BILLA SURGAM RIFTPOT
15.420800,78.185300
Description
Not seen. A »very steep climb down a rift« of unspecified dimensions was said to descend an estimated »30 feet« or 10 m down to a relatively low and dark area, which is not only unfit for unbending Victorian army officers but also was characterised by collapse debris and reputed to give acces to a fabulous tunnel leading underground to an unspecified point in the –>Billa Surgam. SITUATION: Unclear. FOOTE, R B (1884a: 33) located the entrance to this cave on the one-hand side »near Gorlagootla« (note 1) and »on the south side of the great cave ridge« (note 2) but on the other hand »about half a mile [0.8 km] due south of it« (note 3). SITUATION 1884: »Caves near Gorlagootla« (FOOTE, R B 1884a: 33 marginal note): »To return to the neighbourhood of Billa Surgam. On the south side of the great cave ridge and about half a mile [0.8 km] due south of it is a small one [cave or] exposed by a slip of the hill side. … This cave is not easy to find, as its mouth does not show till one is within three or four yards [2.7 or 3.6 m] of it. It opens on to a small terrace 20 to 30 feet [7 to 10 m] long, and occupied [in the 1880ies] by two small but thick trees. The terrace lies about half way up the grassy slope of the ridge and faces eastward« (FOOTE, R B 1884a: 33). SITUATION 1969: Dr. med. Stephen A. Craven moved the entire cave from its original location »near Gorlagootla« (FOOTE, R B 1884a: 33) to a spot »near Goorlagootla [sic!], on the south side of the great cave ridge« (note 4) where »the entrance opens to a small terrace facing east« (CRAVEN, S A 1969: 23). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1884: »The cave is entered by a very steep climb down a rift to a depth of about 30 feet [10 m]. At the bottom the true floor is hidden by debris which also fills up a passage running westward so much that it cannot be followed even by crawling on all-fours for more than three or four yards [2.7 or 3.6 m]« (FOOTE, R B 1884a: 33). CULTURAL HISTORY - fabulous tunnel: »… the Gorlagootla people [note 5] say its joins the Billa Surgam caves« (FOOTE, R B 1884a: 33) of which the accessible parts are at a linear distance of about 500 m to 800 m due north. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1969: »Near Goorlagootla, on the south side of the great cave ridge, is a cave entered by a very steep 30-foot climb down a rift. The entrance opens to a small terrace facing east, and is reputed by the locals to connect with Billa Surgam 1/2 mile away« (CRAVEN, S A 1969: 23). CAVE LIFE: »The place had been recently inhabited by a leopard« (FOOTE, R B 1884a: 33).
NOTE 1: About 4.5 km in a direct line approximately south of Billa Surgam (N15°26'05”: E078°11'10”: circa 350 m asl, Everest 1830), the village of Gorlagootla (FOOTE, R B 1884a: 33) Gorlogunta (FOOTE, R B 1885: 235) Goorlagootla (CRAVEN, S A 1969: 23) is indicated as Gollagutta N15°23'45”: E78°11'45”: 280 m asl (Everest 1830, Survey of India sheet 57-I/03 edition 1983) Gollagutta N15°24'12”: E078°11'50” (±250 m, unknown geodetic datum, AMS sheet ND43-01 Kurnool, U502 series, 1956 edition). on the road from Betamcherla (N25°27': E78°09' Everest 1830) south-east and south towards Banaganapalle (N15°18'45”: E78°13'30”: 225 m asl, Everest 1830, Survey of India sheet 57/i-3 edition 1983). NOTE 2: It is unknowable what the unspecifield »great cave ridge« (FOOTE, R B 1884a: 33) encompasses but it may cover the area between N15°25': E078°10' and N15°26': E078°12'30” (representational approximation). NOTE 3: In case »it« (FOOTE, R B 1884a: 33) refers to –>Billa Surgam near (unspecified precision error) N15°26'13.1”: E078°11'07” (WGS84, Dar, Perrin et al. 2011.02.02 Mss table 1: C-14), then the polar coordinates »about half a mile [circa 0.8 km in a direct line] due south« indicate a position near N15°25'15”: E078°11'07” / N15.420833°: E78.185278° (WGS84) and about 2.5 km in a direct line north-west of Gollagutta (N15°24'12”: E078°11'50”) and Govindine (N15°24'10”: E078°11'55” (unknown geodetic datum, AMS sheet ND43-01 Kurnool, U502 series, 1956 edition). NOTE 4: »Goorlagootla« (CRAVEN 1969), »Gorlagootla« (FOOTE 1884a), »Gollagutta« (Survey of India sheet 57-I/03 edition 1983) does not lie »on the south side of the great cave ridge« (CRAVEN, S A 1969: 23) but at linear distances of about 2.5 km south-east of the rift cave and about 4 km SSE from the downstream entrance to the Billa Surgam. NOTE 5: The honourable Dr. med. Stephen A Craven, South African Republic, preferred to regard the »Gorlagootla people« (FOOTE, R B 1884a: 33) as »locals« (CRAVEN, S A 1969: 23).
Cavités proche
| Distance (km) | Nom | Longueur (m) | Profondeur (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 | KOTTALA POLIMERA GAVI | ||
| 1.4 | BILLA SURGAM 6: Chapter House | ||
| 1.5 | BILLA SURGAM, cave under present study | ||
| 1.5 | BILLA SURGAM 4: South Chapel | ||
| 1.5 | BILLA SURGAM 5: North Chapel | ||
| 1.5 | BILLA SURGAM 3: Cathedral Cave | ||
| 1.5 | BILLA SURGAM: U-SHAPED CAVE | ||
| 1.5 | BILLA SURGAM 2: Purgatory Cave | ||
| 1.6 | BILLA SURGAM 1: Charnel House |