COPPER MOUNTAIN CAVE, 1st

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

One of two apparently natural, south-west facing cave entrances (note 1) in the laterite capping the summit of the Copper Mountain gave access to a temple cave sacred to professional Hindu religon workers and their customers. ETYMOLOGY (note 2): The Copper Mountain (3148 ft.), S.W. of Bellary, is so called because Haidar Ali worked the ore there (SMITH, G 1882: 380) and was so called from mines no longer worked (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 7: 159). Copper Mountain NEWBOLD, T J (1845c: 514-515); SMITH, G (1882: 390); FOOTE, R B (1887b: 280; 1895: 3, 197); IMPERIAL GAZETTEER (1907-1909, 7: 159) Sugadevi belta FOOTE, R B (1887b: 280) Sugadevi Betta FOOTE, R B (1895: 17, 197) Sugalamma Konda rather Telugu (FOOTE, R B 1895: 3) than used by the Canarese [Kannada speaking] people (FOOTE, R B 1895: 197) Sugalammadevi Konda SURVEY OF INDIA toposheet 57-A/16 ed. 1979) Sugammadevi Betta rather Canarese [Kannada] (FOOTE, R B 1895: 3) than used by Telegu people of the neighbourhood (FOOTE, R B 195: 197). SITUATION: At an unidentified location somewhere on the precipitous south-west side of the Copper Mountain, a ridge about 10 km in a direct line east of the –>Sandur Hills and covering an area that lies at linear distances of 10 km to 15 km (note 3) west and south-west of Bellary town (N15°08': E76°55') and north of the village of Malappanagudi / Malapannanagudi (note 4). OROGRAPHY 1908: Copper Mountain … is a small range 7 miles [11 km] west of Bellary town, running parallel to the Sandur hills [about 30 km further west near N15°06': E76°33'] (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 7: 159). OROGRAPHY 1895: About six miles [10 km] eastward of … [the Sandur Hills] lies another range, possessed of no collective native name, but which may well be called after its principal summit the Copper Mountain of the Europeans and Sugammadevi Betta of the Canarese natives … [and] Sugalamma Konda of the Telugu people. The ridge is some 26 miles [42 km] long from the south end of the great Droji tank to the extreme south-east end, which lies only four miles west of the Haggari river. It is cut across by several deep saddles but there is no stratigraphical break (FOOTE, R B 1895: 3). OROGRAPHY 1887: Copper mountain, the highest part of the band of Dharwar rocks lying south of Bellary (FOOTE, R B 1887b: 280). OROGRAPHY 1845: Copper Mountain. This dome shaped mountain is the highest point of a ridge which runs by Jundoor [note 5] N. Westerly to the Tumbuddra [Tungabhadra river] near Hospett [Hospet N15°16': E76°24'], and about five miles [8 km] Westerly [south-west] from Bellary [N15°09': E76°56'] (NEWBOLD, T J 1845c: 514). HEIGHTS: 1003 m 3290 near N15°04': E76°50' on AMS sheet ND43-04 Bellary (U502 series, 1961 edition) 1001 m 3,285 feet IMPERIAL GAZETTEER (1907-1909, 7: 159) 997 m Survey of India sheet 57-A/16 (edition 1979) 960 m 3,148 ft. SMITH, G (1882: 390). GEOLOGY: The great mass of the ridge is composed of hornblende schist passing into chlorite and eathy ferrugineous schists, capped by a wall-like naked ridge of a dark brown rock composed generally of a greyish chert, and brown iron ore, or jaspideous red and brown clay [note 6], in alternate layers, and resting apparently on their edges; in fact, a ribbon jasper on a large scale. The laminæ are often highly contorted and waving. The crest is often broken up by transverse fissures or joints; and, at more than one part of its crest-like course, has suffered manifest disturbance. A columnar mass, about 50 feet [15.24 m] high, crowns the ridge, not far from the copper excavations. … A crater-like cavity, on the top of a small mound a few yards in diameter and of little depth, was pointed out as one of the excavations for copper … From the vicinity of these excavations rises the dome shaped summit before mentioned, as the loftiest peak of the ridge [note 7]. Its summit is flat-convex, and capped with laterite containing much iron. This tubular mass is precipitous on its S. W. side, an contains two apparently natural caves situate at the bottom of the precipices, of small dimensions [note 8] (NEWBOLD, T J 1845c: 514-515). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1845: Two apparently natural caves … of small small dimensions. In one of these stood the shrine of the tutelary deity of the mountain; and recent offerings of flowers, oil, and cocoa had been made in this rude rock temple. On the roofs and sides of these caverns are partial incrustations of common salt and alum, which appear to have been deposited by water percolated through the porous mass above, and which contains sulphuret of iron, by the decomposition of which the sulphuric acid has been set free [note 9] (NEWBOLD, T J 1845c: 515). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1895: FOOTE, R B (1995: 197) just about mentions two small caves nearer the summit of the mountain of which one contained thin films of an impure sulphate of alumina, of a pale yellowish to pale dirty green colour, a recent product of decomposition due to infiltrationi such as is oten seen in damp excavations in simitar rocks elsewhere. CULTURAL HISTORY - human use: In one of these [two temple caves] stood the shrine of the tutelary deity of the mountain and recent offerings of flowers, oil, and cocos [nux Cocos nuciferae] had been made in this rude rock temple (NEWBOLD, T J 1845c: 515). CLIMATE: NEWBOLD, T J (1845c: 514-515) reports to have measured in July 1837 a temperature of 22.2°C in the open air when the thermometer in the shade during the hottest part of the day stood at 72° Fahrenheit only. contains two apparently natural caves situate at the bottom of the precipices, of small dimensions [note 8] (NEWBOLD, T J 1845c: 514-515). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1845: Two apparently natural caves … of small small dimensions. In one of these stood the shrine of the tutelary deity of the mountain; and recent offerings of flowers, oil, and cocoa had been made in this rude rock temple. On the roofs and sides of these caverns are partial incrustations of common salt and alum, which appear to have been deposited by water percolated through the porous mass above, and which contains sulphuret of iron, by the decomposition of which the sulphuric acid has been set free [note 9] (NEWBOLD, T J 1845c: 515). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1895: FOOTE, R B (1995: 197) just about mentions two small caves nearer the summit of the mountain of which one contained thin films of an impure sulphate of alumina, of a pale yellowish to pale dirty green colour, a recent product of decomposition due to infiltrationi such as is o contains two apparently natural caves situate at the bottom of the precipices, of small dimensions [note 8] (NEWBOLD, T J 1845c: 514-515). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1845: Two apparently natural caves … of small small dimensions. In one of these stood the shrine of the tutelary deity of the mountain; and recent offerings of flowers, oil, and cocoa had been made in this rude rock temple. On the roofs and sides of these caverns are partial incrustations of common salt and alum, which appear to have been deposited by water percolated through the porous mass above, and which contains sulphuret of iron, by the decomposition of which the sulphuric acid has been set free [note 9] (NEWBOLD, T J 1845c: 515). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1895: FOOTE, R B (1995: 197) just about mentions two small caves nearer the summit of the mountain of which one contained thin films of an impure sulphate of alumina, of a pale yellowish to pale dirty green colour, a recent product of decomposition due to infiltrationi such as is o contains two apparently natural caves situate at the bottom of the precipices, of small dimensions [note 8] (NEWBOLD, T J 1845c: 514-515). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1845: Two apparently natural caves … of small small dimensions. In one of these stood the shrine of the tutelary deity of the mountain; and recent offerings of flowers, oil, and cocoa had been made in this rude rock temple. On the roofs and sides of these caverns are partial incrustations of common salt and alum, which appear to have been deposited by water percolated through the porous mass above, and which contains sulphuret of iron, by the decomposition of which the sulphuric acid has been set free [note 9] (NEWBOLD, T J 1845c: 515). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1895: FOOTE, R B (1995: 197) just about mentions two small caves nearer the summit of the mountain of which one contained thin films of an impure sulphate of alumina, of a pale yellowish to pale dirty green colour, a recent product of decomposition due to infiltrationi such as is o contains two apparently natural caves situate at the bottom of the precipices, of small dimensions [note 8] (NEWBOLD, T J 1845c: 514-515). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1845: Two apparently natural caves … of small small dimensions. In one of these stood the shrine of the tutelary deity of the mountain; and recent offerings of flowers, oil, and cocoa had been made in this rude rock temple. On the roofs and sides of these caverns are partial incrustations of common salt and alum, which appear to have been deposited by water percolated through the porous mass above, and which contains sulphuret of iron, by the decomposition of which the sulphuric acid has been set free [note 9] (NEWBOLD, T J 1845c: 515). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1895: FOOTE, R B (1995: 197) just about mentions two small caves nearer the summit of the mountain of which one contained thin films of an impure sulphate of alumina, of a pale yellowish to pale dirty green colour, a recent product of decomposition due to infiltrationi such as is oten seen in damp excavations in simitar rocks elsewhere. CULTURAL HISTORY - human use: In one of these [two temple caves] stood the shrine of the tutelary deity of the mountain and recent offerings of flowers, oil, and cocos [nux Cocos nuciferae] had been made in this rude rock temple (NEWBOLD, T J 1845c: 515). CLIMATE: NEWBOLD, T J (1845c: 514-515) reports to have measured in July 1837 a temperature of 22.2°C in the open air when the thermometer in the shade during the hottest part of the day stood at 72° Fahrenheit only.