near N09°58'00”: E077°58'50” (Everest 1830): circa 190 m asl on the about 4 km long road from Melakkal (N09°59'09”: E077°59'10“: 161 m asl) approximately SSW to Sakkantiran (N09°56'23”: E077°58'28”: 170 m asl). NOTE 4: "kanavai" (USMAN 1986) or "kanava" (KING, W & FOOTE, R B 1865: 4 = 226) is the Tamil word for »a pass« (a route over or through mountains), as in: »… this plateau is connected with the lower country by means of the Mooroorputty Kanava (or pass), through which the Railway descends towards Salem« (KING, W & FOOTE, R B 1865: 4 = 226). NOTE 5: A. John Koilraj & Co. use the position N09°58': E078°10' (apparently taken from USMAN 1981 PhD thesis or USMAN 1986: 121) both for Madurai town (KOILRAJ & MARIMUTHU 1999), the Madurai Kamaraj University campus (KOILRAJ & MARIMUTHU 1998: 1111; KOILRAJ, MARIMUTHU et al. 1999; KOILRAJ, SHARMA et al. 2000: 759) and, pehaps --the context remains unclear-- for some of the caves also. On the Survey of India sheet 58-K/01 (edition 1969), however, »University« is shown near N09°56'15”: E078°08'30” (±250 m, Everest 1830): circa 135 m or 140 m asl and thus about 2 or 2.5 km approximately north-east of the road bridges (N09°55'30”: E078°07'35”: 133.1 m asl) across the Vaigai River in the centre of Madurai town. KOILRAJ, SHARMA et al. (2000: 759) place »Samanar hill complex« 8 km south-east (SE) of Madurai (city at N09°56': E078°07') but the coordinates N09°58': E078°10' of KOILRAJ & MARIMUTHU (1998: 1111), KOILRAJ, MARIMUTHU et al. (1999), KOILRAJ, SHARMA et al. (2000: 759), and KOILRAJ, MARIMUTHU et al. (2002) actually indicate a spot about 6 km in a direct line approximately north-east from the city of Madurai (N09°56': E078°07' nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003). About 8 to 10 km in a direct line NE of Madurai, the Anai Malai culminates with two peaks at N09°57'43”: E078°11'19” (Everest 1830): 299 m asl and at N09°58'45”: E078°12'35” (Everest 1830): 250 m asl on Survey of India sheet 58-K/01 (edition 1969). About 8 km in a direct line SW of Madurai, the Sikkandar Malai culminates at N09°52'33”: E078°03'57” (Everest 1830): 147 m asl on Survey of India sheet 58-K/01 (edition 1969). About 8 to 15 km in a direct line West of Madurai, the Nagamalai extends between N09°55'16”: E078°02'45” (Everest 1830): 262 m asl, N09°56'34”: E078°02'10” (Everest 1830 coordinates): 343 m asl and N09°57'10”: E078°00'41” (Everest 1830): 308 m asl on Survey of India sheet 58-K/01 (edition 1969).
Documents
Bibliography 30/03/2016History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1978 August to 1978 December: K. USMAN (1981 PhD thesis, 1986: 121) undertook weekly trips to »KKB« to band 646 male and 354 female bats (Rhinopoma hardwickei) in view of obtaining some aspects of the population dynamics. 1978 August to 1980 December: K. USMAN (1981 PhD thesis, 1986: 121-122) undertook weekly trips to »KKB Cave« to count the number bats at the time of emergence. 1979 January through to 1980 December: K. USMAN (1981 PhD thesis, 1986: 121) undertook 24 monthly trips to »KKB« to recapture bats (Rhinopoma hardwickei) and weekly trips in view of obtaining some aspects of the population dynamics.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | KANAVAI KATHA BOOTHAM CAVE 2 | ||
| 0.2 | PANNIAN MALAI CAVE | ||
| 4.2 | ANAIPATTI, Madurai (Cave on) | ||
| 7.9 | SAMANAR CAVE, Nagamalai, 2nd | ||
| 7.9 | MAHAVIRA CAVE, Samana Malai | ||
| 8.6 | SAMANAR CAVE, Nagamalai 1 | ||
| 14.2 | SUBRAHMANYA, Tirupparankunram Malai (Cave of) | ||
| 14.3 | VIRAPATTI SHELTER | ||
| 14.7 | TIRUNPARANKUNRAM CAVERN |