Guna Caves (Devil's Kitchen)

 

Guna Caves, initially named The Devil's Kitchen, is a cave located in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India. It attracts many visitors every year. The location got the name Guna Caves after it was featured in the 1991 film Gunaa starring Kamal Haasan. Since the release of the film, the location has attracted a large number of visitors and tourists. Subsequently, other movies were also shot there, including the climax of the Malayalam film Shikkar (2010), and another Malayalam film Manjummel Boys (2024), which was based on a real accident in the cave.

The caves are notorious for their dangerous history as many people who entered to explore them have disappeared without a trace. As of 2016, police have recorded 16 disappearances in connection with the cave without bodies being retrieved. 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.

History

The caves were (allegedly) first recorded in 1821 by British officer B.S. Ward, who named it The Devil’s Kitchen but remained in obscurity (for the British) until the late 1980s. In 1991, the caves and surrounding areas were the prime locations in the Kamal Haasan Gunaa, leading to its name and attracting more tourists.

Since then, multiple people have mysteriously disappeared after entering the caves, with authorities being unable to recover their bodies, including that of the nephew of a central minister in 1996. Some of the cases were supposedly suicide, while others were of tourists or locals who went in to explore the cave and fell into dangerous holes inside the caves.

From the early 2000s until 2016, the cave was closed to the public due to increasing disappearances. However, people ignored the warnings and continued to explore the place. As of police records in 2016, the holes in the cave have caused the death of at least 16 people who attempted to explore the cave.

In 2006, a group of friends from Manjummel, Kochi, Kerala went to explore the caves, and one among them named Subhash fell into the hole. Later he was rescued through efforts, mainly by his friend Siju David (Kuttan) and locals with the support of the police. This incident is depicted in the 2024 Malayalam film Manjummel Boys which had an even larger impact as the Guna Caves gained more popularity. Even though most of the portions were shot in a 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.

As of 2024, the road to the cave was reopened to the public, but the entrance to the cave remains closed for the safety of the tourists.

In popular culture

List of films shot at Guna Caves:

Gunaa 1991 Tamil

Shikkar 2010 Malayalam

Manjummel Boys 2024 Malayalam