SINGHANPUR ROCK SHELTERS
22.000000,83.500000
Description
A rock art site, not necessarilly in a cave or rock shelter, situated on a certain Singhanpur Rock (note 1) at an unknown location somewhere in Raigarh district (Raigarh town N21°54': E083°24'). APPROACH: »Nordwestlich der Eisenbahnstation Bhupdeopur bei Raigarh erhebt sich ein machtiger weithin sichtbarer Felsen im oberen Drittel des Berges. Man gelabgt dorthin nach einem Fußmarsch on drei Meilen über die Ansiedlung Bilaspur« (KREUZER, G 1976: 20). CAVE LIFE: LAL, B B (in CONSERVATION OF ROCK ART 1999: 27) mentions cliff bees (Apis dorsata): »Some of these rock shelters are extremely difficult of access, and their exploration has proved hazardous, as was experienced years ago at Singhanpur rock shelters, when some explorers, attacked by infuriated honey bees, had to run for miles to safety« (note 2).
NOTE 1: »Singhanpur« (ANDERSON 1918; BROWN 1927; DATTA 1931, GORDON 1939a, LAL 1999; MITRA 1927) is not identified. There is one Singanpur N20°01': E081°35' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) on AMS sheet NF44-15 Dhamtari (U502 series, 1955 edition) and on the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006: 86 C4) in Bastar district, Chhattisgarh state, on the Parasgaon Plateau, about 180 or 190 km along the road south of Raipur via Dhamtari (N20°42'26”: E081°32'59” WGS84) and Kanker (N20°16'19”: E081°29'35” (WGS84). NOTE 2: Already FOOTE (1884a: 28-29 note 2) pointed out that »… cliff bees are of very unreliable temper, and the natives are much afraid of them. Though often inoffensive, they are sometimes roused and sally forth and attack with great fury any human or animal they may come across.« According to KASTBERGER, Gerald (2009), up to 120,000 individuals of the Asiatic giant honey bee (Apis dorsata) form a colony (nest) and there exists clusters of up to 300 colonies.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12.9 | KABRA PAHAR SHELTERS | ||
| 31.5 | USHAKOTHI | ||
| 39.4 | Ulap Shelter | ||
| 115.5 | KHURIA RANI (Felsenhöhle der) | ||
| 120.3 | KAILASH GUPHA, Jashpur | ||
| 127.9 | MAHADANI DEO, Marcha Hill (Cave of) | ||
| 134.5 | BIRAMITRAPUR HILL TOP CAVE | ||
| 147.8 | KHARGAWAN (Cave near) | ||
| 153.7 | CHORDTALLA |