News Karnataka
Friday, March 29 2024
Cricket
Features

Kavala caves: Safeguarding religious relic from history

Kavalacaves Main
Photo Credit :

With its stony paths and thick lush green forests, Dandeli has always been a popular tourist destination in Karnataka for those who enjoy spending time with nature. Rich diversity and a variety of adventure sports are the trademark of this place. The tropical forests are home to exotic wildlife like black panthers, many bird species and other kinds of wildlife refuges.

Most of the commonly visited places here are located in the heart of the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary. Gaining popularity as the second largest wildlife sanctuary in Karnataka, the dense terrain is a must see for nature admirers and adventure-enthusiast. Among the many locations spread across in this place, the Kavala caves situated deep within the land is a must visit in the region.

These caves, which are said to be dating back to the prehistoric days, have a volcanic origin. The caves which are also called as Sidda or Limestone Caves, are very small in dimension and visitors have to crawl in order to reach the centre of the cave. A number of stalagmite formations can be seen inside the cave.

What makes this cave an interesting visit is the naturally formed Shivalinga which is located at the deepest parts of the cave. This attracts a number of devotees every year.

It takes 375 steps to reach the entrance of the cave which is adorned by a small temple which opens the pathway towards the innermost recesses of the cave. Those who wish to see this relic have to crawl down 40 feet through winding, narrow tunnels which is home to bats and often times snakes. The path is dark which demands that the tourist must carry a torch or any other source of light in order to lead the way to the Shivalinga. The one and only time this place is fully lit with bulbs is during the festivities of Shivaratri when thousands of devotees flocks towards the cave.

The name of the cave comes from the Shivalinga which has a texture in the form of raw nuts used with beetle leaves. In Kannada these are called as Kavala and hence the caves got this name. There is an udder-shaped stone formed over the 4 feet Linga from which water trickles all the time. After reaching the Shivalinga, the visitors have to take a different route to reach outside the cave. On their way back, they get to experience the alluring view of River Kali winding its way through the valley below.

The journey towards this destination is organised only by the forest department. The preferred vehicle to travel being jeeps, the tourists are led through the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary for 3 to 4 kilometres towards the beginning of the trail towards the caves. This trekking adventure is organised everyday at 6 am. Along the way one can enjoy the calm River Kali cutting through the forest with its gushing waters.

Located at a distance of 24 kilometres form Dandeli, the best months to visit these nature carved caves are said to be between the months of October to February.

Image courtesy: trillophilia.com, Docwokav and Piolatif from Wikimedia Commons.

Share this:
SC H Varghese

Harshita Mary Varghese graduated with a Masters in Journalism and Mass Communication from St. Aloysius College Mangaluru and is quickly learning the ropes of the emerging Media Industry. She has excellent language and reportage skills. She excels at human interest and travel stories.

Read More Articles
MANY DROPS MAKE AN OCEAN
Support NewsKarnataka's quality independent journalism with a small contribution.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 0 / 5. Vote count: 0

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

To get the latest news on WhatsApp