|
The main tunnel of the cave is nearly 200 m long with several
lateral and downward passages. Various types of speleothems offer
panoramic views. According to Hindu mythology, caves are generally
considered to be prominent religious locations.
Many pilgrims visit Kotumsar Cave to worship at a big speleothem
formation (stalagmite) in one of the chambers. Earlier worshipers also
burnt incense and camphor in this part of Kotumsar Cave, which polluted
the cave ecosystem resulting in a decline of cave biodiversity. This
practice was accordingly stopped by the authorities based on a report
published by the National Cave research and Protection Organization,
India.
The cave is subject to frequent flooding during the monsoon season,
which generally begins in the middle of June and continues until the
middle of October. The site is closed to tourists during this period.
Various water pools fed by seepage throughout the year also exist in
this cave.
Getting There
Kotumsar Cave is situated in
Kanger Valley National Park, which is
around 35 km from the city of Jagdalpur, the district headquarters of Bastar, in the state of Chhattisgarh. Jagdalpur can be reached either by
road, train or air. The city is well connected by National Highways 212,
202 and 16.
The nearest domestic / international Airport from Jagdalpur is
Swami Vivekananda International
Airport, Raipur, roughly 6 hours drive (295 km) from Jagdalpur. It is well
connected with major cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi and
Mumbai etc.
To reach the park one follows the Jagdalpur, Sukma Road. The cave is
located around 10 km from the main entrance of the national park.
For local transport, the
commuters have the options of city bus and auto-rickshaw. Auto rickshaws
are the popular mode of local commuting.
|
