SANYASI CAVE, Bugganipalle (Dutt 1981)

(Bethamcherla - IN)
15.472200,78.175000
Grottocenter / carte

Description

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 18/05/2016

A fascinating but unidentified and either confused or elusive »Sanyasi cave near Bugganipalle with an arched inclined tunnel leading to water … [is] situated in the limestone tract of Kurnool« (DUTT, N V B S 1981: 1). A possible diving site? ETYMOLOGY: »sanyasin -- like a sadhu« (LONELY PLANET, India 1997: 1147) or »sanyasin -- like a sadhu; a wandering ascetic who has renounced all worldly things as part of the ashrama system« (LONELY PLANET, India 2005: 1111). IDENTITY: Unknown. In December 1996, M. Narayana Reddy (Nadyal, retired Special Police Officer) helped me searching for caves the vicinity of Bugganipalle (note 1) but I was refused identifying any Sanyasi or Sanyasula cave giving access to water. Several local informants associated the cave name "Sanyasi Gavi" quite naturally with the sanctified pilgrimage place –>Sanyasula Gavi (in Telugu language, the ending "-la" indicates plural). The known Sanyasula Gavi however, is a relic cave comprised of two, dry horizontal caves passages while the Sanyasi Cave (DUTT 1981) is said to descend to water. Several caves giving access to water (–>Nela Bilam) are known to exist in the semi-arid limestone tract of Kurnool but apparently none in the vicinities of Bugganipalle and Betamcherla (note 2).

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 18/05/2016

NOTE 1: Bugganipalle N15°28'20”: E078°10'30”: 390 m asl (Everest 1830, Survey of India 57-I/03 edition 1983). Bugganipalle Cementnagar N15°29'15”: E078°11'46”: 390 m asl (Everest 1830, Survey of India 57-I/03 edition 1983). NOTE 2: Betamcherla railway station N15°26'50”: E078°08'55”: 362 m asl (Everest 1830, Survey of India 57-I/03 edition 1983).

Documents

Bibliography 18/05/2016
  • Dutt, N V B S 1981.

Cavités proche

Distance (km)NomLongueur (m)Profondeur (m)
0.0BUGGANIPALLE CAVES
0.9SANYASULA GAVI
3.2KOTTALA (Cave near)
3.5KOTTALA GAVI
3.6SINIGASIVANI GAVI
4.1BILLA SURGAM
4.3BILLA SURGAM 1: Charnel House
4.4BILLA SURGAM: U-SHAPED CAVE
4.4BILLA SURGAM 2: Purgatory Cave