Borra Caves

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Interior of Borra Cave

The Caves with the artificial lightning

The Borra Caves are located in the Anatagiri Hills of Eastern Ghats, near Vishakapatnam, Andhra Pradesh State in India. They are at a height of about 800 to 1300 metres above Mean Sea Level and are famous for millions of years old stalactite and stalagmite formations. They were discovered by William King George, the British geologist in the year 1807.

They are in the Borra village and panchayat in Ananthagiri Mandal of Visakhapatnam district. They are about a 4-hour long journey from Visakhapatnam and the route is a steep, winding, ghat road.

Borra Guhalu (Guhalu means caves in Telugu) railway station is in the Kothavalasa-Kirandul railway line in East Coast Railway, Indian Railways.

River Gosthani which originates above the lime stone foundations is given the legendary name Gosthani (go means cow and sthani means udder) as it resembles the udder of a Cow while flowing out of the caves.

The caves get their name from a formation inside the caves that looks like the human brain, which in the local language, Telugu, is known as borra. The river Gosthani flows right beside the caves. The caves extend into the ground so much so, that the river can be heard flowing above from inside the caves. The landscape around the cave is wild and mountainous. The geology is complicated and the limestone where the cave is located is surrounded by mica. Several mines in this mica are prospected for precious stones like rubies.

The legend of the discovery of the caves is quite popular. According to this legend, a cow, grazing on the top of the caves, fell down 60 metres, through a hole in the roof and the cowherd came across the caves while searching for the cow. There is also a stalagmite inside the cave that resembles a Lingam, and many people flock to the cave to get a glimpse of it.

[edit] External References

[1]
[2]
Ramesh Y (1990). Geomorphic Studies in Upper Gostani River Basin with Special References to Borra (Karst) Caves Visakapatnam District, A.P., India. , India.
Le Bas, M.J., Subbarao, K.V. and Walsh, J.W. Metacarbonatite or marble? - the case of the carbonate, pyroxenite, calcite-apatite rock complex at Borra, Eastern Ghats, India, Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 20, 2002, 127-140.