Guna Caves
| Guna Caves | |
|---|---|
| Devil's Kitchen | |
 | |
  | |
| Location | Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu |
| Coordinates | 10°12′38″N 77°27′41″E / 10.2105°N 77.4614°E |
| Elevation | 2,230 metres[1] |
| Discovery | 1821 by B. S. Ward, a British officer |
| Access | restricted |
Guna Caves or initially named as The Devil's Kitchen, is a cave located in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India.[2] It attracts many visitors every year.[3] The location got the name Guna Caves after it was featured in the 1991 film Gunaa starring Kamal Haasan. After the release of the film the location had attracted a higher amount of visitors and tourists.[4] Subsequently, other movies were also shot there, including the climax of the Malayalam film Shikkar (2010),[5][6] and another Malayalam film Manjummel Boys (2024), which was based on a real accident at the cave.[2]
The caves are known for its notorious history as many people who went in for exploration have disappeared in the cave without a trace, and in some cases authorities have been unable to retrieve their bodies as the cave structure is so deep and non-uniformal. It is one of the most dangerous caves in the world. As of 2016, police recorded 16 disappearances in connection with the cave without bodies being retrieved. To date, only one person has ever escaped from the depths of the Guna caves, which serves as the central narrative for the 2024 Malayalam film "Manjummel Boys".[7]
History[edit]
The cave hole was first recorded in 1821 by British officer B. S. Ward, who named it The Devil’s Kitchen but remained in obscurity until the late 1980s.[8] In 1991, the caves and surrounding areas were the prime locations in the Kamal Haasan Gunaa earning its name as the Guna Caves, thus attracting a higher tourist flow.
After that multiple people who went into the caves never came out and mysteriously disappeared and in some cases, even the bodies were not recovered including nephew of a central minister in 1996. Some of the cases were pure instances of suicide and some others were of tourists or locals who went in to explore the cave and fell into a dangerous hole inside the caves.
So from the early 2000s until 2016, the cave was closed to the public due to increasing numbers of disappearances. However, people ignored the warnings and continued to explore the place. The hole is in the cave that has caused the death of at least 16 people who attempted to explore the cave as of police records in 2016. There was only one instance of a person making it out of the hole in the Guna caves in 2006.
In 2006, a group of friends from Manjummel Kochi, Kerala went to explore the caves as one among them named Subhash fell into the hole. Later he was rescued by huge efforts, mainly by his friend Siju David and locals with the support of police. This incident is depicted in the 2024 Malayalam movie Manjummel Boys which had even larger impact as the Guna Caves even gained more popularity. Even though most of the portions were shot in film set due to the risk element of shooting at the caves, some of the portions were shot in and around the caves and Kodaikanal.[4]
As of 2024, the road to the cave was reopened to the public to attract visitors, but the entrance to the cave still remains closed for the safety of the tourists.[7]
In popular culture[edit]
List of movies shot at Guna Caves:
| Film | Year | Language |
|---|---|---|
| Gunaa | 1991 | Tamil |
| Shikkar | 2010 | Malayalam |
| Manjummel Boys | 2024 | Malayalam |
References[edit]
- ^ Kumar, D. Suresh (5 March 2024). "Real Manjummel Boys hero in 2006: I could not think of going back without my childhood friend". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
- ^ a b "'Manjummel Boys' : Everything to know about The Guna Caves aka 'The Devil's Kitchen'". The Times of India. 2024-02-09. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 2024-02-24. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ "All About Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu's Scenic Hill Station". Outlook Traveller. 2023-09-04. Archived from the original on 2024-02-24. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ a b "Loved Malayalam Movie 'Manjummel Boys'? Here Is A Real-Life Guna Caves Rescue Story For You". IndiaTimes. 2024-03-06. Archived from the original on 2024-03-09. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
- ^ TOI Entertainment Desk (29 February 2024). "When Mohanlal referred to Guna caves as 'Nature's mortuary'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
- ^ "ഗുണ കേവിലിറങ്ങാൻ മോഹൻലാലും അനന്യയുമെടുത്ത റിസ്ക്: അനുഭവം പറഞ്ഞ് എം. പത്മകുമാർ". www.manoramaonline.com (in Malayalam). Archived from the original on 2024-03-02. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ a b Vannan, Gokul (2016-09-11). "Guna cave' in Kodai to be opened after 10 years". www.deccanchronicle.com. Archived from the original on 2024-02-23. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ "Devil's Kitchen | Tamil Nadu". Tamilnadu Tourism. Archived from the original on 2024-02-24. Retrieved 2024-02-24.