TIROT, Niangdai (Krem)
26.750000,91.916700
Description
An unspecified, apparently inhabitable (troglodyte) »cave« (or so) in an unidentified kind of rock (note 1) at Niangdai (note 2) is associated with Tirot Syiem Singh (Kharpran Daly 1997 Mss item 4). SITUATION: Somewhere in the vicinity Niangdai, not far from Umsning (25°45'N: 91°53'E), and a little east of the National Highwy NH40 from Shillong north towards Gauhati. CULTURAL HISTORY: »There are also three known Krem Tirot caves, at Niangdai, Diengiei and at Mairang, which are as yet unexplored. All these caves are associated with Tirot Sing, who used them as hideouts from where he conducted his operations against the British« (KHARPRAN DALY, B D 2006 s.a.: 35). CAVE POTENTIAL: Also reported from apparently the same vicinity is not only Krem –>Ryngia at »Kyrdeng, north of Shillong« and Krem –>Mawjud, Kyrdum, but also Krem –>Mawliehpoh, Kyrdem.
NOTE 1: »Metamorphic rocks (gneiss, micaceous slates, clay slates, hornblendic slates, quartz rocks, etc.) … occur at Nungklow [Nongkhlaw 25°41'N: 91°38'E], on the Northern verge of the hills immediately over the valley of Assam, and here form the entire flank of the hills down to the Boripani river. From Nungklow, they extend South to the Kullong rock [Lum Kyllang 25°37'N: 91°35'E: 1774 m], (where a great mass of granite has burst through them) and from thence to near Mowphlang [Mawphlang N25°26'49”: E091°45'26” WGS84], where they become covered by the sandstones. They seem to wind round the Northern flanks of Shillong hill [Shillong Peak N25°33': E091°52': 1961 m asl], and stretch thence by Pomrong, to Coote, Mooshai and Sunessa; and into the Jynteah hills [Jaintia Hills district]« (OLDHAM, T 1854 / 1984: 11; 1859: 110-111). NOTE 2: The Khasi noun "niang" is not only an abbreviation of "sniang", a »pig« (SINGH, N 1906: 140, 206) but also an abbreviation of "khñiang", »an insect, a worm« (SINGH, N 1906: 34, 140). The Khasi "ka dái" (noun) is the word for »a fine« but the Khasi (Hindi loanword) "ka dai“ is »a wet nurse« (SINGH, N 1906: 64).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60.2 | AA CAVE, Tenga (Sootinck 2008) | ||
| 69.3 | TEPEGALU & JATUNG TUNG KARMU (Cave of) | ||
| 69.3 | PADMASAMBHAVA PHUG, Rupa | ||
| 86.5 | MONPA (Cave of the) | ||
| 140.0 | TAK TSANG SENGE PHUG, Paro | ||
| 210.2 | HAPOLI - ZIRO TUNNEL | ||
| 213.5 | ZIRO (Caves near) | ||
| 248.3 | TAPENG (Cave of) | ||
| 248.3 | NINUR (Cave of) |