Belum Caves, the second longest caves in India | Fusion - WeRIndia

Belum Caves are located in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. They are the second longest caves in the Indian subcontinent, with a length of 3229 meters. These caves are renowned for their stalactite formations.

These natural caves were formed more than a thousand years ago due to erosion in limestone deposits. Many quartz deposits are evident in the caves. British surveyor Robert Bruce Foote discovered the caves in 1884.

Belum Caves were inhabited by Buddhist monks and Jains. Their relics were found inside the caves.

The caves have long passages and narrow galleries. It descends to the deepest point named Patalaganga.

It has a depth of 151 feet from the entrance. A huge Shiva lingam can be seen there. It is formed from a stalagmite.

It has a perennial underground stream, which starts at one point and vanishes into the earth deeply at another point. There is a legend about the waterfall that it remerges in a well in the village.

There is a Meditation Hall near the entrance. There a shape of a bed with a pillow is seen. A Greystone Recliner is seen in the caves. It is known as Saint’s Bed.

These caves have many stalactite and stalagmite formations. There is a ‘Simhadwaram’, an arch of stalactites that appears in the form of a lion’s head.

Thousands of stalactite formations are found on the ceiling. They appear like the hood of cobras, hence the name Thousand Hoods. There is also a Banyan Tree Hall where a massive pillar with stalactites appears like a banyan tree with its aerial roots.

A musical chamber or seven-note chamber generates sounds when stalactites are struck with a wooden stick or knuckles.

Regular buses are available to visit the place. There is an entry fee to enter the caves.

Image by Ravindra Kumar from Pixahive (Free for commercial use / CC0 Public Domain)

Image Reference: https://pixahive.com/photo/belum-caves-in-andhra-pradesh/