KARUNGALAKUDI HILLS (Caves in)
10.533300,79.900000
Description
Unspecified »caves« (or rock shelters), which contain prehistoric paintings (rock art), reports PRICE (1988b: 34) from somewhere in certain »Karunkalakudi hills« (note 1). Compare –>Alagarmalai Cavern. ETYMOLOGY: The Tamil "gudi" is a village but the Kannada and Telugu "gudi" is a Hindu temple. »Karun« (plural: karuna) is reminiscent of the savoury fruit "karunda" (Carissa carandas), the »carounder« of Mrs. B. [Begum?] Meer HASSAN ALI (1832, letter 13) and »Karaunda« of William Crooke (1927 editior of HASSAN ALI, [Mrs.] B. Meer 1832 letter 13 note 30). "Gal" is suspected to signify a rock or rocky hill.SITUATION: Searching the Google memory cache yielded on 02.01.2004 no »Karunkalakudi« but a »Karungalakudi« which may represent a version of the Karunguli Gudi (note 2), a revenue firka in the Kottampatti block, Melur taluk (note 3), Madurai division, Madurai district.
NOTE 1: »Karunkalakudi Hills« (PRICE 1988b) or hills starting with Karan…, Kharan…, Kuran… or Khuran… are not identified and neither listed on nima.mil/geonames (accessed 16.11.2003) or in IMPERIAL GAZETTEER (1907-1909, 25: 611) and the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006 index). NOTE 2: IMPERIAL GAZETTEER (1907-1909, 15: 61-62) lists a Karunguli (N12°32': E079°54' Everest 1830) village and ancient fort in the Madurantakam taluk of »Chingleput district« (now: Kanchipuram district), on the South Indian Railway and on the southern trunk road and 48 miles (77 km) south of Madras (renamed Chennai).nima.mil/geonames (accessed 16.11.2003) positions the same Karunguli also at N12°33': E079°54' (WGS84) on AMS sheet ND44-14. NOTE 3: IMPERIAL GAZETTEER (1907-1909, 17: 290-291) places Melur town (N10°02': E078°20') on the main road between »Madura [now: Madurai]« and »Trichinopoly [better: Tiruchirapalli, also called Tiruchchirappalli, Trichinopally, Tiruchy, Trichy]« and reports the »irregular masses of the Alagar, Nattam, and Karandamalai hills« from the northern part of Melur district. nima.mil/geonames (accessed 16.11.2003) positions the same Melur town at N10°03': E078°20' (WGS84) on AMS sheet NC43-08.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32.0 | MEERAN SAHIB (Cave of) | ||
| 135.9 | Fort St. David Subterranean Ways | ||
| 163.9 | DHALAVANUR (Cave at) | ||
| 199.0 | KILMAVILANGAI (Cave at) | ||
| 231.2 | TIRUKKALIKUNDRAM MALAI (Cave on) | ||
| 234.6 | MAHISHASURAMARDINI CAVE | ||
| 234.6 | TRIMURTI RATHA, Mamallapuram | ||
| 234.6 | VARAHA CAVE, Mamallapuram | ||
| 234.6 | LIONS, Mamallapuram (2004.12.26) (Cave of the) |