നാച്ചുറൽ കേവ് കൂവപ്പാറ

Natural Cave Koovapara

Useful Information

Location:	Bheemanadi-Periyanganam Road, West Eleri, PO, Kalikkadavu, Bheemanady, Kerala 671314. (12.304788, 75.279023)
Open:	All year Mon-Tue, Thu-Sun 10-17. Closed for the two monsoon seasons. [2024]
Fee:	Adults INR 30. [2024]
Classification:	unknown
Light:	torch provided
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided, L=76 m, St=20.
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Natural Cave Koovapara, Bheemanadi-Periyanganam Road, West Eleri, PO, Kalikkadavu, Bheemanady, Kerala 671314, Tel: +91-75608-04342. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1960	land with cave purchased by K. Kunhambu, who lived at Kuruncherry.
1984	water pump and first trail installed.
2018	cave developed as a show cave.

Description

നാച്ചുറൽ കേവ് കൂവപ്പാറ (Natural Cave Koovapara) is a huge natural cave without a name. Its name is actually "Natural Cave", which is not a name at all, so they added Koovapara, but do not explain what it means. The cave is developed with a rather rough trail, but at least there are staircases for the steep parts, so climbing is not required. However, the trail is often just gravel or dirt, so good shoes are strongly recommended. And as the cave has no light, we also recommend a good lamp, probably a headlamp if available.

This cave is, nevertheless, despite the rather basic development, a privately operated show cave. This story started many years ago, when some people migrated from Nileswar to Koovapara in Bheemanady with the aim to grow Punam in the hills. Unfortunately, there were no water sources for irrigation, and so they collected rainwater in ceramic pots. They used it for irrigation, their animals, and for drinking. But after some time the land they had used was owned by someone else and the lease was terminated. With the Land Reform Act of 1960-70, the situation changed, and the leasing and owning of land became possible. K. Kunhambu, who lived at Kuruncherry, bought 1,4 ha of land with the cave on it. In 1984, he installed a water pump in the cave for irrigation.

At first the cave was only known to locals, and the installation of the pump required access trails, so it was possible to easily visit the cave. The number of visitors slowly increased. The main event was the construction of a paved road, the Kuruncherry-Koovapara-Chembankunnu block road. This allowed far more people to visit this area, and the cave became popular. Finally, in 2018 the cave was completely renovated and developed with new staircases. The development was supported by the BRDC and KTDC. The development also included a wall around the property and trails to the cave. Since then, it was visited by domestic and international visitors.

The cave has a huge passage, more like a chamber. It has two natural entrances, and so it is entered down a daylight shaft on an iron staircase. Finally, on the other side a huge doline is reached, with a spectacular cave portal. Quite spectacular is the sun beam which shines into the cave around noon, down the shaft with the staircase. Another site is the former location of the water pump which was removed. There is a shallow cave lake now. The cave is not a karst cave, so it has no speleothems at all.

In 2023 the cave was a filming location for the Bollywood movie Ajayante Randam Moshanam (ARM). It is even shown in the official teaser. The movie is set in northern Kerala, three generations of heroes, Maniyan, Kunjikelu, and Ajayan, try to protect the most important treasure of the land. This movie was filmed in 3D, in cinemas in India this year [2024].