TIGER CAVE, Kovilpatti

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

What appears to be a man-made (?) rock-cut chamber or a modified natural cave containing a stone bed (note 1), chair etc. hewn out of massive rock, is situated about 3 km south of Kovilpatti (note 2) on the road connceting Madurai with Tirunelveli). CULTURAL HISTORY - Human use: The Tiger Cave at Kovilpatti is said to have been used in former times as a hide-out by kings, is it now believed to house criminals. A.D. Edward Raj (2002.05.16 Mss forwarded by Brooks, S.J. 2002.05.17): … close to my native place, there is a cave called Tiger Cave. This is located in a small mountain - which is rising to two hundred feet approximately from the plains… Once I had an opportunity to visit this cave. But, every one scared me telling, -in this cave, many criminals are hiding-. They are killers.- They do all sorts of criminal activities there etc. So I turned back [note 3]. One local gave me a bit of information about this cave that, this was used as a hide-out by the kings of historic times. Insie there are stone beds, etc. they have made. No one knows, how deep it is, and where it goes. My district is popular for the limestones (There are many cement factories grinding these stones). May be a huge cave system - waiting to be rediscovered. SITUATION: Tiger cave. This cave is about three kilometers south of Kovilpatti - A town in between Madurai and Tirunelveli. I was told that, this has chisled rock bed, chisled rock chair etc. (A.D. Edward Raj, Bangalore, 2002.06.05 Mss). As far as old Tirunelveli (including Tuticorin district) is concerned, on the west and south, there is the western ghats, towering high above the plains. From the sharp boundary of the western ghats to the east, there lies the plains. It is very perfect plain … without any ups and downs. But from about 50 km from the western ghats and about 30 km from the sea, a broken chain of small hillocks runs from north to south. The tallest of these hillocks is about 1000 feet and houses a small reserve forest near a lace called Vallanadu. This has few black-bucks, which became very rare in India. On contrast to Western Ghats, this hills are made out of white stones (Western Ghats is made of black granites). Tiger cave is situated, in this stretch of hillocks (A.D. Edward Raj 2002.08.23 Mss).lace called Vallanadu. This has few black-bucks, which became very rare in India. On contrast to Western Ghats, this hills are made out of white stones (Western Ghats is made of black granites). Tiger cave is situated, in this stretch of hillocks (A.D. Edward Raj 2002.08.23 Mss).