Located in the Anantagiri hills of the Eastern Ghats range in Alluri Sitharama Raju district in Andhra Pradesh, the Borra caves are among the deepest caves in India.
The caves created millions of years ago by water activity, mainly by the Gosthani river, are a rare geological formation. They are basically karstic limestone structures extending to a depth of 80 metres.
The ancient caves were discovered by the Geological Survey of India in 1807. Since then, extensive research has been done by different government departments and expert groups.
Due to the water activity cutting through rich limestone, many stalagmites and stalactites have formed over the years. According to researchers, the cave is highly valuable for anthropological research, as excavations carried out earlier unearthed stone tools of middle Paleolithic culture dating between 30,000 and 50,000 years ago. These findings confirm human habitation in that area.
One of the major tourist attractions of the region, the caves — illuminated with artificial lighting — draw visitors from across India, sometimes crossing 10,000 visitors a day during peak season.
The caves are about 100 km from Visakhapatnam and the journey by road takes about three hours. The Borraguhallu station is the nearest railway station.
