NAIKANESHWAR GUPHA

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Not only a relatively wide cave entrance with unspecified dimensions and an unidentified orientation but also a daylight window (2nd cave entrance) gives access to an approximately 40 m long cave passage that descends at an angle of 25° (estimated?) into an unidentified direction. As far as known, this cave contains not only lots of soil (possibly indicating the backup zone of an insurgence) but also speleothems represented by excellent stalactites, no stalagmites (Kotlia 2005.11.05 Mss: Notebook). ETYMOLOGY: At a first glance, the cave name Naikaneshwar Gupha seems to combine the Hindi -naya- (new) with -khana- (house) and -ishwar- (master, lord, god). On the other hand, the Hindi -naik- (from the Sanskrit -ndyaka- = a leader, chief, general) is a native headman or captain of some sort; title of honour on the Deccan; Anglo-Indian application to the non-commissioned officer of Sepoys who corresponds to a corporal; and the name of a Telugu caste in south India. The ending -eshwar- deries from the Sanskrit -ishwara-, literally master, lord (god); more often than not an epithet of Shiva, but also of Durga or any other female shakti; the Supreme Spirit. (note 1). SITUATION: Not only at an unidentified location and in an inexplicable setting but also in unspecified spatial relation to anything (note 2). The disputable GPS position (note 3) recorded by Prof. Bahadur S. Kotlia (2005.11.05 Mss: Notebook), Naikaneshwar Gupha indicates a spot in the vicinity of Dana [note 4] (last station Kharlekh [note 5] (Bhanar [note 6]), accuracy [sic! qua: precision error] 10 m N29°57'06”: E080°40'07” [note 7] N29°57'24.6”: E080°02'20.8” [note 8]. Two days later (2005.11.07) Prof. Bahadur S. Kotlia recorded the GPS position N29°56'01”: E080°00'25.9” (erroneously in connection with –>Budher Cave), which may indicate either the position of Kharlekh (Khamlekh) or Bhanar. CAVE POTENTIAL: A third cave entrance nearby (see –>Naikaneshwar Gupha 2) is suspected to join this cave. VGETATION: Dominated by oak. At the entrance C4 plants (Kotlia 2005.11.07 Mss: Notebook).es from the Sanskrit -ishwara-, literally master, lord (god); more often than not an epithet of Shiva, but also of Durga or any other female shakti; the Supreme Spirit. (note 1). SITUATION: Not only at an unidentified location and in an inexplicable setting but also in unspecified spatial relation to anything (note 2). The disputable GPS position (note 3) recorded by Prof. Bahadur S. Kotlia (2005.11.05 Mss: Notebook), Naikaneshwar Gupha indicates a spot in the vicinity of Dana [note 4] (last station Kharlekh [note 5] (Bhanar [note 6]), accuracy [sic! qua: precision error] 10 m N29°57'06”: E080°40'07” [note 7] N29°57'24.6”: E080°02'20.8” [note 8]. Two days later (2005.11.07) Prof. Bahadur S. Kotlia recorded the GPS position N29°56'01”: E080°00'25.9” (erroneously in connection with –>Budher Cave), which may indicate either the position of Kharlekh (Khamlekh) or Bhanar. CAVE POTENTIAL: A third cave entrance nearby (see –>Naikaneshwar Gupha 2) is suspected to join this cave. Ves from the Sanskrit -ishwara-, literally master, lord (god); more often than not an epithet of Shiva, but also of Durga or any other female shakti; the Supreme Spirit. (note 1). SITUATION: Not only at an unidentified location and in an inexplicable setting but also in unspecified spatial relation to anything (note 2). The disputable GPS position (note 3) recorded by Prof. Bahadur S. Kotlia (2005.11.05 Mss: Notebook), Naikaneshwar Gupha indicates a spot in the vicinity of Dana [note 4] (last station Kharlekh [note 5] (Bhanar [note 6]), accuracy [sic! qua: precision error] 10 m N29°57'06”: E080°40'07” [note 7] N29°57'24.6”: E080°02'20.8” [note 8]. Two days later (2005.11.07) Prof. Bahadur S. Kotlia recorded the GPS position N29°56'01”: E080°00'25.9” (erroneously in connection with –>Budher Cave), which may indicate either the position of Kharlekh (Khamlekh) or Bhanar. CAVE POTENTIAL: A third cave entrance nearby (see –>Naikaneshwar Gupha 2) is suspected to join this cave. VGETATION: Dominated by oak. At the entrance C4 plants (Kotlia 2005.11.07 Mss: Notebook).