KANDACHO CAVE

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known name has been identified (note 1) for an unidentified stream or relatively small river with an unidentified size, discharge, or name, which rises from an estimated 4 m by 4 large and somewhat canyon-shaped (sic!) river outlet (Hapka 2010.02.18 Mss: Krem Kandacho) or cave entrance (facing an unidentified direction) giving access to a repeatedly entered but speleologically unexplored cave where immigrant sports cavers were repelled by the sight of more than wellies deep water while people familiar with the area are going in for around 500 m to hunt bats (Hapka, R 2010.02.18 Mss: Krem Kandacho). ETYMOLOGY: Without any doubt, the recorded cave name Krem Kandacho is either plain nonsense (there exists no Khasi word reminiscent of -kandacho- or so) or simply a Pseudokhasi corruption of a Hmar (note 2) or Paihte (note 3) version of a Mizo cave name composed of -khur- (note 4) instead of the Khasi -krem- along with -kan- (note 5), -kang- (note 6),-khan- (note 7) or -khang- (note 8) along with one or two other words recorded as -dacho- (not identified). SITUATION: At an unknown location somewhere between the locally southern or western (orographically left) bank of the Kopili River and the village of Moo Knor (note 9), renamed from Maw Khamar, corrupted into Um Kanar (Hapka, R 2010.02.18 Mss: Krem Kandacho), which, in February 2010, was found to lie at a travelling distance of 1h30 from the village of Umkyrpong (note 10) generally south or south-east along the State Road ODR 456 and short of (in February 2010 about one hour by car generally north of) the village of Saipung (note 11). POSITION - ATTENTION: The GPS position (note 12) recorded by Roman Hapka for the entrance to Kandacho Cave is not only misleading but also obviously false and clearly senseless (note 13). APPROACH: Hapka, R (2010.02.18 Mss: Krem Kandacho) commands: Go down the dirt road heading East from the village of Um Kanar [sic! qua: Khahnar, St. Joseph 25°23$$08.3”N: 92°36'08.4”E]. Follow the right road [note 14] along the ridge [with unidentified name] down towards a bigger house [without identified function, size, or GPS position] with a concrete dam [without identified function, size, or GPS position] and a canyon [without identified name] about 10 m or 15 m. Where the road crosses the canyon [without identified GPS position] stop … being passively driven around and commence walking on your own. The entrance to the cave is 50 m from there without identified direction and, alternatively, at a distance covered by a 10 minutes walk without direction from an unspecified spot (without GPS position) on the Kopili River. CULTURAL HISTORY - bat hunting ground: Unidentified our guides (no names mentioned: private property?) from the village of Um Kanar [Khahnar] say they are going in [more likely: into the cave] to hunt bats (Hapka, R 2010.02.18 Mss: Krem Kandacho) for a source of food. CAVE LIFE: Since people familiar with the area are said o hunt bats (Hapka, R 2010.02.18 Mss: Krem Kandacho) in this cave, one can expect the mouth-watering presence or an abstemious absence of edible bats (Chiroptera).$08.3”N: 92°36'08.4”E]. Follow the right road [note 14] along the ridge [with unidentified name] down towards a bigger house [without identified function, size, or GPS position] with a concrete dam [without identified function, size, or GPS position] and a canyon [without identified name] about 10 m or 15 m. Where the road crosses the canyon [without identified GPS position] stop … being passively driven around and commence walking on your own. The entrance to the cave is 50 m from there without identified direction and, alternatively, at a distance covered by a 10 minutes walk without direction from an unspecified spot (without GPS position) on the Kopili River. CULTURAL HISTORY - bat hunting ground: Unidentified our guides (no names mentioned: private property?) from the village of Um Kanar [Khahnar] say they are going in [more likely: into the cave] to hunt bats (Hapka, R 2010.02.18 Mss: Krem Kandacho) for a source of food. CAVE LIFE: Since people familiar with the area are said $08.3”N: 92°36'08.4”E]. Follow the right road [note 14] along the ridge [with unidentified name] down towards a bigger house [without identified function, size, or GPS position] with a concrete dam [without identified function, size, or GPS position] and a canyon [without identified name] about 10 m or 15 m. Where the road crosses the canyon [without identified GPS position] stop … being passively driven around and commence walking on your own. The entrance to the cave is 50 m from there without identified direction and, alternatively, at a distance covered by a 10 minutes walk without direction from an unspecified spot (without GPS position) on the Kopili River. CULTURAL HISTORY - bat hunting ground: Unidentified our guides (no names mentioned: private property?) from the village of Um Kanar [Khahnar] say they are going in [more likely: into the cave] to hunt bats (Hapka, R 2010.02.18 Mss: Krem Kandacho) for a source of food. CAVE LIFE: Since people familiar with the area are said $08.3”N: 92°36'08.4”E]. Follow the right road [note 14] along the ridge [with unidentified name] down towards a bigger house [without identified function, size, or GPS position] with a concrete dam [without identified function, size, or GPS position] and a canyon [without identified name] about 10 m or 15 m. Where the road crosses the canyon [without identified GPS position] stop … being passively driven around and commence walking on your own. The entrance to the cave is 50 m from there without identified direction and, alternatively, at a distance covered by a 10 minutes walk without direction from an unspecified spot (without GPS position) on the Kopili River. CULTURAL HISTORY - bat hunting ground: Unidentified our guides (no names mentioned: private property?) from the village of Um Kanar [Khahnar] say they are going in [more likely: into the cave] to hunt bats (Hapka, R 2010.02.18 Mss: Krem Kandacho) for a source of food. CAVE LIFE: Since people familiar with the area are said $08.3”N: 92°36'08.4”E]. Follow the right road [note 14] along the ridge [with unidentified name] down towards a bigger house [without identified function, size, or GPS position] with a concrete dam [without identified function, size, or GPS position] and a canyon [without identified name] about 10 m or 15 m. Where the road crosses the canyon [without identified GPS position] stop … being passively driven around and commence walking on your own. The entrance to the cave is 50 m from there without identified direction and, alternatively, at a distance covered by a 10 minutes walk without direction from an unspecified spot (without GPS position) on the Kopili River. CULTURAL HISTORY - bat hunting ground: Unidentified our guides (no names mentioned: private property?) from the village of Um Kanar [Khahnar] say they are going in [more likely: into the cave] to hunt bats (Hapka, R 2010.02.18 Mss: Krem Kandacho) for a source of food. CAVE LIFE: Since people familiar with the area are said $08.3”N: 92°36'08.4”E]. Follow the right road [note 14] along the ridge [with unidentified name] down towards a bigger house [without identified function, size, or GPS position] with a concrete dam [without identified function, size, or GPS position] and a canyon [without identified name] about 10 m or 15 m. Where the road crosses the canyon [without identified GPS position] stop … being passively driven around and commence walking on your own. The entrance to the cave is 50 m from there without identified direction and, alternatively, at a distance covered by a 10 minutes walk without direction from an unspecified spot (without GPS position) on the Kopili River. CULTURAL HISTORY - bat hunting ground: Unidentified our guides (no names mentioned: private property?) from the village of Um Kanar [Khahnar] say they are going in [more likely: into the cave] to hunt bats (Hapka, R 2010.02.18 Mss: Krem Kandacho) for a source of food. CAVE LIFE: Since people familiar with the area are said $08.3”N: 92°36'08.4”E]. Follow the right road [note 14] along the ridge [with unidentified name] down towards a bigger house [without identified function, size, or GPS position] with a concrete dam [without identified function, size, or GPS position] and a canyon [without identified name] about 10 m or 15 m. Where the road crosses the canyon [without identified GPS position] stop … being passively driven around and commence walking on your own. The entrance to the cave is 50 m from there without identified direction and, alternatively, at a distance covered by a 10 minutes walk without direction from an unspecified spot (without GPS position) on the Kopili River. CULTURAL HISTORY - bat hunting ground: Unidentified our guides (no names mentioned: private property?) from the village of Um Kanar [Khahnar] say they are going in [more likely: into the cave] to hunt bats (Hapka, R 2010.02.18 Mss: Krem Kandacho) for a source of food. CAVE LIFE: Since people familiar with the area are said o hunt bats (Hapka, R 2010.02.18 Mss: Krem Kandacho) in this cave, one can expect the mouth-watering presence or an abstemious absence of edible bats (Chiroptera).