Belum caves

Belum Caves Festival postponed

News:The Belum Caves Festival has been postponed in Andhra Pradesh after the dates clashed with Governor’s visit to the district.

Facts:

About Belum Caves festival:

• The Belum Caves festival was named as Kandanavolu Sambaralu.It was being organised to popularize the Belum caves in Kurnool district,Andhra Pradesh.

About Belum Caves:

• Belum Caves are also known as Belum Guhalu.They are located in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh.
• They are the second-longest cave in the Indian subcontinent open to the public.The first longest is the Krem Liat Prah caves in Meghalaya.
• This cave system was formed over the course of tens of thousands of years by the constant flow of underground water from the now disappeared river Chitravathi.
• These caves are renowned for their speleothem structures.The caves also have long passages, spacious chambers, freshwater galleries and siphons.
• Belum caves are also indications that Jains and Buddhists monks were occupying these caves centuries ago.The presence of 4500 years old vessels from the pre-Buddhism era ensures the same.

Additional information:

upsc syllabus pdf download in english

About speleothem structures 

• Speleothems are commonly known as cave formations.They are secondary mineral deposits formed in a cave.
• Speleothems are typically formed in the form of stalactites, stalagmites, limestone or dolomite solutional caves.
• A secondary mineral is one which is derived by a physicochemical reaction from a primary mineral in bedrock or detritus and/or deposited because of a unique set of conditions in a cave such as environment conditions.