KHANGKHUI MANGSOR
25.053900,94.407500
Description
Suitable for pedestrians are either »three caves« (SINGH, M J 1991: 126) or »around five cave entrances at different levels« but there are additional »several large avens [vertical daylight shafts which also do] connect with the surface here about 20 m above« and collectively give not only access to an estimated »at least 200 m of mud floored passages« (Sheen, Robin F 2013.05.03 Mss "Manipur" e-mail) but also lead to three fabulous, up to 150 km long imaginary tunnels (note 0). The so-called "caves" (entrances to one cave) are said to have formed in Ukhrul Limestone of Maestrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) age (MISHRA, U K 1993; GHOSAL, A K 1976 published 1983: 164 after Nandy & Sriram 1970 Mss). ETYMOLOGY: The origin, history, and meaning of "mangsor" or "Khangkhui" has not yet been discovered but the "caves" (singular pluralis) is anyhow mostly referred to by the name of a nearby village (note 1). The name of populated place and the »Khangkhui Limestone Cave, locally known as Khangkhui Mangsor« (themanipurpage.tripod.com, accessed 2006.08.06) is probably not only found spelled or referred to, edited and printed as Kangkhui Caves mastec.nic.in/manipeople.htm (accessed 10.11.2002); themanipurpage.tripod.com/history/tangkhul.html (accessed 2006.08.06) Kangooi [village] GHOSAL, A K (1976 / 1983: 164) Kangkhui Lime Caves IMPHAL (1986: 9); NORTH EAST (1992); NORTH EAST (1998: 15) Kankuhi Caves DUTTA, P C (1991: 69) Khang Khui Khullen Caves SHARMA, Tarun C (1991: 54) Khanggoi [village] NANDY, D R & DAS GUPTA, S (1979: 2, plate 3) Khangkhui [cave] POSSEHL, G L (1988: 183 sample PRL-182) Khangkhui Cave culturalpursuits.com/manipur_sights.htm (accessed 2009.05.31); e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=15..200409.apr09 (accessed 2009.05.31) Khangkhui Caves Sheen, Robin F (2013.05.03 "Manipur" Mss) Khangkhui Khullen [village] SINGH, M J (1991: 126); Sheen, Robin F (2013.05.03 "Manipur" Mss) Khangkhui Limestone Caves SINGH, M Jitendra (1991: 126) Khangkhui Mangsor themanipurpage.tripod.com/history/tangkhul.html (accessed 2006.08.06) Khangkui [village] AMS sheet NG64-11 Kohima (U502 series, 1956 edition) Khangoi [village] AMS sheet NG64-11 Kohima (U502 series, 1956 edition); GSI & KESARI, G K (2011: 22) Khankui Caves SHARMA, A K (1996: X). SITUATION 1974: On the western slope of the Nungsong Machung, a spur of Mount Sirui Kashong (note 2), also called Shiroi, Shirui, or Sirohi, and at travelling distances of 11 km (note 3) or 18 km to 19 km (ROY CHOWDHURY, M K 1974) from Ukhrul (note 4). SITUATION 1979: From Ukhrul 19 km approximately south-east via the village of »Choither« (NANDY, D R & DAS GUPTA, S 1979: 3) or Luthun Choitor (note 5). SITUATION 1991a: »… a series of limestone caves at Khang Khui Khullen in the Ukhrul area of Manipur near Burma border« (SINGH, T C 1991: 54). SITUATION 1991b: »The Khangkhui caves and rockshelters in the East District [also: Ukhrul District] of Manipur are located at about 11 Km off. Towards south-east of Ukhrul at an altitude of 1767 [note 6]. The stream flowing near the western foothill of Khangkhui provided a congenial area suitable for human habitation« (SINGH, M J 1991: 126). SITUATION 2011: »Khangoi [Khangkhui] and Mova [also: Mowa] limestone deposits … are small limestone deposits located in nearby areas of Ukhrul and Hungdung, occurring within upper part of Disang Group. Limestone at Khangoi occurs as hillock about 18 km southeast of Ukhrul town. The limestone is a cone shaped body occupying a base area of 2500 sq m, massive, jointed and having many cavities. It occurs in white, pink and grey shades, with a strike N65°E - S65°W and dip 10°-15° southeasterly. Probable reserve estimated is 0.26 million tonnes« (GSI & KESARI, G K 2011: 22-23). SITUATION 2013: »Khangkhui caves in Manipur state lie about 7 km east of Ukrul [sic!] town. They can be reached by road and dirt track from Ukrul and are 1.2 km S/W of Khangkhui Khullen village. An outcropping buttress of white limestone (cretaceous-palaeocene) forms an approximately 70 m high and 50 m wide cliff. The summit of the buttress is heavily karstified with many open shafts and views of the surrounding valley and mountains are stunning from this vantage point. Throughout the outcrop the strata dips heavily at around 45 degrees. A path can be followed downwards skirting the outcrop and around five cave entrances can be found at different levels« (Sheen, R F 2013.05.03 Mss). POSITION 2013: »N 25, 03, 14.0 E 094, 24,26.9 GPS WGS 84. Acc +/-10 m Altitude approx 1700 m« (Sheen, R F 2013.05.03 Mss: Manipur) illustrates an attempt to refer to a) N 25°03'05.03”: E 094°24'26.9” = 25.051397°N: 094.407472°Eb) N 25°03.0503': E 094°24.269' = 25.050838°N: 094.404483°Ec) N 25.030503°: E 094.24269° = 25.030503°N: 094.242690°E. POSITION 1979: Khanggoi 25°30': E094°24' (NANDY, D R & DAS GUPTA, S 1979: 2). APPROACH 2009: During »foul and inhospitable weather« conditions one has to walk some »nine kilometers on foot by fits and starts from Khangkhui Lamkhai to Khangkhui Khullen« and from there one may continue by »strolling down two-kilometre long road leading to the cave …« (e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=15..200409.apr09 accessed 2009.05.31). GEOLOGICAL SITUATION 1979: »The Khanggoi [limestone] deposit is massive, highly jointed and is exposed in a cone shaped body having 2'500 sq m base area. There is abrupt change of dip from the base to the top of the hill apparently not due to folding« (NANDY, D R & DAS GUPTA, S 1979: 3 after OLDHAM, R D 1883: 217-242). GEOLOGICAL SITUATION 1976: Concerning selected aspects relating to the »stratigraphy and possible tectonic set up of the Ukhrul Beds exposed around Ukhrul (25°07': 94°22') and Hungdung (25°00': 94°20'), the limestone lenses around Ukhrul occur in a sequence of coarse to gritty sandstone and grey to buff coloured shale. Below this occurs the great thickness of Disang shale. The age of the Disang Group of rocks is believed to be Eocene on the basis of fossil contents in the type area in Assam. In the Ukhrul area, however, no definite fossils have been found so far. The Disang Group of rocks is overlain by sandstone, conglomerate and shales with lenticular bodies of limestones of various dimensions around Ukhrul. The biggest of the limestone bodies is located about 400 m east of the Ukhrul Inspection Bungalow [note 7]. Three similar, smaller bodies occur about 4 km south of lower Hungdung village on the old Imphal - Ukhrul road. Another two small lenses of limestone occur 3 km south of Khangooi [sic! Khangkhui] and near Lambui village [note 8]. Besides these, four smaller, about 1 m thick lenses of limestone are also seen within the shale and sandstone sequence in other places of the area. The limestones are generally massive, fine grained and grey in colour. At places they are highly jointed with inter-bedded shale partings. Disseminated pyrite grains, veins of calcite and quartz are very common within the limestone bands. Occasionally the joint planes are filled with calcite veins and pyrites. The limestone as a whole is foraminiferal. Microforams like Globetruncana and Gumbelina make the common assemblages. The lower contact of the limestone bands within the shale is not very clear. The limestone bands are overlain conformably by gritty sandstone with minor interbedded buff coloured shale. This sandstone is coarse grained, gery to greenish grey in colour and composed mostly of clastic sand grains and shale fragments set in a calcareous matrix. Some clastic grains of doubtful serpentinite (?) are also noticed. In Ukhrul, the entire helipad hillock exposes this sandstone which occurs over the main body of limestone. Towards east, similar sandstones are seen near Sirhoi village, where the bed depicts ill preserved current bedding. The sandstone as a whole is poorly sorted, ferrugineous, calcareous and devoid of any important sedimentary structure. Towards north, the gritty sandstone member becomes conglomeratic. A prominent band of such conglomerate occurs near the Ukhrul Post Office. A similar band is found in Hundung area between the Nungsang Khong nala and lower Hungdung village. The conglomerate mainly consists of rounded cobbles and pebbles of chert, sandstone (some cross-bedded), vein quart and jasper set in an ill-sorted ferrugineous sand matrix. The conglomerate disposes subhorizontal to gentle dip with little stratification at places. The regional trend of the Ukhrul beds is NNW - SSW and the dip varies between 20° to 40°. The direction of the dip, however, changes from place to place. In the ridge west of Ukhrul, the beds dip towards east. The Ukhrul - Hungdung ridge, however, runs along a synclinal axis and thus both easterly and westerly dips are noticed on either side of the ridge. In the Sirhoi ridge, the beds dip towards east« (GHOSAL, A K 1976 / 1983: 164-166). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1969: Not seen (SINGH, O K 1969). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1972: Not seen (SINGH, O K 1972). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1986: »Siroi hills and Kangkhui lime caves are interesting places for excursions« (IMPHAL 1986:9). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1991: »Among the three caves, two are situated on the eastern slope of the hill and one on the western slope. [in] One of the caves on the western slope, a trial excavation was undertaken and Singh discovered many stone artefacts, tools and faunal remains (Singh 1970, 150). Total height of the trench is 1.523 m [read: 5 feet]. The basal part of which is 45.7 cm [one and a half foot] thick, consists of brownish pebble sandstone gravels with minor amount of shale. This is overlaid by the dark greyishbrown soil of 25.3 cm [10 inches] thick« (SINGH, M J 1991: 126-127 after SINGH, O K 1972: 1-3). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1992: »Ukhrul … one can take excursions to the Siroi Hills and Kangkhui Lime Caves« (NORTH EAST 1992). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1998: »Siroi Hills and Kangkhui Lime Caves are interesting places for excursions« (NORTH EAST 1998: 15).CAVE DESCRIPTION 2006 s.a.: »The Khangkhui Limestone Cave, locally known as Khangkhui Mangsor … is a huge Stone Cave said to be of cretaceous origin« where, of course, the limestone is of Cretaceous age while the cave itself is quite a few dozen million years younger. »Khangkhui Cave is a remarkable natural lime-stone cave. The big hall in the cave is the darbar hall of the Devil King living deep inside while the northern hall is the royal bedroom, according to local folklore. During World War II, the villagers sought shelter in this cave« (themanipurpage.tripod.com/history/tangkhul.html, accessed 2006.08.06). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2013: »The lowest cave entrance beyond the cliff base is slightly difficult to find. A tight squeeze behind boulders leads to a series of decorated phreatic chambers about 30 m in length all told. Climbing back up 24 m, a large cave opening is found in the cliff. Inside this ‘great chamber’ (16 m long, 10 m wide, and 8 m tall) a level mud floor with impressive domed roofing looks out over the valley. Old degraded stalactites [speleothems] can be seen in the roof. About 10 m to the Southwest and 5 m lower another cave entrance leads to a passage (circa 2 m high by 1 ? m wide) heading into the cliff in a S/E direction. Turning N/E after 50 m a tall rift continues for a further 60 m with many side passages and chambers to a T- junction where a series of complicated passages and crawls lead off in all directions. At least 200 m of mud floored passages and phreatic chambers exist here. Further up the trail a deep rift needing a ladder drops into a 1.5 m wide by 6 m tall canyon passage. This continues west for 12 m before the roof meets fill. Under the pitch the passage heads east into a labyrinth of chambers all choked after short distances. Continuing up the path a series of spherical phreatic domes circa 5 m in diameter head S/W into the cliff for 40 m. Several large avens connect with the surface here about 20 m above. The series of caves in this impressive limestone outcrop probably represent the fossil remnants of a large, mostly phreatic and archaic system« (Sheen, R F 2013.05.03 Mss: Manipur). CULTURAL HISTORY - archaeology: Excavation of an apparently estimated 5 feet deep trial trench (SINGH, M J 1991: 126) yielded not only 10 inches (25.4 cm) of »dark greyishbrown soil« but also one and a half foot (45.72 cm) thick underlaying »brownish pebble sandstone gravels with minor amount of shale« in addition to prehistoric-looking artifacts (stone tools, lithic, implements) and faunal remains (SINGH, M J 1991: 127 after SINGH, O K 1972: 1-3). »The artefects [sic!] of pre-historic men belonging to palaeolithic culture have been discovered from inside the dark caverns which suggest the existence of pre-historic men inside the cave 10000 or more years ago. There is no doubt that Tangkhuls have lived in the present Hills since time immemorial by whatever name or names they were called by others or they called themselves. This extra ordinary Rock Cavern and the famous SHIROI LILY are now tourist attractions« (themanipurpage.tripod.com/history/tangkhul.html accessed 2006.08.06). CULTURAL HISTORY - cave legend: »According to a Tangkhul's epic, as narrated to the tourists by village elders, a King named Mangsorwung had a lovely queen and built for her a separate chamber which still is remembered as first wife chamber inside the Khangkhui Cave. Another room inside the cave has been christened as Second Wife Chamber, which the king erected for his second wife. Other cavities of the cave were said to have made by the king to accommodate his sons. 'Shirata' (in Tangkhul dialect) meaning 'falling star hole' inside the cave … is around 15 foot big and the depth measured around 30 foot. According to the epic, one of the two sub-caves inside the hole leads to Thoubal River [note 8] while the other leads to Loktak [note 10]. A 150-kilometre long tunnel is another delight for the visitors« (note 11).
NOTE 0: »According to a Tangkhul's epic, as narrated to the tourists by village elders … one of the two sub-caves inside the hole leads to Thoubal River while the other leads to Loktak. A 150-kilometre long tunnel is another delight for the visitors« (themanipurpage.tripod.com/history/tangkhul.html accessed 2006.08.06). NOTE 1: The village is indicated as the binomial »Khangoi Khangkui« near (±1000 m) 25°04'00”N: 94°25'15”E: circa (±75 m) 5000 feet (1525 m) on the western slope of the height 7378 (2285 m) on the American Military Service (AMS) sheet NG64-11 Kohima (U502 series, 1956 edition) compiled from 1922 and 1939 Survey of India sheets (Half-Inch series, circa 1: 126'720). NOTE 2: Siruhi Kashong 2568 (India Road Atlas, Eicher Goodearth 2006: 47 G3) near (±1 km) 25°06'20”N: 94°27'45”E: 2568 m (or »8425« [feet] on AMS sheet NG46-11 Kohima, U502 series, 1956 edition), also: Shirui e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=15..200409.apr09 (accessed 2009.05.31) Sirhoi GHOSAL, A K (1976 / 1983: 166) Siroi UKHRUL (1986: 9). NOTE 3: themanipurpage.tripod.com/history/tangkhul.html (accessed 2006.08.06). NOTE 4: So far, I found the town of Ukhrul not only positioned near (±1585 m) 25°06'45”N: 94°37'30”E (RAJA RAO 1981: 76) but also simply near (±6310 m) 25°07'N: 94°22'E (GHOSAL, A K 1976 published 1983: 184; NANDY & DASGUPTA 1979: 2; PRASADA RAO et al. 1965: 166; nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) and indicated both on the American Military Service (1956) sheet NG46-11 Kohima (U502 series) and in the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006: 47 G4) at a travelling distance of 56 km or 55 km (ALLEN, B C 1905 / 2002, 2: 95) Imphal (N24°49': E93°57') along the National Highway NH150 from approximately north-east towards Kohima in Nagaland. NOTE 5: »Choither« (NANDY, D R & DAS GUPTA, S 1979: 3) is, perhaps, the village shown as Luthun Choitor near (±1000 m) 25°04'30”N: 94°24'00”E (AMS sheet NG64-11 Kohima U502 series, 1956 edition). NOTE 6: There is no »Ukhrul at an altitude of 1767« (SINGH, M J 1991: 126). Probably meant to say may have been that the location of the cave sites, which sheltered prehistoric man, is at an altitude of 1767 m and near the village of Khangkhui, which lies about 11 km along the road or 8 km in a direct line south-east of Ukhrul (25°07'N: 94°22'E: 1830 m). NOTE 7: About 500 m due east of the Inspection Bungalow at Ukhrul town and about 1.6 km south-south-east of Ukhrul on the new Ukhrul - Sirohi road, a lensoid limestone body with a maximum thickness of 80 m in the central part is exposed on a hill spur. There are two limestone bands separated by a 15 m thick interbed of shale. The upper band extends for 260 m along the strike and 160 m in the dip direction while the lower bed (evidenced through drilling) measures 90 m by 120 m and is totally unexposed to the surface. NOTE 8: ROY CHOWDHURY, M K (1974) found the Khangkhui limestone deposit approachable by travelling 18 km or 19 km from Ukhrul south-east via the village of Choither. The limestone is massive, highly jointed and karstified, and almost fully exposed in a cone shaped body occupying a base area of 2500 square metres. NOTE 9: Little doubt remains that rain water precipitated in the vicinity of the cave does find a hydrologicaly feasible route down into the valley of the Thoubal River at the foot of the hill but creatures larger than bacteria may find following this route a bit troublesome. NOTE 10: Lake Loktak 24°33'N: 93°50'E (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) on AMS sheet NG46-15 and on the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006: 47 F5) lies only 80 km in a direct line south-west from Khangkhui Mangsor. NOTE 11: "laugh" (English verb, intransitive) »make the spontaneous sounds and movements of the face and body that are the instinctive expressions of lively amusement and sometimes also of contempt or derision« (OXFORD DICTIONARY 2005).
Documents
Bibliography 30/03/2016- Imphal 1986; North East 1992, 1998; Possehl, G L 1988; Sharma, Tarun C 1991; Singh, M Jitendra 1991; Singh, O K [Kumar] & Sharma, Tarun C 1969; Singh, O K 1972. GEOLOGY: Chattapadhyay, B; Ray, Ranjit K & Srivastava, S N P 1983 for 1976; Das Gupta, A B 1977; Dayal, B 1966; Ghosal, A K 1972, 1976 published 1983; Goswami, D N D 1960; GSI, Geological Survey of India & Kesari G K 2011; Khan, Saleem Ahmed 1991 for 1989-1990; Mishra, U K 1993 for 1991-1992; Mukhopadhyay, G & Rapa, D A 1974; Nandy, D R & Sriram, K 1970.
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1942: »The villagers … said that the last Manipur king, Budhachandra had visited the Cave in 1942 and erected a memorial stone which has been now demolished by visitors« (Hueiyen News Service, e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=15..200409.apr09 accessed 2009.05.31). 1969: Dr. O. K. Singh is not only said to have undertaken sort of an archaeological investigation but also is popularly reputed to have identified »various hair-treatment items like comb, kettle, plates, etc curved out of stone inside the cave. He also believed that skeletal remains of human beings may be discovered if further extensive research is done inside the cave by digging the soil« (Hueiyen News Service, e-pao.net accessed 2009.05.31). 1986: »Siroi hills and Kangkhui lime caves are interesting places for excursions« (IMPHAL 1986:9). 2009.04.18: »As a part of the ongoing Manipur Tourism Festival, 2009, around 39 tourists including media persons went on an expedition to Khangkhui Cave and Shirui Hill in Ukhrul district on April 17 and 18 last organised by the Manipur Mountaineering and Trekking Association (MMTA) under the auspices of the Tourism Department of Manipur. The expedition team was led by Senior Instructor of MMTA, L Dhaneshore and three technicians of the MMTA. Foul and inhospitable weather forced the tourists' team to hike the track nine kilometers on foot by fits and starts from Khangkhui Lamkhai to Khangkhui Khullen on April 17 . Spending the night at Khangkhui Khullen, the tourists visited the Khangkhui Cave by strolling down two-kilometre long road leading to the cave the next morning with assistance from some youths of the village who acted as tourist guides« (Hueiyen News Service, e-pao.net accessed 2009.05.31). 2013.02.25: Robin F. Sheen (Burren Crawlers Caving Club / BCCC, Ireland) and unidentified colleagues visited »Khankhui Caves« in the course of touring parts of Northeast India on motorbikes, had a look around the cave and recorded not only a difficult to interpret GPS reading but also a "history" (sic! story) according to which »The village headman says that during the ‘second world war’ these caves were used to hide livestock and villagers. He remembers the Japanese and the Indian National Army advance and pointed out to me the battle sites in the mountains above where they engaged with the British forces. There have been archaeological excavations conducted here more recently in 1969 by O K Singh« (Sheen, Robin F 2013.05.03 "Manipur" e-mail).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 68.8 | WAZEHO (Caves at) | ||
| 74.1 | GHOLHO, from [] (Cave of) | ||
| 84.7 | PURAKA, Phor (Hole at) | ||
| 84.7 | MIMI CAVE | ||
| 99.3 | PHUKHUHE SUMI (Cave of) | ||
| 110.7 | HUKPANG SKULL CAVE | ||
| 115.8 | Etchhiku 2 | ||
| 115.9 | Etchhiku | ||
| 123.0 | LUKOBOMI CAVE |