BORRA CAVES

The Borra Caves are located on the East Coast of India, in the Ananthagiri hills of the Araku valley of the Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh. The Caves, one of the largest in the country, at an elevation of about 705 m (2,313.0 ft). On the discovery of the caves, there are several legends, which the tribals who inhabit the villages around the caves narrate. The popular legend is that a cow, grazing on the top of the caves, dropped 60 m (196.9 ft), through a hole in the roof. The cowherd while searching for the cow came across the caves. He found a stone inside the cave that resembled a Lingam, which he interpreted as the Lord Shiva who protected the cow. The village folk who heard the story believed it and since then they have built a small temple for Lord Shiva outside the cave. Worship of Stalagmite Lingam inside the Borra Caves
Another legend is that Lingam is found deep in the caves and above which is a stone formation of kamadhenu. It is surmised that the udder of this cow is the source of the Gosthani River which originates from here, flows through Orissa.