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Visakhapatnam: The Borra Caves, a popular tourism spot in Alluri Sitarama Raju district, is set for a major facelift with the sanctioning of Rs 29.88 crore under the Swadeshi Darshan programme of the central government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in online mode, recently laid the foundation for the works. The caves, one of the largest in the country, are situated at an elevation of about 705m (2,313 ft). These exhibit a variety of speleothems (geological formation of mineral deposits in different sizes and irregular shapes, as also stalactites (tapering structures) and stalagmites (mounds). Legends abound about the caves. Local adivasis who inhabited the villages around the caves say that a cow, grazing atop the hills, once fell 200 feet through a hole in the roof. The cowherd, while searching for the cow, discovered the caves. “He found a stone inside the cave that resembled a Siva Lingam,” they claim. In the modern era, British archeologist William King discovered the caves in 1807. It became popular and began to draw tourists from across the country as also foreign tourists. The local youth helped the tourists by carrying flames as torches, as it was dark inside, even during the day time. Much of the development took place after AP tourism development corporation took the caves over in 1992. The corporation built steps and guiding railings, fixed lighting and introduced a ticketing system. Later on, a light and sound system was introduced. These began to attract more tourists. On an average, 7.5 lakh tourists visit the caves from October to January every year. The APTDC earns about Rs 6 crore from here per annum. “Not much development has taken place proportional to the annual income the caves earn. The place lacks hygiene and are bereft of parking facilities,’’ noted a travel agent, Dheeraj. The local manager of the caves, Gowri Shankar, told Deccan Chronicle that the road from the railway station to the caves would be widened, a parking space would be created and the hotels and restaurants that mushroomed over the years near the caves would be shifted to a vacant place with sufficient parking space. “We have been given the funds to do this,” he said. A separate entrance and exit would be created as the presence gate was too congested during peak tourist season, he said. People travelling from Visakhapatnam to Araku Valley get down at Borra Caves and from there continue the journey to the Valley by road.
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