Belum Caves in Andhra Pradesh - The second largest cave system in Indian subcontinent

During our road-trip from Noida to Rameshwaram, we took a stop at Belum Caves and it was worth taking the detour through not so good roads like main highways. Unfortunately, rains were happening during that time and hence roads were not in their best shape, but still landscapes on the way were quite interesting. Belum caves are beautiful and worth exploring. Through this blogpost we shall share more about Belum caves, timings, ticket price, guide charges, length of the caves and other details like if it's worth going till the end of the Belum caves. Let's get started.

The Belum Caves are a popular tourist destination located in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. These caves are known for their intricate and beautiful rock formations, as well as the various sculptures and carvings that can be found within them.

The Belum Caves are located in Nandyala district of Andhra Pradesh state of India. Belum caves is the second largest cave system on the Indian subcontinent which is known for its speleothems, such as stalactite and stalagmite formations.

What are the timings of Belum Caves :

10am till 4:30pm

What is the entry ticket fees for Belum Caves :

Indians : 65 Rs

Foreigners : 300 Rs

What is good time to visit Belum Caves in Andhra Pradesh, India :

Go during first half of the day, as it gets hotter inside the caves in second half

The Belum Caves have been carved out of the limestone rocks over millions of years by the flow of water. The caves stretch for over 3 kilometers, making them one of the longest cave systems in the Indian subcontinent. The caves feature a number of impressive rock formations, including stalactites and stalagmites, as well as beautiful flowstone and cave curtains.

The Belum Caves have long passages, spacious caverns with fresh water and siphons. 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. The cave system reaches its deepest point which is ~150 feets from entrance level, at the point known as Pataalaganga.

Belum is part of a larger complex of caves carved out of the limestone deposits in the Erramalai region. Other caves include the Billasurgam caves, Sanyasula caves, Yaganti caves, Yerrajari caves, and the Muchchatla Chintamanu caves (caves are called gavi in the local language)

Belum Caves are 150 feets down from entry point and there are some arrangements done for air circulations inside the caves but it gets hot inside. As you move inside, it gets hotter and that's why one should plan to visit as early in the morning as possible to avoid crowd and heat.

Related Blogpost - Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves - One of the main places to visit around Bhubaneshwar, Orissa

If you want to explore the caves well, it may easily take 2hrs. We spent around an hour and were exploring on our own without any guide. The person sitting at the entry gate asked if we need guide and he pointed towards a worker working in the garden. It didn't sound like a legit model, so we skipped. We were early at the gate and when we came out, we noticed a few people claiming to be guides. We had a long distance to drive and hence we opted to explore on our own and do it little fast. We went till the a tiny water body inside the caves and came back. Inside the cave, there are multiple ways to go, and we skipped a few as we didn't want to get lost and the air circulation was not good. SO we preferred coming out early.

Archaeological survey of India (ASI) also found remnants of vessels of the pre-Buddhist era and dated the remnants of these objects to 4500 years BCE. In addition to the natural beauty of the Belum Caves, they also contain a number of ancient Buddhist sculptures and carvings, which provide insight into the history and culture of the area. Some sculptures depicts Lord Vishnu, Lord Buddha and Lord Mahavir and it is believe that the cave was used by Buddhist monks for meditation.

When we were driving towards the Belum Caves in Andhra Pradesh, we crossed through a lot of black stone mines and huge stores with trucks lined up to take this granite stone to other parts of the country. Seems like this part of Andhra Pradesh state has lot of black stone.

Related Blogpost - Badami Cave Temples

Belum Caves are geologically and historically important caves. There are indications that Jains and Buddhists monks occupied these caves centuries ago. Many Buddhists relics were found inside the caves. These relics are now housed in Museum at Ananthapur, Andhra Pradesh.

Belum Caves have a length of ~3200+ meters, making them the second largest caves on the Indian Subcontinent after the Krem Liat Prah caves in Meghalaya. It is one of the centrally protected Monuments of National Importance in Andhra Pradesh state of India.

One needs to be very careful when walking inside the Belum caves. Many of the pathways and narrow and of lower height. One also needs to sit down and walk at some places. Many of the places inside Belum Caves have water and hence some spaces are slippery as well. Keeping a light on with you is a recommended thing to do even there is light inside the caves.

This time, I spent more time clicking photographs of patterns and textures which I found interesting inside the cave. When I came back from this trip, I realised that I don't have enough photographs of caves and more patterns which you see in blogpost.

Inside the Belum Caves lighting is done and at some places light colour changes. Above photograph is clicked at a place with red light. Some of these places look stunning in coloured light. Earlier my viewpoint was different :).

These are second caves we explored in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The first one was Borra Caves around Araku Valley when we were in Vizag region of the state.

One of the most notable features of the Belum Caves is the "Musical Chamber," which is known for the unique echo that is produced when a person speaks or claps in the chamber. This chamber is also adorned with stunning stalactite and stalagmite formations, making it a popular spot for visitors to explore.

These are second caves we explored in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The first one was Borra Caves around Araku Valley when we were in Vizag region of the state.

Belum caves came to scientific attention in 1884 by a British surveyor, Robert Bruce Foote and a team of German speleologists headed by H. Daniel Gebauer in 1982/83. In 1988, the Andhra Pradesh state government declared the site protected, and Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) developed the caves as a tourist attraction in February 2002. Today, 3+ km of the Belum caves have been successfully explored, though only 1.5 km is accessible to visitors.

Overall we had good time exploring Belum Caves and it's certainly a recommended place for anyone who loves exploring different forms of nature & history. I can think of many of my traveler friends who would enjoy Belum Caves more than me.