MANIK, Tarangblang (Krang)
25.208400,92.210100
Description
A north-west facing, up to 20 m wide and on average 5.7 m high cave entrance at the side of a collapse doline (25 m in diameter) gives access to a modified natural cave represented by an about 200 m of WNW-ESE trending and relic stream cave passage abandoned by flowing water. ETYMOLOGY: The Khasi (Bengali loanword) "u manik“ or, to be precise, "u maw manik" is the word for »a kind of a precious stone« (SINGH, N 1906: 128) but the Khasi address "manik" (manicka in Tripura) is a king's title (BAREH, H 1967 / 1985, 1997: 39). Before British Imperialists invaded the Khasi and Jaintia hills, the "syiem" (king) of »Hima Shyllong« (Shillong state), for example, was »Bor Manick« (GIRI, H 1998), the »Rajah Bur Manick« (PEMBERTON, R B 1835). Simon J. Brooks created the private spelling version »Krem Manic« (sic!) all on his own and also interpreted an unidentified informant's reply to »further enquiries« as if had been stating that the Krang Manik at Tarangblang »is also known as Krem Pubon« (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 21st February, Friday). SITUATION 1995: From the school house (playing field) in the centre of the village of Tarangblang (N25°12'15": E092°12'30": 702.6 m asl) some 10 walking minutes north and less than 30 m west of the road to Pdengshakap. APPROACH: Descend a steep bank to one or the other »the left« off the road down into what appears to be a relatively large doline or blind valley. The cave entrance is to be found in a shakehole (note 1) virtually under the road (Brooks, S J in: Brooks & Gebauer 1995.11.28). SITUATION 2000: Peter W Boyes, F.R.G.S., fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (2000.02.23 Mss: Krang Manik) initially confused the location of Krem Manik (Tarangblang) with the location of »Srang Beh« or »Spang Beh« (sic! for: Krang –>Bheh). Only after having attributed the minor mistake to somebody else (note 2), P W Boyes (2000.04.14 Mss "Krang Manik" 23/2/00 revised 14/4/00) forwarded a different position (note 3) but still had not understood where his »Krem Manik« lies as he still sticks the access description for Krang –>Bheh. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1995: A steep slope descends into a collapse doline (about 25 m in diameter) and merges with an up to 20 m wide cave passage leading to a collapse 200 m from the dripline. The modified natural cave has developed in multiple layered calcareous sandstone with lenses of sandy limestone and inclusions of gypsum and carboniferous matter, deposited in a lagoonal and coral reef environment.Relics of human occupation (drystone wall, levelled terraces) are visible in the twilight zone behind the cave entrance. (Gebauer 1995.11.28 personal observation). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2000: Boyes, P W (2000.02.23 Mss: Krang Manik): A relatively »Large [with unidentified diemsions] fossil [note 3] tunnel cave [note 4] with impressive entrance portal.« CULTURAL HISTORY - human use - dwelling: Popular etymology provided by contemporary Christians associates the cave (and cave name) with a mad man ("maniac") who is said to have once lived there. The king's title "manik" (also: manick, mannick), however, might hint to a hide-out (compare the various caves of –>Bor Mannick). CAVE LIFE: Boyes, P W (2000.02.23 Mss: Krang Manik): »Formerly used for bat hunting, but no bats [Chiroptera] observed at time of visit. One swift observed« (note 5).
NOTE 1: Among cavers, the word "shakehole" signifies a »small doline formed in the glacial till overlying limestones in the northern Pennies« (LOWE & WALTHAM 1995: 32) but »shakehole« (private language, S. J. Brooks) refers to a collapse doline or »subsidence doline, a closed depression in karst formed due to local subsidence of the surface rocks and/or soil into cavities formed by widespread dissolution or local collapse of caves. Also known as sinkhole. The type of subsidence doline formed by downwashing of the soil cover is better described as a suffosion doline« (LOWE & WALTHAM 1995: 35).NOTE 2: Peter W Boyes, F.R.G.S. (2000.07.21 personal correspondence) is fair enough to delegate his errors at the expance of his team mates: »On speaking to Jon Whitely he was able to correct the position to 92° 12.47' East 25° 12.25' North [obsolete geodetic datum »India/Bngldsh« = Everest 1830, undated February 2000.02.23]. This position puts the cave halfway between Srang Beh [sic! qua: Krang Bheh] and Krem Jabaw [sic! qua: Krem Jawbaw], also to a point west of, but adjacent to the road, which is where I remember it.« NOTE 3: Peter W Boyes, F.R.G.S. (2000.04.14 Mss "Krang Manik" 23/2/00 revised 14/4/00): »092° 12.792' East 25° 12.465' North« (unidentified horizontal precision error, unspecified geodetic datum probably Everest 1830) revised from Boyes (2000.02.23 Mss "Krang Manik" 23/2/00) »92°12.792' East 25° 12.465 North« (unidentified horizontal precision error, obsolete geodetic datum »India/Bngldsh« = Everest 1830, anonymous recorder, undated 2000.02.23). NOTE 4: It may have momentarily slipped from the attention of Peter W. Boyes, F.R.G.S. (2000.02.23 Mss; 2000 s.a.: 5) that the Krang Manik near Tarangblang is neither a »fossil cave« which is characterised by plenty of fossils nor a »fossil cave« which once had formed when a carbonate succession was undergoing karstification but subsequently was buried and infilled by neptunian deposits (younger sediment or sedimentary rock) but a relic cave abandoned by the water that formed it.NOTE 5: Peter W Boyes, F.R.G.S. (2000.02.23 Mss; 2000 s.a.: 5) prefered to ignore that a "tunnel cave" is -just like a every tunnel-- characterised by a communicating pair of entrances on its opposite ends. Krang Manik (Tarangblang), however, has only one single cave entrance and allows no throughfare. NOTE 6: The Khasi Hills Swift (Apus acuticauda), »… is one of the world’s rarest and least known Apus species, and is known only at its breeding cliff near Cherrapunjee in Meghalaya from late February to the end of April. The movements of this endemic bird outside the breeding period are largely undocumented« V. RAMAKANTHA, A.K. GUPTA & Ajit KUMAR (2003): Biodiversity of north-east India: An overview.- ENVIS Bulletin / Environmental Information System, India (Dehra Dun: Wildlife Institute of India), vol. 4, no. 1: Wildlife & Protected Areas: Conservation of Rainforests in India, (December 2003), chapter 1. Online: wii.gov.in/envis/rain_forest/chapter1.htm (accessed 2008.03.19).
Documents
Bibliography 18/04/2016History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1995.11.28, trip 1: Brian D. Kharpran Daly; Lindsay B. Diengdoh, Kyrmen 'Hope' C. Hiwot Passah, H. D. Gebauer (book), Simon J. Brooks (compass and clinometer), Jennifer 'Jenni' or 'Jenyy' A. Brooks (lateral tape), Christopher M. Smart (tape) mapped and explored. 2000.02.23, trip 2: BOYES, P W (2000 s.a.: 5), Jon Whitely and Lindsay B. Diengdoh resurveyed the cave but, of course, rather much more efficasiously than merly more efficiently (achieving maximum productivity with minimum effort) or more effectively (successful in producing a desired or intended result). 2014.02.21, notrip: Simon J. Brooks, Roger Galloway, Michel "Boesch" Bösch and Barbara "Boesch" Bösch were transported in a Sumo car to »Tarangblang to find the headman and enquire about more caves in the area. The headman was not at home and further enquiries did not yield any more caves, apart from Krem Manic that had been explored in 1994 [sic! qua: 1995] that is also known as Krem Pubon« (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 21th February, Friday).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.8 | JAWBAW (Krang) | ||
| 1.1 | BHEH (Krang) | ||
| 3.2 | AA CAVE (Lan Mulad 2014) | ||
| 3.2 | LYMBIAT, Pdengshakap (Krem) | ||
| 3.2 | LAPHIANG (Krem pdeng) | ||
| 4.1 | AM WAR, Thangsah, 3rd cave (Krem pdeng) | ||
| 4.4 | AM LYNTI, Am War (Krem) | ||
| 4.4 | AM WAR, Thangsah (Krem) | ||
| 4.5 | RYLENG (Krem) |