Guna Caves in the picturesque Kodaikanal is back in the limelight 31 years after versatile actor Kamal Haasan’s Guna hit the screens, overshadowing its original name ‘Devil’s Kitchen’.
The Malayalam film Manjummel Boys, based on the only successful rescue of a youth from the deep, dark caves in 2006, is running to packed halls in many parts of Tamil Nadu. Gripping screenplay, brilliant acting, breathtaking cinematography, and slick direction, along with English subtitles, have made it a crowd’s favourite of the season.
On September 3, 2006, Subhash, hailing from Manjummal in Ernakulam district of Kerala, who had gone to the Guna Caves with his band of nine friends, had fallen into the deep cave while crossing a crevice. What followed was a nail-biting, gut-wrenching rescue by his friend Siju David, away from the glare of television and still cameras.
More than a month later, when news of his heroic rescue reached home, Siju David had told journalists, “He was my friend since childhood. I could not think of going back without him.”
Dilapidated fence
A report, titled ‘A friend in need’, published in the Kochi edition of The Hindu on October 14, 2006, said Subhash was an employee of a fabrication unit in Ernakulam and he had fallen into the prohibited cave as the crevice was guarded by a dilapidated fence. “A board nearby warns the public against entering the area, but it is in Tamil,” Subhash had recalled.
He had slipped to an estimated depth of 80 feet in the caves within seconds and cried for help. The police, who were contacted by his friends, were apparently of not much help. Later, Fire Services and Forest Department personnel came and lowered a rope into the cave.
“It was pitch dark inside and no one knew whether the rope reached him,” says the 2006 report.
With the rescue personnel unwilling to enter the dangerous caves — at that time it was reported that at least 10 persons had died after falling into the ‘Devil’s Kitchen’ over a period of time — Siju David volunteered and went down the cave using a 50-foot-long rope. Later, another rope was tied to it to ensure he reached Subhash and he tied the rope around his body, before the two were pulled out by the rescue team.
The rescue act appeared to have gone largely unnoticed in Tamil Nadu till the real life hero of Manjummel Boys addressed the press conference in Kochi. Siju David had felt that those who had died inside the cave could have been rescued similarly, “if only someone had dared to go inside”.
Fined for entering prohibited area
According to him, after the daring rescue, their ordeal did not end. The youths were charged with entering a prohibited area and imposed a penalty of ₹2,500, a princely sum. The Hindu’s report says that at that time the director of a fire safety technology institute in Kerala had offered to enrol Siju David in a free course and sponsor his higher studies.
Reports published in The Hindu at the time of the inauguration of the annual flower show at Kodaikanal’s Bryant Park in 2007 and 2009 mentioned that the Dindigul Collectors had spoken about projects to erect a fence and safety grills at Guna Caves and other places in the hill station.
However, the caves again turned into a grave in July 2012 when Karthik, a youth from Ramanathapuram district, who worked as an electrician, was declared dead by the police after rescue efforts failed. There are two versions of this case.
According to one, he had fallen into the caves while trying to retrieve his footwear. Another version says he had told his friends that he lost his mobile phone near the caves and would go to fetch it. While his six friends were waiting outside, he never returned.
Some official records have put the number of the dead inside the caves at 13, while there are claims that it could be 16 or more.
Over the last few years, the Forest Department has permitted tourists to view Guna Caves from a safe spot. According to the Tamil Nadu Tourism Department, a group of spooky caves had got the name ‘Devil’s Kitchen’ because of the bat colonies that reside in the warmth of these structures.
Challenging stroll
“The Devil’s Kitchen may be thought of as an extension of the natural glory of the Pillar Rocks amidst which they are situated. This spot was the frequent haunt for those who loved a challenging stroll. Once it gained popularity after the release of the Tamil movie, Guna, which was shot here, it has been attracting a number of tourists who visit these wondrous caverns to ponder the enchanting wonder of nature,” it says.
These caves, discovered by British official B. S. Ward in 1821, are situated at an elevation of 2,230 metres. “However, the location is quite secure as it offers a view of the caves from only a few safe positions, while entry to the risky spots has been restricted,” the Department adds.
