MUSLESHWAR GUPHA

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A tiny house, roofed with overgrown slabs of rock, shelters the south-east facing cave entrance () from where a flight of steps descend 9 m from high up in a vaulted rift down to a single chamber (4 or 5 m wide, about 2 m high and some 10 m long) with a level floor. There is a low lateral extension in the north-west (up to 6 m wide, less than a metre high, 8 m long), a low niche in the East, and minor rift passages, which, deteriorating in size, arrive from south-west and contain a few stalactite speleothems (after Laumanns 2006.03.25 cave plan: Musleswar Gupha). SITUATION: Not only somewhere in the vicinity of the village of Musleswar [note 1] (Laumanns 2006.04.14 Mss) but also somewhere in the vicinity of the village of Koirali (note 2) or Kwarali (Laumanns & Breitenbach 2006.04.15 Mss). The GPS position recorded for Dharichora Gupha indicates a spot in the upper reaches of the Godi Gad basin and within the Koteshwar Reserved Forest in an area about 8 km in a direct line west of theriver Ramgang (Ram Ganga) and 10 km or 15 km north and east of the Sarju (Saryu) at a spot which lies at a linear distance of 10.5 km north of Gangolihat (N29°40': E080°03') and 3 km north of Koteshwar (N29°44': E080°02'), 6 km SW from Berinag (N29°48': E080°04') and 8 km SSE from Chaukori (also: Choukhori, Choukori, Chowkori, Choukri, N29°50': E080°01') or at a linear distance of about 700 m west of –>Dharichora Gupha, 2.5 km NW of –>Bogdula Gupha and 6.5 km NE of –>Butneshvar Gupha. CAVE DESCRIPTION: This cave is also formed in Precambrian limestone and opens on a small hill. It is easily recognisable by a small white building that covers the vertical entrance. No SRT gear is needed for a visit of Musleswar Gupha as the steep sections of the cave has been made accessible by man-made steps that lead down into the main chamber. From the northern part of the main chamber a wide but flat passage continues for about 10 metres in NW direction until the end of the cave is rached. The upper parts of Musleswar Gupha have some calcite decoration (Laumanns & Breitenbach 2006.04.15 Mss). CAVE LIFE: A day roost of an estimated 50 to 100 horseshoe bats [Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae] inhabit this part of the cave (Laumanns & Breitenbach 2006.04.15 Mss).ached. The upper parts of Musleswar Gupha have some calcite decoration (Laumanns & Breitenbach 2006.04.15 Mss). CAVE LIFE: A day roost of an estimated 50 to 100 horseshoe bats [Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae] inhabit this part of the cave (Laumanns & Breitenbach 2006.04.15 Mss).