RAVANA ELLA CAVE

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A precarious 15 m or 18 m climb-up from a rocky temple (note 1) gives access to the Ravana Ella Cave at the northern extremity of the Ella Rock. It is not to be confused with the –>Ravanalla Cave near the village of Ravanaella south-east of the Ella Rock. The entrance to Ravana Ella Cave is suspected to face north (note 2), appears to be in one way or another 10 m by 15 m large (Brooks 1995 Mss, no 39a) or is an estimated 10 m high (Eckrich 1984, personal communication), and resembles in shape an inverted map of Sri Lanka (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1974, 1983) or, looking through a pork eater's lens, is reminiscent of a ham (note 3). The cave is quite a large one (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1974: 242, 1983: 244) or an estimated 100 m long (STRINATI & AELLEN 1981: 459), formed in metamorphosed, crystalline limestone (COORAY 1967: 97) of the Precambrian (COORAY 1967) or Cambrian to Precambrian (DOMRÖS 1976) Khondalite series of rocks (note 4). IDENTITY: Ravana Ella Cave either is (or is not to be) confued with the other Ravan Ela Cave (AGRAWAL 2007) or cave of Rawana, Rawanaella Cave (WILSON 1988), which is properly known as Rattaran Guhava (AGRAWAL 2007) or Raltaran Guhava (WILSON 1988), where the entrance is said to be a gash in the striking outcrop at Ella Gap (WILSON 1988). ETYMOLOGY: Apart from the not exactly conclusive name Ella Cave (MORGAN 1943: 13), the earliest printed appellation that I have seen is Ravan Älle Cave (DERANIYAGALA 1953). According to CEYLON TRAVELLER (1974: 241; 1983: 243), One of the best known caves in this country is that named after the legendary demon king of Sri Lanka, Ravana. WILSON (1988) recorded the (apparently Tamil) cave -Raltaran Guhava- as an alternative name for Rawanaella Cave and AGRAWAL (2007) writes that Ravan Ela Cave is properly called Rattaran Guhava (compare –>Ravanalla Cave). Foreigners and resident urban scholars and prefer to call the cave along the lines of a Ravana Ella cave (note 5) in the sense of the -Cave of the demon king Rvan near the town Ella- (2.5 km north of the cave) or -Cave near the village of Rawanaella- (a kilometre south-east of the cave), which itself lies 2 km north of Ravan älle or Ravana's Waterfall (DERANIYAGALA 1953), and Rawanaella Falls. Ravana, by the way, is the fabulous noughty Demon king of Lanka who abducted Sita; the titanic battle between him and Rama is told in the Ramayana (LONELY PLANET, India 2005: 1111).SITUATION: About a mile (1.6 km) in a direct line south of the village of Ella (note 6) and some 600 m in a direct line or a kilometre on foot south of (uphill from) the Ella rest house (note 7), and above (south) the road from Ella generally south-west towards the town of Wellawaya (N06°44': E081°06').The cave entrance lies behind and above a rock temple (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1974: 241, 1983: 243) or a little temple (LONELY PLANET 2003: 211), which I suspect to be the –>Doweviharaya (note 8), and is reached by climbing up a precipituous ascent (DERANIYAGALA 1953 plate 1 igure 3) requiring a ladder (DERANIYAGALA 1953 plate 1 figures 3, 4). SITUATION 1953: DERANIYAGALA (1953: 127): Ravan älle cave (plate 1, figure 1) is on a hillside in the intermediate peneplain. It is about a mile away from Ravan älle or Ravana's Waterfall [note 9], which drops about 90 feet and flows into the valley. The stream is about one mile below the cave. SITUATION 1955: DERANIYAGALA (1955b: 301) places Ravan älle at an elevation of 4000 feet (1220 m asl) and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) as the crow flies north of –>Alu Galge. SITUATION 1974: CEYLON TRAVELLER (1974, 1983: 145): For the landscape-lover --and the spelaeologist-- there are few places equal to Ella … As for the cave-lover, the huge crag towering in front of the rest house hides the famous cave … CEYLON TRAVELLER (1974, 1983: 214): Twenty-five miles [40 km] beyond [the Ohiya Pass, about 6000 feet or 1829 m asl] on the railway is Ella, with its famous gap, rock, and cave. CEYLON TRAVELLER (1974: 241-242; 1983: 243-244) placs the cave … at the northern extremity of the Ella Rock, a great slab of primeval stone that dominates the valley of the Kirindi oya [note 10] as it flows down the Ella Gap [note 11]. Ravana Ella cave overlooks the Ella Resthouse, from which the great rock is clearly visible, though an observer standing in the court of the Resthouse would not see the entrance to the cavern, which is hidden by the configuration of the rock and by foliage. The cave is approached via a path to a rock temple [compare –>Doweviharaya] fifty to sixty feet [some 15 or 18 m] below on the mountainside. The ascent to the mouth of the cave demands grit and determination and the tenacity of a mountain goat. An expedition to this site is not recommended in wet weather which, it should be added, prevails most of the time in the Ella area. March - April and August - September to early October provide the best opportunity for easy access. SITUATION 1988: WILSON (1988: 22) places one or the other … cave of Rawana, Rawaaella Cave or Raltaran Guhava (Nuwara Eliya one inch map 06°51'19.0” N: 081°03'23” E: altitude about 1000 m asl) … is difficult to find but its entrance is a gash in the striking outcrop at Ella Gap. SITUATION 2003 (LONELY PLANET, Sri Lanka 2003: 210-211, two location maps on pages 211, 212): From the town of Ella (N06°52': E081°03'), the Rawana Ella Falls are about 6 km [approximately ESE] down Ella Gap towards Wellawaya [N06°44': E081°06']. … Further up the road and to your left [west to south-west] as you approach Ella, a side road takes you to a little temple [unidentified] and cave … Just before the temple, in a cleft in the mountain that rises to Ella Rock [note 12], is a cave … Boys often materialise to show you where a track up to the cave starts, but the track is steep, overgrown and slippery. POSITION (note 13): M. Eckrich (1984 personal communication) indicated Ravana ella cave near (±250 m) N06°51'55”: E081°02'50” (Everest 1830) on the Survey of Sri Lanka seet -Nuwara Eliya- (One-Inch series, 1972 edition). The cave entrance has been reported to lie at altitudes ranging between 1220 m asl or 4000 feet (DERANIYAGALA 1955b: 301), 1311 m asl or 4300 feet (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1974: 241, 1983: 243) 1050 m asl (altimetric, STRINATI & AELLEN 1981: 459), 1000 m asl (WILSON 1988: 22). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1953: DERANIYAGALA (1953: 127): The floor consists of (1) loose and (2) cemented beds. The loose upper ones are at times separated by thin cemented beds but the lower and older ones are all firmly cemented. The cementing is affected by the deposition of Calcium carbonate … [washed-in hill sand, wind borne dust, bat and / or swiftlet guano, angular blocks of rock fall, products of spalling & decomposition] … The cave is one of the few that could be worked out with any degree of reliability since extensive tracts of the floors of many of the other caves had been disturbed by villagers who had dug them for guano. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1970: STRINATI & AELLEN 1981: 459) report from near the summit of a rock face a large entrance at 1050 m asl (barometric) giving access to about 100 m of initially ascending and later descending cave passage: Large entrée au sommet d'une paroi de rocher. Couloir ascendant allant en se rétrécissant et long d'un centaine de mètres. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1974: CEYLON TRAVELLER (1974, 1983: 145): The famous cave … has not been explored beyond the lake that fills it only a short way from the entrance. CEYLON TRAVELLER (1974: 241-242; 1983: 243-244): The entrance to the cave resembles an inverted map of Sri Lanka, the opening at floor level is extremely narrow and is obstructed by irregular shaped rocks protruding from the floor. The crevice in the rock face is much wider in the upper end, through the opening, overall, is so small relative to the size of the cavern that light hardly penetrates more than a few feet from the entrance. The cave is quite a large one —exactly how large has not been determined yet. Somewere in its dark recesses a subterranean stream rushes in wet weather; at other times, dripping water pitpats in an unending effort to break the deathly silence. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1988: WILSON (1988: 22): The cave of Rawana, Rawanaella Cave or Raltaran Guhava … is difficult to find but its entrance is a gash in the striking outcrop at Ella Gap and requires rope or ladder to descend into it. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1995: Brooks (1995 Mss, nos 22, 39, 39a) composed about three apparently distinct caves (the other two are –>Ravana Ella Cave (Brooks 1995) and –>Ravanalla Cave) by combining some features of –>Ravanalla Cave with selected aspects of Ravana Ella Cave. Concerning the latter, Brooks (1995 Mss, no 22 see also 39a Ravanalla Cave / Ravan Ella Cave) notices A large cave that had been extensively archaeologically excavated over five seasons to yield a large sample [sic!] of artefacts. This cave is possibly the same as Ravena [sic!] Ella Cave 2 (No 39a). Brooks (1995 Mss, no 39: Ravana Ella ave 1): … a large cavern (size unspecified) that has been archaeologically excavated (Dr. P.E.P. Deraniyagala) to find significant remains. The Ceylon Traveller describes the cave as a small entrance that emits [sic!] little light and enters a cavern of vast size containing a stream in the far recesses (compare: Cave description 1974 above). Brooks (1995 Mss, no 39a: Ravana Ella Cave 2 / The Cave of Rawanna / Rawanaell Cave): The sizeable entrance (10 m by 15 m) to the cave resembles an inverted map of Sri Lanka with an opening at floor level obstructed by rocks. Nest building swiftlets use this cave. Which kind of swiftlets does not build nests? CAVE DESCRIPTION 2003: LONELY PLANET, Sri Lanka (2003: 211) advices most individual travellers and backpackers to … find the cave itself to be disappointing. CULTURAL HISTORY - archaeology (note 14): SELIGMANN (1908a, 1908b, 1908c, HADDON 1908) reports stone age tools recovered at 1220 m asl from an unidentified cave (no name mentioned). DERAIYAGALA, S U (2002: 32) says Ravanalla Cave yielded a large faunal assemblage, mostly of small vertebrates which have yet to be assigned to their proper stratigraphic context and analysed (disposition: Colombo National Museum).DERANIYAGALA, S U (1980: 174; 1987: 105; 1992: 465-467, 696; 1996 published 1998, 2001b, 2002) on the absence of prehistoric rock art and cave paintings, notes the only item of possible ritualistic interest —a human frontal bone in the deposit of Ravanalla Cave. This bone had been bifacially drilled, and the rough sutural edges and a zygomatic prominence chamfered off. One aspect of the bone had been smeared with red ochre. Traces of this latter substance are frequently encountered on prehistoric grindstones. The human remains excavated from Ravanella were too fragmented for proper analysis. CULTURAL HISTORY - religious folk lore: Hindu tales associate Ravana Ella Cave with Ravana, Sita and Rama, the legendary protagonists of the Ramayana epic. CEYLON TRAVELLER 1974: ?; 1983: 145): The famous cave where not only (according to legend) did the demon villain Ravana of the Ramayana hide the hapless Sita captive but also (according to the Sinhala palaeontologist Deraniyagala) sheltered Sri Lanka's early man, Homo Sapiens Balangodensis. LONELY PLANET, Sri Lanka (2003: 211) confirms that Rawana Ella cave is … said to be the very one in which the king of Lanka [i.e. Ravana, Rawanna, etc.] held Sita captive. SPELEOMETRY: STRINATI & AELLEN (1981: 459) estimate a length of … d'une centaine du metres (about 100 m). CAVE CLIMATE: DERANIYAGALA (1953: 127): The local rainfall is heavy during six months of the year and infiltration through the roof and sides of the cave keeps about a quarter or half of the floor damp for nearly four months. … The evidence of climatic fluctuation is provided by the calcium carbonate cemented beds which indicate humid periods with heavy rainfall and resultant increased drip.STRINATI & AELLEN (1981: 459) recorded, most likly in the air, the difficult to interpret temperature of 25°5 (probably either 25°C or 25.5°C). CAVE LIFE: The cave of Ravan near the village of of Ella is not only the home of edible-nest swiftlets (note 15) but also the type locality of Bagauda aelleni Villiers 1970, Mimetus strinatii Brignoli 1972 and of Myophthiria Myophthiria zeylanica Maa 1980. BRIGNOLI (1972: 919-921) gives taxonomical descriptions of the spiders (Arachnida, Aranaea) Mimetus strinatii, a new species, and a Uloborus sp. (Uloboridae). SIFFRE (1975) gives two photographs (on page 37, legend on page 36) showing nests of edible-nest Swiftlets in Ravan Ella Cave without further notice. MAA (1980: 842-843, fig. 9) gives a taxonomical description of the new species of louse-flies (note 16) Myophthiria zeylanica (Diptera: Hippoboscidae: Myophthiria Rondani 1878, identified as M. reduvioides by O. Theodor) collected from the swiftlets Collocalia brevirostris unicolor from Ravanaella Cave, Ella STRINATI & AELLEN (1981: 45) and AELLEN, SKET & STRINATI (2001: 1978) list Arachnida (Aranaea: Mimetidae: Mimetus strinatii Brignoli 1972), Insecta (Hemiptera: Reduviidae Emesinae: Bagauda aelleni Villiers 1970; Diptera: Hippoboscidae: Myophthiria zeylanica Maa 1980, collected in nests of Collocalia fuciphaga and Collocalia unicolor, in Rawanaella and Hindagala caves), and Vertebrata (Chiroptera: Rousettus spp.; Aves: Collocalia unicolor Jerdon, the edible-nest swiftlet). VILLIERS (1970: 323-324) gives a taxonomical description of a new species of reduviid bugs, viz. Bagauda aelleni, n. sp. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Emesina Amyot & Serville) and lists on page 321 two larvae of Myiophanes greeni Wygodzinsky 1966 which P. Strinati and V. Aellen had collected on 16th January 1970 from Grotte de Rawanaella, près d'Ella (cave of Rawanaella near Ella). WILSON (1988: 22) mentions Collocalia, Edible Nest Building Swiftlets, use this cave (Strinati & Aellen 1981).ly in the air, the difficult to interpret temperature of 25°5 (probably either 25°C or 25.5°C). CAVE LIFE: The cave of Ravan near the village of of Ella is not only the home of edible-nest swiftlets (note 15) but also the type locality of Bagauda aelleni Villiers 1970, Mimetus strinatii Brignoli 1972 and of Myophthiria Myophthiria zeylanica Maa 1980. BRIGNOLI (1972: 919-921) gives taxonomical descriptions of the spiders (Arachnida, Aranaea) Mimetus strinatii, a new species, and a Uloborus sp. (Uloboridae). SIFFRE (1975) gives two photographs (on page 37, legend on page 36) showing nests of edible-nest Swiftlets in Ravan Ella Cave without further notice. MAA (1980: 842-843, fig. 9) gives a taxonomical description of the new species of louse-flies (note 16) Myophthiria zeylanica (Diptera: Hippoboscidae: Myophthiria Rondani 1878, identified as M. reduvioides by O. Theodor) collected from the swiftlets Collocalia brevirostris unicolor from Ravanaella Cave, Ella STRINATI & AELLEN (1981: 45ly in the air, the difficult to interpret temperature of 25°5 (probably either 25°C or 25.5°C). CAVE LIFE: The cave of Ravan near the village of of Ella is not only the home of edible-nest swiftlets (note 15) but also the type locality of Bagauda aelleni Villiers 1970, Mimetus strinatii Brignoli 1972 and of Myophthiria Myophthiria zeylanica Maa 1980. BRIGNOLI (1972: 919-921) gives taxonomical descriptions of the spiders (Arachnida, Aranaea) Mimetus strinatii, a new species, and a Uloborus sp. (Uloboridae). SIFFRE (1975) gives two photographs (on page 37, legend on page 36) showing nests of edible-nest Swiftlets in Ravan Ella Cave without further notice. MAA (1980: 842-843, fig. 9) gives a taxonomical description of the new species of louse-flies (note 16) Myophthiria zeylanica (Diptera: Hippoboscidae: Myophthiria Rondani 1878, identified as M. reduvioides by O. Theodor) collected from the swiftlets Collocalia brevirostris unicolor from Ravanaella Cave, Ella STRINATI & AELLEN (1981: 45ly in the air, the difficult to interpret temperature of 25°5 (probably either 25°C or 25.5°C). CAVE LIFE: The cave of Ravan near the village of of Ella is not only the home of edible-nest swiftlets (note 15) but also the type locality of Bagauda aelleni Villiers 1970, Mimetus strinatii Brignoli 1972 and of Myophthiria Myophthiria zeylanica Maa 1980. BRIGNOLI (1972: 919-921) gives taxonomical descriptions of the spiders (Arachnida, Aranaea) Mimetus strinatii, a new species, and a Uloborus sp. (Uloboridae). SIFFRE (1975) gives two photographs (on page 37, legend on page 36) showing nests of edible-nest Swiftlets in Ravan Ella Cave without further notice. MAA (1980: 842-843, fig. 9) gives a taxonomical description of the new species of louse-flies (note 16) Myophthiria zeylanica (Diptera: Hippoboscidae: Myophthiria Rondani 1878, identified as M. reduvioides by O. Theodor) collected from the swiftlets Collocalia brevirostris unicolor from Ravanaella Cave, Ella STRINATI & AELLEN (1981: 45ly in the air, the difficult to interpret temperature of 25°5 (probably either 25°C or 25.5°C). CAVE LIFE: The cave of Ravan near the village of of Ella is not only the home of edible-nest swiftlets (note 15) but also the type locality of Bagauda aelleni Villiers 1970, Mimetus strinatii Brignoli 1972 and of Myophthiria Myophthiria zeylanica Maa 1980. BRIGNOLI (1972: 919-921) gives taxonomical descriptions of the spiders (Arachnida, Aranaea) Mimetus strinatii, a new species, and a Uloborus sp. (Uloboridae). SIFFRE (1975) gives two photographs (on page 37, legend on page 36) showing nests of edible-nest Swiftlets in Ravan Ella Cave without further notice. MAA (1980: 842-843, fig. 9) gives a taxonomical description of the new species of louse-flies (note 16) Myophthiria zeylanica (Diptera: Hippoboscidae: Myophthiria Rondani 1878, identified as M. reduvioides by O. Theodor) collected from the swiftlets Collocalia brevirostris unicolor from Ravanaella Cave, Ella STRINATI & AELLEN (1981: 45ly in the air, the difficult to interpret temperature of 25°5 (probably either 25°C or 25.5°C). CAVE LIFE: The cave of Ravan near the village of of Ella is not only the home of edible-nest swiftlets (note 15) but also the type locality of Bagauda aelleni Villiers 1970, Mimetus strinatii Brignoli 1972 and of Myophthiria Myophthiria zeylanica Maa 1980. BRIGNOLI (1972: 919-921) gives taxonomical descriptions of the spiders (Arachnida, Aranaea) Mimetus strinatii, a new species, and a Uloborus sp. (Uloboridae). SIFFRE (1975) gives two photographs (on page 37, legend on page 36) showing nests of edible-nest Swiftlets in Ravan Ella Cave without further notice. MAA (1980: 842-843, fig. 9) gives a taxonomical description of the new species of louse-flies (note 16) Myophthiria zeylanica (Diptera: Hippoboscidae: Myophthiria Rondani 1878, identified as M. reduvioides by O. Theodor) collected from the swiftlets Collocalia brevirostris unicolor from Ravanaella Cave, Ella STRINATI & AELLEN (1981: 45ly in the air, the difficult to interpret temperature of 25°5 (probably either 25°C or 25.5°C). CAVE LIFE: The cave of Ravan near the village of of Ella is not only the home of edible-nest swiftlets (note 15) but also the type locality of Bagauda aelleni Villiers 1970, Mimetus strinatii Brignoli 1972 and of Myophthiria Myophthiria zeylanica Maa 1980. BRIGNOLI (1972: 919-921) gives taxonomical descriptions of the spiders (Arachnida, Aranaea) Mimetus strinatii, a new species, and a Uloborus sp. (Uloboridae). SIFFRE (1975) gives two photographs (on page 37, legend on page 36) showing nests of edible-nest Swiftlets in Ravan Ella Cave without further notice. MAA (1980: 842-843, fig. 9) gives a taxonomical description of the new species of louse-flies (note 16) Myophthiria zeylanica (Diptera: Hippoboscidae: Myophthiria Rondani 1878, identified as M. reduvioides by O. Theodor) collected from the swiftlets Collocalia brevirostris unicolor from Ravanaella Cave, Ella STRINATI & AELLEN (1981: 45ly in the air, the difficult to interpret temperature of 25°5 (probably either 25°C or 25.5°C). CAVE LIFE: The cave of Ravan near the village of of Ella is not only the home of edible-nest swiftlets (note 15) but also the type locality of Bagauda aelleni Villiers 1970, Mimetus strinatii Brignoli 1972 and of Myophthiria Myophthiria zeylanica Maa 1980. BRIGNOLI (1972: 919-921) gives taxonomical descriptions of the spiders (Arachnida, Aranaea) Mimetus strinatii, a new species, and a Uloborus sp. (Uloboridae). SIFFRE (1975) gives two photographs (on page 37, legend on page 36) showing nests of edible-nest Swiftlets in Ravan Ella Cave without further notice. MAA (1980: 842-843, fig. 9) gives a taxonomical description of the new species of louse-flies (note 16) Myophthiria zeylanica (Diptera: Hippoboscidae: Myophthiria Rondani 1878, identified as M. reduvioides by O. Theodor) collected from the swiftlets Collocalia brevirostris unicolor from Ravanaella Cave, Ella STRINATI & AELLEN (1981: 45) and AELLEN, SKET & STRINATI (2001: 1978) list Arachnida (Aranaea: Mimetidae: Mimetus strinatii Brignoli 1972), Insecta (Hemiptera: Reduviidae Emesinae: Bagauda aelleni Villiers 1970; Diptera: Hippoboscidae: Myophthiria zeylanica Maa 1980, collected in nests of Collocalia fuciphaga and Collocalia unicolor, in Rawanaella and Hindagala caves), and Vertebrata (Chiroptera: Rousettus spp.; Aves: Collocalia unicolor Jerdon, the edible-nest swiftlet). VILLIERS (1970: 323-324) gives a taxonomical description of a new species of reduviid bugs, viz. Bagauda aelleni, n. sp. (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Emesina Amyot & Serville) and lists on page 321 two larvae of Myiophanes greeni Wygodzinsky 1966 which P. Strinati and V. Aellen had collected on 16th January 1970 from Grotte de Rawanaella, près d'Ella (cave of Rawanaella near Ella). WILSON (1988: 22) mentions Collocalia, Edible Nest Building Swiftlets, use this cave (Strinati & Aellen 1981).