PEDDA GARHI

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A zigzagging, rather abruptly narrowing and, in the long run, sun-less rift canyon in sandstone leads to a pool where The cleft in the rock proceeds, according to natives, to a considerable distance, till at length, from the height and closeness of its high rocky walls, the rays of the sun are excluded (NEWBOLD, T J 1845c: 504). Compare –>Chinna Garhi. SITUATION: The sunless canyon lies at a walking distance of one or two days south of Cuddapah town (Kadapa, N14°28': E078°49') and was approached (in 1844 AD?) by Captain T.J. NEWBOLD, T J (1845c: 502-505) from Ippapenta (note 1): The place called Rachapalle (note 2), however, might be a better place to start: Bankrapet Range [note 3], south of Cuddapah.— Passing the small tank of Ipa-Penta, the ground gradually ascends and becomes jungly. Several rivulets are crossed until a rather high ground is reached, where two defiles branch off [note 4]: the one to the left or east, leads to the waterfall of the Pedda Garhi [note 5], and the ther to the right [south?] to that of the Chinna Garhi (NEWBOLD, T J 1845c: 503). CAVE DESCRIPTION: The Pedda Garhi is one of those singular fissures through the sandstone, like that of Ganjicotta [–>Pandi Gawi, near Gandikota N14°48': E078°17'], cleaving the rock diagonally across the line of stratification from the summit to the base. The sides are precipitous rocky façades, narrowing rather abruptly, as the traveller advances southerly, into a fissure two or three yards wide, with salient and re-entering angles. At the base of the western cliffs are pools filled with the clear water, which drips in a perpetual rain from seams in the disrupted stratified rocks which have a dip of about 8° to the north-east. The precipice on the left, or on the north-east, distils no water. Here we see one of the very few illustrations observed in Southern India of the theory of springs. The water evidently percolates through the porous strata capping the higher adjacent summits to lower impervios beds, where collecting it follows the dip of the strata, and finds an exit in the fissure which has broken off the continuation; between the rocks on the right and those on the left, the latter are of course perfectly dry (NEWBOLD, T J 1845c: 503-504). CULTURAL HISTORY - folklore: Natives from superstitious motives dread exploring its recesses, and tell many incredible tales of the vengeance with which the Genius Loci has visited intruders. The bottom of the fissure is completely covered with water to an uncertain depth (NEWBOLD, T J 1845c: 504). CAVE POTENTIAL: A diving spot? CAVE LIFE: NEWBOLD, T J (1845c: 504) noticed an unidentified kind of fish (Pisces) protected by a religious conservation method: Hundreds of the finny tribe sport in the clear depths of the water, which I could not persuade the guides to attempt to catch, as they hold them sacred.ther to the right [south?] to that of the Chinna Garhi (NEWBOLD, T J 1845c: 503). CAVE DESCRIPTION: The Pedda Garhi is one of those singular fissures through the sandstone, like that of Ganjicotta [–>Pandi Gawi, near Gandikota N14°48': E078°17'], cleaving the rock diagonally across the line of stratification from the summit to the base. The sides are precipitous rocky façades, narrowing rather abruptly, as the traveller advances southerly, into a fissure two or three yards wide, with salient and re-entering angles. At the base of the western cliffs are pools filled with the clear water, which drips in a perpetual rain from seams in the disrupted stratified rocks which have a dip of about 8° to the north-east. The precipice on the left, or on the north-east, distils no water. Here we see one of the very few illustrations observed in Southern India of the theory of springs. The water evidently percolates through the porous strata capping the higher adjacent summits to lower impervios beds, where collecting it follows the dip of the strata, and finds an exit in the fissure which has broken off the continuation; between the rocks on the right and those on the left, the latter are of course perfectly dry (NEWBOLD, T J 1845c: 503-504). CULTURAL HISTORY - folklore: Natives from superstitious motives dread exploring its recesses, and tell many incredible tales of the vengeance with which the Genius Loci has visited intruders. The bottom of the fissure is completely covered with water to an uncertain depth (NEWBOLD, T J 1845c: 504). CAVE POTENTIAL: A diving spot? CAVE LIFE: NEWBOLD, T J (1845c: 504) noticed an unidentified kind of fish (Pisces) protected by a religious conservation method: Hundreds of the finny tribe sport in the clear depths of the water, which I could not persuade the guides to attempt to catch, as they hold them sacred.