KARUNGALAKUDI HILLS (Caves in)

(Thanjavur - IN)
10.533300,79.900000
Grottocenter / carte

Description

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 30/03/2016

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.

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 30/03/2016

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.

Documents

Bibliography 30/03/2016

Caves nearby

Distance (km)NameLength (m)Depth (m)
32.0MEERAN SAHIB (Cave of)
135.9Fort St. David Subterranean Ways
163.9DHALAVANUR (Cave at)
199.0KILMAVILANGAI (Cave at)
231.2TIRUKKALIKUNDRAM MALAI (Cave on)
234.6MAHISHASURAMARDINI CAVE
234.6TRIMURTI RATHA, Mamallapuram
234.6VARAHA CAVE, Mamallapuram
234.6LIONS, Mamallapuram (2004.12.26) (Cave of the)