PIR ARR GHARA
24.750000,67.966667
Description
A sacred rift cave in gravitationally dislocated conglomerate: »The rock is split into deep chasms, and huge blocks of conglomerate lie scattered below. A spot so suited to the Hindu ascetic has not escaped the wandering fakir: their habitations are, however, modern [WOOD 1841: 19 edited 1872, 1976].« SITUATION: The temple cave dedicated to the Muslim saint »Pir Arr« lies in on an »island hill« (note 1) near Thatta (note 2) in the delta of the Indus. CULTURAL HISTORY: BRIGGS (1938 edited 1973: 118, 192 after G.E.L. CATER recorded in the Tuhfat ul Karam) associates the cave of Pir Arr (Peer Arr) with legends of the magicians / saints Dayanath, Pir Patao (note 3) and Gorakhnath (Goraknath): The yogi Dayanath lived in this cave and learned by supernatural sight that Goraknath will come. He became very angry and threw the hill into the sky, set it on fire by a breath, and departed to Dhinodhar hill in Kuchch (in Gujarat state, Bharat). Pir Patao went to Gorakhnath and reproached him, saying 'You are sitting here while Dayanath set the hill on fire and bolted." The guru looked and saw that a fire was indeed burning between heaven and earth. However, as he was looking, the fire was extinguished and the hill dropped and cracked in two. Guru Gorakhnath then saw that Dayanath was on Dhinodhar hill, standing on his head on a betel-nut, and knew that after twelve months of austerity in this position, he could by breathing thrice blast all Sind. Thereupon Gorakhnath seized Dayanath by the ear, brought him back to Pir Arr, and told him: Don't trouble the people. I promise you this blessing, that you and your successors shall never lack "white horses" (read: Toyota landcruisers) and "white clothes" (read: designer clothes).
NOTE 1: The »island hill« is suspected to correspond to the »Kullan Kote« (Kalankot), or Great Fort placed by WOOD (1841: 19) at a distance of »four miles« (about 6 km) south-west of Thatta: »It is a fortified hill three-quarters of a mile in length by about 700 paces broad, and at one time was evidently surrounded by water, though the lake is now confined to its north and north-west angles … The face of the hill overhanging he lake has a disturbed appearance.« NOTE 2: The small town of Thatta, about 30 km from Jungshahi railway station, lies near N24°45': E067°58' (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 23: 254) and is positioned on AMS sheet NG42-14 N24°44'49”: E067°55'27” / Lat. 24,7469444: Long. 67,9241667 (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003). It is called Thatta (APA map Pakistan 1: 1.5 mil), Thata, T'hat'hah (WOOD 1841: 19), [Nagar] Thato (Imp. Gaz. 1907-1909, 23: 254), Tatta (Imp. Gaz. 1907-1909, 23: 254). NOTE 3: Pir Patao / Pathao of the Muslims is called Gopichand / Gopicand (died in 1209 AD) by the Hindus (BRIGGS 1938 edited 1973: 243), and his story is narrated in »The Song of Manickchandra« (GRIERSON 1877, 1878 in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal).
Documents
Bibliography 12/12/2015- Briggs, George Weston 1938 edited 1973; Wood, John 1841 edited 1872, 1976.
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1200 ± 9: Pir Patao = Gopicand / Gopichand lived in the cave of Pir Arr. 1382: Guru Daramnath came to the cave of Pir Arr where Guru Dayanath lived. 1837: Lieutenant John WOOD (1841: 19) passed by, noticed hermitages but no cave.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 319.6 | MANIKPUR ROCK SHELTERS | ||
| 338.0 | KALIKA DEVI, Sukkur: Aror (Cave of) | ||
| 462.9 | POKARAN CATER | ||
| 476.9 | DATTATREYA, Mount Abu (Höhle des) | ||
| 478.9 | DEGRA HILL CAVE | ||
| 478.9 | Brunnenhöhle | ||
| 479.8 | ADHAR DEVI GUFA | ||
| 485.2 | ACHALESHWAR MAHANDEVA HOLE | ||
| 494.7 | SIROHI CAVE (Advani 1981) |