Posted on Sunday, November 08, 2009 - 07:13 pm:

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BELUM CAVES (Kurnool dt): It may sound strange, enthusiastic tourists from Karnataka and some students from Tamil Nadu are in the forefront to publicise millions of years' old Belum caves as a perfect tourist destination, while AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) appears groping in dark.

With very little publicity forthcoming from the APTDC about the caves tucked away on the borders of Kadapa and Anantapur districts, not many are visiting the place.

In contrast, the caves located in Kolimigundla mandal of Kurnool district evoked tremendous response when they were thrown open for tourists in 2002.

The second largest caves in India seem to be losing sheen. The present cave area accessible to the public is around 1.5 km and extends up to 3,225 metres in length and 120 feet at the deepest point inside.

A descent of 20 metres takes tourists inside the caves where a walk through the place is an experience with magnificent artworks of nature created by stalactite and stalagmite formations.

Sorry state

A visit to the place reveals a sorry state of affairs. Venkataramana, the watchman-•••-guide recalled that for few years since 2002 there was a rush of visitors from Hyderabad, Kurnool, Anantapur, Kadapa, Chittoor and some parts of Karnataka.

The APTDC staff pointed out that the present flow is 200-250 a day from its peak of 1,400 in 2002.

"There was good business when package tours were organised from Kurnool and other places," Bali Reddy, lease holder of Punnami Hotel said. The package tours were stopped after the transport wing at Kurnool was shut down.

Independent rooms and dormitory accommodation at Punnami Hotel have no takers. "There is little or no publicity about these historic caves. There are no sign boards either to reach the place from Kurnool, Anantapur or Kadapa," Basha, a government employee from Anantapur remarked.

When contacted APTDC Divisional Manager, Kurnool, G. Joel Praveen Sagar said: "We will contact travel agents across the State and also in Bangalore, which is close to Belum caves. We are preparing plans to introduce package tours to Belum from Hyderabad in near future," he said.

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