PHIM LEB CAVE, Lingmo
27.350000,88.450000
Description
The souls of the Namphag-mo, a Lepcha clan, travel via a "cave" called »Phim-Leb« to »Rum lyang, the place of gods« on the mountain »Mennam-chung« (note 1). The virtual, not to say fabulous tunnel covers a vertical range of about 2000 m. Compare the cave called –>Dret Gang connected with the »Mendong of Gye-Zhing« (ROCK 1953: 945). SITUATION 1951: In an unidentified spatial relation »Near Lingmo [note 2]« (NEBESKY WOJKOWITZ 1951: 35-37). SITUATION 1953: »The Nam-Phag-mo Lepchas, believe that as they are descended from the local deities of the sacred Mennam peak, their spirits go to the Mennam Hill [Mennam Peak] through a cave called Phim-leb in Lepcha situated below the Mengsher mendong of Lingmo. They call the Mennam peak Mennam-chung in Lepcha« (ROCK 1953: 945). CULTURAL HISTORY: »According to the old Lepcha belief … the place from which the soul [Muk nyam] comes and to which it again returns after a man's death, is called Rum lyang, the place of gods. […] A legend current among the Namphagmo Lepchas claims that the dead of this clan [go] to the Mennam mountain, which is specially sacred to this clan. They reach the mountain through a subterranean passage the entrance of which is the Phim Leb cave near Lingmo« (NEBESKY WOJKOWITZ 1951: 23, 35-36). »Für die Beziehung der … Höhlen Sikhims zu den Bergen des Landes bringt die … sogenannte Mun-Religion der Lepcha in Sikhim eindeutige Beweise. Danach kommen die Seelen der Menschen von Rum-lyang, dem Ort der Götter auf den Bergen, durch eine Höhle zur Erde, durch die sie wieder beim Tode zurückkehren (NEBESKY WOJKOWITZ 1951: 23ff, 1956: 143). Die Lokalisierung von Rum-lyang und entsprechend auch die der Höhlen variiert bei den verschiedenen Clans. Die meisten wähnen den Göttersitz auf den Gangs-chen-mdzod (mched)-lnga (Kangchenjunga), wobei jedoch die Ansicht über den Höhlenzugang verschieden ist. Bei den … Namphag-mo [ist es] eine Höhle namens Phim-leb bei Lingmo (88°23' 27°19') als Zugang zum Berge Mennam (ROCK1953: 945)« (HUMMEL 1957: 628-629).
NOTE 1: »Mennam mountain« (NEBESKY WOJKOWITZ 1951: 35) or »Mennam peak« and »Mennam-chung« or »Mennam Hill« (ROCK 1953: 945) is the »Menam 10610« (feet) near N27°20': E88°24': 3234 m asl on AMS sheet NG45-03 Kanchenjunga (U502 series, 1963 edition) and the same as »Mainom« (WADDELL, L A 1895) and »Maenam« (scstsenvis.nic.in/newsletter2004.html accessed 2006.08.06; VERMA 1996: 31). NOTE 2: The small town of Lingmo is indicated near N27°21': E88°27' on AMS sheet NG45-03 Kanchenjunga (U502 series, 1963 edition) at elevations around 4000 feet (1220 m asl) above the west (right) bank of the river Tista and in an area about 40 km in a direct line about NNE of Darjeeling and 17 km west of Gangtok.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.3 | SING DANG (Cave near) | ||
| 6.5 | SITHA LINGDING | ||
| 7.3 | BE PHUG | ||
| 15.6 | TSE CHU PHUG 2 | ||
| 15.6 | TSE CHU PHUG | ||
| 17.2 | PACHIKHANI MINES | ||
| 17.4 | Unboo Lep | ||
| 18.4 | KAHDO SANG PHUG | ||
| 19.5 | LHARI NYING PHUG |