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552:. There is an area in the caves with limited light penetration. The stalactites seen in the caves are about 0.1 to 3.5 m (0.3 to 11.5 ft) in length while the stalagmites are 1.2 m (3.9 ft) long and columns are 6 m (20 ft) in height and 0.75 m (2.5 ft) in width. The height of the cave is 12 m (39 ft) and the length is about 200 m (660 ft). The average temperature of the inner cave wall is reported to be about 16 °C (61 °F).
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836:. The train journey over a distance of 100 km (62 mi) from the Vishkapatanam railway station passes through Eastern Ghats (hill) section), which has 30 tunnels en route. The journey by train takes about five hours to the Railway Station near the caves called the Borra Guhalu Railway station.
524:. These deposits have developed into interesting forms and structures inside the caves such as ShivaâParvati, MotherâChild, Rishi's beard, human brain, mushrooms, crocodile, temple, etc. These shapes have captured the imagination of tourists, while some have been given religious interpretations.
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implements) have been found in the caves. The excavations carried out in the caves by the archeologists of the Andhra
University, have unearthed stone tools of middle Paleolithic culture dating back 30,000 to 50,000 years, which confirm human habitation.
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found in the caves have been subject to scientific studies. In fluviatile, spring, cave and soil environments microbial carbonates are important. In the biofilms and/or microbial mats, which are formed in the caves, the principal organisms associated are
512:, which originates from these caves and flows between the solidified stalactites and stalagmites in the karstic limestones formation, is the cause for the development of the odd shapes of structures. Water percolating from the roof of the caves dissolve
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and the Araku Valley. For the benefit of the visitors, an information board at the entry point to the caves gives some details of the caves and its surroundings (pictured). An Arraku and Borra rail-cum-road package tour organized by the
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who protected the cow. The village folk who heard the story believed it and since then they have built a small temple for Lord Shiva outside the cave. People flock to the temple for worship and the cave to get a glimpse of the Lingam.
274:(Jatapu, Porja, Kondadora, Nookadora, valmiki etc.) who inhabit the villages around the caves narrate. The popular legend is that a cow, grazing on the top of the caves, dropped 60 m (200 ft) through a hole in the roof. The
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The effect of microorganisms in the mats on the cave formation and their role on iron mineral precipitation has been further studied. A report indicates a link between ironârich mats formation and iron precipitating bacteria.
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is available for visitors keen to see the Borra Caves. A walk around the caves provides views of the mountainous area which is rich in flora and fauna. The Andhra
Pradesh State Tourism Department has installed 26
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electric lamps, which provide views of the formations. The Araku valley, a hill station about 29 km (18 mi) from the Borra Caves, is also a tourist attraction for people visiting the caves.
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observed in modern and ancient stromatolitic carbonates. Laboratory observations with scanning electron microscope (SEM) have also confirmed the presence of calcified bacteria, micro-rods, and needle
1345:"Habrobathynella borraensis n. sp. (Syncarida: Bathynellacea: Parabathynellidae) from the Borra Caves of southeastern India, with a note on the taxonomic significance of paragnath morphology"
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714:) â a species which roosts in large caves, old buildings, dungeons and dark areas of old forts. This species has short and slender musculature with large, well developed eyes. They feed on
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Baskar, Sushmitha; et al. (4 December 2007). "Precipitation of iron in microbial mats of the spring waters of Borra Caves, Visakhapatnam, India: some geomicrobiological aspects".
373:. At the entry, the cave measures up to 100 m (330 ft) horizontally and 75 m (246 ft) vertically. Stalagmite and stalactite formations are found in the caves.
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Le Bas, M.J., Subbarao, K.V. and Walsh, J.W. Metacarbonatite or marble? â the case of the carbonate, pyroxenite, calcite-apatite rock complex at Borra, Eastern Ghats, India,
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These are thick orange microbial mats (2.5 to 3 cm thick) with patches of yellow biofilms extending 3 m (9.8 ft) from the aphotic deep cave orifice.
1184:"Evidences for microbial involvement in the genesis of speleothem carbonates, Borra Caves, Visakhapatnam, India by Sushmitha Baskar, R. Baskar and Anubha Kaushik"
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Ramesh Y (1990). Geomorphic
Studies in Upper Gostani River Basin with Special References to Borra (Karst) Caves Visakhapatnam District, A.P., India, India.
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structures extending to a depth of 80 m (260 ft), and are considered the deepest caves in India. The native name for the caves is
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city center. Vishkapatnam is 90 km (56 mi) away by road. It is mostly a hill road and the journey takes about three hours.
219:. The caves, one of the largest in the country, at an elevation of about 705 m (2,313 ft), distinctly exhibit a variety of
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Guided tours for a day trip to the Borra Caves cover interesting attractions like the Tyada
Railway Tunnel, Damuku View Point,
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996:. Division Microbial Systems Ecology, Department of Microbiology, Technische Universität Mßnchen, Germany. Archived from
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650:. Organic mats (yellow-orange in colour) are made up of mineralized filamentous bacteria, bacterial stalks,
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while searching for the cow came across the caves. He found a stone inside the cave that resembled a
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of Araku hills, where the caves are situated, is about 25 °C (77 °F). The average annual
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Borra is Telugu word in native North Andhra dialect which means hole('Boriya' in standard Telugu).
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211:(with hill ranges' elevation varying from 800 to 1,300 m (2,600 to 4,300 ft)) of the
1312:"Biodiversity News of Andhra Pradesh, Volume 2, Issue 1, Fruit Bats of Andhra Pradesh, page 4"
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was described from the Borra Caves. It is the first Indian cavernicolous species of the genus
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813:, 76 km (47 mi) from Borra Caves, which is 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the
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1020:"Borra Caves Country : India State : Andhra Pradesh City : Araku Valley"
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Reddy, Yenumula Ranga; Shaik, Shabuddin; Totakura, Venkateswara Rao (1 January 2014).
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While the caves are basically limestone formations, the area surrounding these are of
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reported is 950 mm (3.12 ft) (mostly occurring during the northeast
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cover a triangular area of two km (0.77 sq mi); surrounded by
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of various sizes and irregularly shaped stalactites and stalagmites. The
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have actively influenced the genesis of speleothems of the Borra Caves.
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discovered by
Shabuddin Shaik from Borra Caves, Visakhapatnam, India.
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On the discovery of the caves, there are several legends, which the
1284:(2). Spring Link, Springer Berlin, Environmental Geology: 237â243.
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at the roof of the cave and then dripping down to the ground form
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formations which are prospected for precious stones like rubies.
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1046:. Florida Sinkhole Research. Taylor & Francis. p. 392.
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mobile belt, where the caves are located, is represented by the
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observed in the caves are predominantly bats, as well as the
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November and
December are ideal months to visit the caves.
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1189:. Current Science Journal, Vol 92, No.3. 10 February 2007
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Borra Guhalu railway station in
KothavalasaâKirandul line
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outcrops are dark and massive and include discontinuous
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A view of
Eastern Ghats from Borra Caves railway station
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and air services. The nearest international airport is
708:. The type of bat reported is the fulvous fruit bat (
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and sheaths. Thus, these studies have indicated that
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388:). The Gosthani river provides water supply to the
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Worship of Stalagmite Lingam inside the Borra Caves
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789:. The caves are 448 kilometres (278 mi) from
769:Official Information Board outside the Borra Caves
1387:. Archived from the original on 10 September 2009
1245:Applying Ecological Principles to Land Management
563:of limestone. The spring waters display floating
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1040:Barry F. Beck; Adrianne Hagen (1 January 1989).
203:are located on the East Coast of India, in the
1242:Virginia H. Dale; Richard A. Haeuber (2001).
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1214:"Borra Caves â A Million-Year old Wonder"
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797:and 656 kilometres (408 mi) from
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544:Formations of rocks inside Borra Caves
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348:A view of Valley from the Borra Caves
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994:"Astrobiology & Geomicrobiology"
430:age. Quaternary deposits consist of
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333:districts before emptying into the
298:Another lyrical legend is that the
282:, which he interpreted as the Lord
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1317:. AprilâJune 2008. Archived from
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516:and trickle drop by drop to form
68:Location in Andhra Pradesh, India
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1423:Journal of Asian Earth Sciences
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1248:. Springer. pp. 103, 346.
1083:File:Borra Caves Info board.JPG
971:Borra Caves Vizag Visakhapatnam
783:Alluri Sitharama Raju district
548:The caves are deep and totally
150:0.8 sq mi (2 km)
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820:Train services operate on the
634:has uncovered the presence of
408:suite of rocks (garnetiferous
213:Alluri Sitharama Raju district
18:Place in Andhra Pradesh, India
1:
1349:Journal of Crustacean Biology
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773:The caves are located in the
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464:are pure white, and coarsely
365:The caves are located in the
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468:and the deformed and banded
400:The regional geology in the
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536:Rock cut inside Borra Caves
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751:Habrobathynella borraensis
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231:. The caves are basically
158:2,313 ft (705 m)
1461:Geology of Andhra Pradesh
1405:: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
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1152:"Borra Caves, Eco India"
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1456:Caves of Andhra Pradesh
1385:"Valley of enchantment"
775:Ananthagiri hills range
711:Rousettus leschenaultii
528:Formations in the caves
1441:Borra Caves in YouTube
961:List of Caves in India
956:Cave research in India
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136:Alluri Sitharama Raju
1425:, 20, 2002, 127â140.
675:First cavernicolous
1466:Show caves in India
1324:on 25 February 2009
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376:The average annual
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1002:. Retrieved
998:the original
945:
886:
878:sodium vapor
851:
819:
791:Bhubaneshwar
779:Araku valley
772:
754:
750:
749:
709:
706:golden gecko
699:
682:
676:
632:thin section
628:Petrographic
602:
583:
576:
573:
547:
507:
399:
375:
367:Araku Valley
364:
297:
269:
261:
247:
243:
240:BorrÄ Guhalu
239:
209:Araku Valley
200:
197:
196:
28:BorrÄ Guhalu
15:
1436:Borra Caves
1391:14 February
1328:14 February
1261:14 February
1224:14 February
1193:14 February
1157:14 February
1127:14 February
1059:14 February
1025:14 February
1004:14 February
854:Ananthagiri
822:Kothavalasa
592:Paleolithic
522:stalagmites
518:stalactites
466:crystalline
458:speleothems
410:sillimanite
378:temperature
327:Vizianagram
229:stalagmites
225:stalactites
221:speleothems
205:Ananthagiri
186:Ananthagiri
180:Located in
99: /
62:Borra Caves
25:Borra Caves
1450:Categories
977:References
860:Plantation
746:Stygofauna
607:carbonates
604:Speleothem
486:pyroxenite
406:khondalite
1371:0278-0372
1298:128814523
799:Hyderabad
636:lithified
588:artifacts
561:corrosion
514:limestone
504:Formation
478:scapolite
443:colluvium
439:laterites
435:sediments
319:Kamadhenu
309:God Lord
258:Etymology
236:limestone
188:hills of
164:Time zone
155:Elevation
1401:cite web
950:See also
826:Kirandul
618:, small
612:bacteria
569:biofilms
482:feldspar
474:diopside
447:alluvium
424:gneisses
413:gneisses
382:rainfall
323:Gosthani
315:Sanskrit
169:UTC+5:30
132:District
882:halogen
874:mercury
781:of the
777:of the
716:flowers
648:calcite
640:micrite
599:Genesis
557:springs
550:aphotic
498:calcite
470:marbles
451:coastal
432:red bed
428:Archaen
417:quartzo
396:Geology
386:monsoon
276:cowherd
272:tribals
233:karstic
112:Country
84:18°10â˛N
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1252:
1100:1 June
1050:
857:Coffee
795:Odisha
736:cotton
720:fruits
567:-like
554:Sulfur
421:garnet
392:city.
303:Lingam
280:Lingam
266:Legend
248:Guhalu
242:where
87:83°0â˛E
1322:(PDF)
1315:(PDF)
1294:S2CID
1187:(PDF)
740:mango
728:guava
724:jamun
702:fauna
652:cells
624:fungi
620:algae
565:mucus
454:sands
426:) of
337:near
311:Shiva
307:Hindu
300:Shiva
284:Shiva
244:Borra
182:Borra
122:State
116:India
1407:link
1393:2009
1367:ISSN
1330:2009
1263:2009
1250:ISBN
1226:2008
1195:2009
1159:2009
1129:2009
1102:2023
1061:2009
1048:ISBN
1027:2009
1006:2009
880:and
807:rail
803:road
738:and
732:silk
718:and
700:The
622:and
579:mica
508:The
494:mica
449:and
329:and
227:and
142:Area
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