Explore Belum Caves in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh

28/09/2022 Indrani Ghose
68 Comments
India, Travel

104 km from Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh are the Belum Caves. The very mention of the word ‘caves’ creates images of mountains in mind; surprisingly there were none around and in fact none in the vast stretch of land around. For a moment I thought I was in a wrong place after the long drive from Hyderabad. There is a huge statue of Buddha in meditation at the entrance to the area. The place had a serene aura!

Belum caves map

Explore Belum Caves Interior

You walk further and find the entrance to the caves. At the security check point there are steps going down. Keep going twenty meters down and then you realize the existence of the caves. Even at that point it is difficult to comprehend there is a 3.5kms long tunnel ahead waiting to be explored.

Tunnel inside belum caves

We walked in to the depths, the paths are well lit and ventilated too, but it was hot. It was spacious at some places, narrow at some points. For the first time I was seeing the stalactite and stalagmite formations in the limestone cave. Some very interesting names are given to the various formations of the stalactites and the stalagmites there.

Gebauer Hall

Part of the entrance chamber is called Gebauer Hall. This is in honor of the German speleologist Mr H. Daniel Gebauer, who explored and mapped the caves in 1982.

Patala Ganga

Most thrilling part of exploration of the caves. Patalganga is the deepest point in the caves, it had water bubbling out of source underneath.

Thousand Hood Point

The Thousand Hood point is eerily beautiful. The brilliant stalactite formations are shaped like thousands of cobras that have opened their hoods.

Musical Chamber

A musical chamber; where the formations when tapped produce musical sounds. I didn’t see any long formations, most looked broken.

Saint Bed

The rock formation is a flat one, hence the name seems apt. It may have been used as a bed by the residing monks here.

Do search out amazing intricate formations like Simhadwaram meaning the head of a lion, Kotilingalu Chamber that has thousands of stalactite formations akin to lingams and Voodalamari which is a banyan tree like stalactite formation.

Broken Stalagmite growths inside Belum Cave
The APTDC can do well by installing video cameras for the security of these precious natural formations.

Interesting Facts of Belum Caves

Size – Belum Caves is 3.3 km long, making it the second largest natural caves in Indian subcontinent.

What is inside Belum Caves? – You get to see interesting rock formations of speleothems, such as stalactite and stalagmite formations. As you explore walking through the semi dark passages and galleries of the Belum Caves watch out for the rock formations hanging from the roof of the caverns.  There are fresh water pools and strings of waterfalls here and there making you feel as if you are in some outer world.

Other names – Belum Caves derives its name from Bilum. In Sanskrit the word means caves. Local people refer to it in Telugu language as Belum Guhalu. Some even refer to it as Kurnool Caves.

Discovery – The caves were always known to the local people. First recorded in 1884 by a British surveyor Robert Bruce Foote. In 1982-84, a team of German speleologists headed by H Daniel Gebauer conducted a detailed exploration of the caves.

Initial findings in the cave – Traces of ashes have been found in the Kurnool caves in Andhra Pradesh. That indicated people once resided in these caves. They might have used fire to cook meat, to get light, and for protection against animals. Some findings also indicate that Jains and Buddhists monks occupied these caves centuries ago.

Second Largest Caves in India - Belum Caves

Second Largest Caves in India – Belum Caves

Natural Heritage – This was declared natural heritage by Andhra Pradesh archaeological department in 2000 AD and thrown open to public in the year 2003.

Trivia on Caves of India

  • Longest cave in India – Meghalaya’s Krem Liat Prah limestone cave system in Jaintia Hills is the longest at 31.1km.
  • Oldest Cave in India – The Barabar Hill Caves is the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India. They date back to the time of the Mauryan Dynasty and Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC.
  • Other famous caves in India – Ajanta and Ellora Caves, Badami Caves, Elephanta Caves, Undavalli Caves, Edakkal Caves, Bhimbetka Caves

How to reach Belum Caves in Kurnool

The nearest railway station is Tadipatri, 25.9 km. Or you can alight at Anantapur rly stn then take a private taxi or local bus to reach the Belum Caves.

I was on a road trip from Hyderabad to Bangalore. Belum Caves is located 350 km away from Hyderabad and 250 km from Bangalore by road. That made it easy to halt at Belum Caves.

Tickets and Timings

Belum Caves is open from 10 AM to 4.30 PM. Timings may differ on public holidays.
Tickets – 65 INR per person for Indian nationals and 300 INR for foreign nationals.

Tips to Visit Belum Caves

  • Pets are not allowed inside
  • You can hire local guides
  • Wear good shoes, some parts are filled with slush
  • Not advisable for people with breathing problems
  • Lot of parking space around
  • Tour time can be two hours or more depending on your interest

Conclusion

My experience at Belum Caves was exceptional! If you are travelling with family and children Belum Caves is worth a visit. It is educational; kids get to see the growth of mineral rocks inside the cave, which is really very exciting.

Pin this for later

Belum Caves Kurnool India

Pujo Bhog, Community Lunch, Durga Puja
Kondapalli Fort Vijayawada - Kondapalle Kota

68 Responses to “Explore Belum Caves in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow Us

Visit Us On FacebookVisit Us On TwitterVisit Us On PinterestVisit Us On YoutubeVisit Us On LinkedinCheck Our FeedVisit Us On Instagram

Get in Touch

If you like what you've read, I'd love to hear it

Contact me