Английская Википедия:Guna Caves
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:DistinguishШаблон:Infobox cave Guna Caves or initially named as The Devil's Kitchen, is a cave located in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India.[1] It attracts many visitors every year.[2] 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.[3] Subsequently, other movies were also shot there, including the climax of the Malayalam film Shikkar (2010),[4][5] and another Malayalam film Manjummel Boys (2024), which was based on a real accident at the cave.[1]
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.[6]
History
The cave hole was first recorded in 1821 by British officer B. S. Ward, who named it as The Devil’s Kitchen, but remained in obscurity until the late 1980s.[7] In 1991, the caves and surrounding areas were the prime locations in the Kamal Haasan starrer 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 have mysteriously disappeared and in some cases even the bodies were not recovered. Some of cases were pure instances of suicide where some others were of tourists or locals who went in to explore 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 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 to 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.[3]
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.[6]
In popular culture
List of movies shot at Guna Caves:
| Film | Year | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gunaa | 1991 | Tamil | |
| Shikkar | 2010 | Malayalam | |
| Manjummel Boys | 2024 | Malayalam |
References
