SANI UDYAR (Baynes 1941)
29.800000,80.066700
Description
A pair of communicating cave entrances, of which one is a sink (insurgence) and the other a spring (resurgence), gives access to an estimated 200 m long tunnel cave in limestone, which is said to contain an active stream cave and is not only reputed to be richly decorated with secondary calcite deposits (speleothems) but also considered as a sacred cave (temple cave). ETYMOLOGY: The Hindi cave name "Sani Udyar" (or so) means »Gold Cave« and has been recorded as Saniodhiar Baynes (1941.09.15 Mss: Saniodhiar is not in Garhwal); Saniodiar Deputy Commissioner, Almora (1941.10.01 Mss: Saniodiar is not on your map) Sani Udyar PRANAVANANDA (1949: 95); Saniudhyar Cave Glennie, Edward Aubrey (1941.09.27); Saniudyar Cave Glennie, Edward Aubrey (1941.09.27); Scherzer, Uwe (1991.08.18 Mss personal correspondence; 1991.11 Mss: Caves of the Kumaoni Hills). SITUATION 1941.09: In Almora district and about »10 or 11 miles« (16 km or 18 km) along the bridle path from Almora (note 1) to Pithoragarh (note 2): »Saniodhiar [sic!] is off the upper right hand bit of your Almora map: due east of Almora, across Sarju River [note 3], where it says "Pithoragarh 21 miles": It's about halfway between there & Pithoragarh, as far as I remember. […] Saniodiar [sic!] is on the main bridle path, 2 or 3 marches from Almora … wherever you go, I hope you'll have a good trip, with interesting results« (Baynes 1941.09.15 Mss). SITUATION 1941.10: »Saniodiar [sic!] is not on your map, but at the place [###liand] by Mr. Baynes« (Deputy Commissioner, Almora 1941.10.01). SITUATION 1949: »Ten miles [16 km in an unspecified direction] from Berinag [note 4] is Sani-udyar …« (PRANAVANANDA 1949: 95) CAVE DESCRIPTION: »It's really a subterrean [sic!] passage or series of caves, about 150 or 200 yards long, as far as I remember, with a stream running into it at one end, & out the other. The chief feature I remember was that the whole place was alive with billions of bats« (Baynes 1941.09.15 Mss). CULTURAL HISTORY - religious folklore: Sani Udyar is sacred cave (temple cave) and said to be a site »where the Rishi Shandilya was said to have done penance« (PRANAVANANDA 1949: 95). CAVE LIFE: »The chief feature I remember was that the whole place was alive with billions of bats [Chiroptera]« (Baynes 1941.09.15 Mss). »I have not so far in India found any permanent underground water not directly connected with a surface stream. I had hoped that the Saniudhyar cave would be like this, but it is not so, and this cave unless it contains passages to an upper or isolated series of caves, which is quite probable, will not be of any special interest. There is of course a special cave fauna associated with bats, but it is the real subterranean fauna in the remote parts of caves which I wish to collect in particular« (Glennie 1941.09.27 Mss).
NOTE 1: Almora N29°37': E079°40' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003): 1650 m asl (LONELY PLANET, India 2005: 431). NOTE 2: Pithoragarh N29°35': E080°13' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003): 1815 m (LONELY PLANET, India 2005: 434). NOTE 3: The river "Sarju" is shown on AMS sheets NH44-06 and NH44-10 (U502 series, 1958 edition) and joins on AMS sheet NH44-10 at N29°27': E080°15' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) the Kali River (Yvas River) on the Indian- Nepal border. NOTE 4: Berinag (Bering, Bherang) is positioned at N29°48': E080°04' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) and indicated near N29°47': E080°04': 4500 ft. or 5000 ft. / circa 1425 ±150 m asl on AMS sheet Almora (NH44-10, U502 series, 1958 edition) between the valleys of the Sarju and Ram Ganga (Ramganga) rivers. NOTE 5: Deputy Commissioner, »The administrative head of a District in non-regulation areas, corresponding to the Collector in Regulation Provinces« (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 25: x).
Documents
Bibliography 15/05/2016- Pranavananda, Swami [alias: Somayajulu, Kanakadandi Venkata] 1949, 1983.
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1941.07.15: The Deputy Commissioner (note 5), Almora (1941.10.01 letter to Glennie, Edward Aubrey) had visited »Saniodiar« some time ago. 1941.09.27: Glennie, E. A. (1941.09.27 letter to Deputy Commissioner, Almora) assumed »Saniudhyar Cave« to lack interesting cave fauna. 1941.10.01: Baynes (1941.10.01 letter to Glennie, E. A.) had visited »Saniodhiar« or »Saniodiar« some time ago.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.2 | DHARICHORA GUPHA 2 | ||
| 5.2 | Chaura, Koteshwar (Dhar-i) | ||
| 5.3 | TIMTA CAVE | ||
| 5.7 | MUSLESHWAR GUPHA | ||
| 6.1 | BHARBYO CAVE, Choukori; Choukhori, Choukori, Chowkori, Choukri | ||
| 6.3 | BOGDULA GUPHA | ||
| 6.3 | BOGDULA GUPHA 2 | ||
| 6.7 | BHADRAKALI RIVER TUNNEL | ||
| 8.1 | KOTESHWAR CAVE, Raiagarh |