VIRASIHAMANI CAVE

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

An unspecified cave, complete with a dark zone more than 5 m from the cave entrance, may represent a sacred cave (temple cave) dedicated to one Veerasihamani / Virasihamani or, otherwise, a cave or rock shelter that happens to lie at (or near) a village (place, locality) of that name somewhere within Ramanathapuram district (note 1) or at the town itself (note 2). SITUATION 1998: The … two caves Ramanathapuram (C5) and Veerasihamani (C6) are located at a distance of about 140 km in the north [note 3] from Tirunelveli (8°44 N, 77°42' E) (KOILRAJ & MARIMUTHU 1998: 1111). SITUATION 1999: Veerasihamani cave … [is] located at a distance ofabout 140 km from Tirunelveli north (KOILRAJ, MARIMUTHU et al. 1999) and thus at the same spot (more likely: near) the cave at –>Ramanathapuram (also: Ramnad, N09°22': E078°51'). CAVE LIFE: A John Koilraj saw to having collected between September 1997 and August 1998 soil samples (bat guano) to investigate the site's algae (KOILRAJ & MARIMUTHU 199) fungal diversity (KOILRAJ et al 1999). KOILRAJ & MARIMUTHU (1998: 1112 table 2) report that a certain Mrs. Elizabeth [no name mentioned] reared three different species of algae (Chlorophyceae: Chlorococcum sp., Scenedesmus sp.; Bacillariophyceae: Navicula sp.) from soil samples collected in the daylight-lit area 0 to 3 m from the cave entrance.) fungal diversity (KOILRAJ et al 1999). KOILRAJ & MARIMUTHU (1998: 1112 table 2) report that a certain Mrs. Elizabeth [no name mentioned] reared three different species of algae (Chlorophyceae: Chlorococcum sp., Scenedesmus sp.; Bacillariophyceae: Navicula sp.) from soil samples collected in the daylight-lit area 0 to 3 m from the cave entrance.