Borra Caves at Araku Valley
Borra Caves at Araku Valley
Borra Caves are said to be one million-year-old limestone caves and the deepest caves in India. The caves are in the Ananthagiri hills of Araku Valley, almost 36 km from the centre of the valley.
Borra Caves are one of the best places to visit in Araku Valley. These natural caves were discovered in 1807 by William King George of the Geological Survey of India. According to the legend, once a tribal lost his cow while grazing. He soon realized that his cow had fallen through the hole. While searching for the cow, the local tribe found these caves and came across a Linga in one of them. The Linga is considered synonymous with Lord Shiva, who saved the cow. After this, a small Shiva temple was built right outside this cave.
The caves are filled with fascinating stalagmite and stalactite formations of calcium deposits. The Gosthani River used to flow through the caves between the formations. The caves were created due to the flow of the river over the limestone area. The pressure was exerted by the humic acid in the water on the mineral deposits and the limestone dissolved in the water. The dissolved limestone trickled down drop by drop forming different shapes in the cave.
One can see different formations of the stalactites and stalagmites, which resemble some of the deities and are named accordingly by the locals – Shiv-Parvathi, Mother-Child, Sage Beard, Human Brain, Crocodile, Tiger and Cows udder. A Shiva lingam and an idol of a cow (Kamadhenu) are among the formations which have religious significance.
The height of the cave is 12 m (39 ft) and the length is about 200 m (660 ft).
As the caves are unique and one of the kind in India, one must not miss the chance to visit them!
Rakhi Sunil Kumar
Photo Credit – Aaryesh Kumar
