KALI MANDIR GUFA

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

An unspecified cave entrance (unidentified shape, unidentified dimensions, unidentified orientation, unidentified characteristics) near a Hindu temple dedicated to Kali (note 1) was said to give access to a horizontal cave in nummulitic limestone, of which the easily accessible part is definitely vadose but inspired Robert 'Rob' C. Harper (2002.04.31 Mss: Meghalay.doc) to apply the impressive term -phreatic- (note 2) to a vadose (note 3) stream cave (note 4) which contains mud, secondary calcite formations (stalactitic speleothems). ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known name has been identified for what sportsmen christened Gufa Kalimundi (McMANUS 2001; Harper 2002.04.31 Mss) or -Cave Kalitemple- in an attempt to arrive at a Kali Mandir Gufa (Hindi) or Kali-Temple Cave (English). SITUATION: In an unidentified setting at an unspecified location (McMANUS 2001: 21; McManus et al. undated 2001 Mss: BEC Assam / Meghalaya Trip 2001: Synopsis) somewhere in the vicinityof the NEEPC (North-East Electric Power Corporation) Inspection Bungalow (without GPS position) at Umrong (without GPS position). POSITION: The GPS position recorded for the cave entrance to the Kali Mandir Gufa indicates a spot on the Kopili - Umrong watershed, a short distance approximately north of the Inspection Bungalow (N25°30': E92°39'), some 2 km or 3 km west of the village of Larphing (note 5), about 2 or 3 km south of the hill Khandong 2747 near N25°31': E92°40': 837.3 m asl on AMS sheet NG46-10 Shillong (U502 series, 1959 edition), and 1335.6 m in a direct line approximately west-southwest (1235.5 m west + 507.3 m south) from the relatively nearby –>Pachkilo Gufa but 60 m higher up. APPROACH: Harper (2002.04.31 Mss: megahlay.doc) recommends to reach the cave by turning south at an unidentified village (no name mentioned, without GPS position) near the 3rd kilometre on a so-called Kopili to Umrongsoa Road and by following a track to a cliff in the south-west of an unpecified temple without recognised name, which possibly is a Kali mandir (temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali). Here rises a stream from a cave dammed by man. CAVE DESCRIPTION: An unspecified cave entrance (unidentified shape, unidentified dimensions, unidentified orientation, unidentified characteristics) is said to give access to a relatively short crawl of unknown length, which possibly is less than one or two kilometres long and eventually leads -- don't bring horses -- to a walking sized cave passage (4 m by 3 m to 5 by 3 m wide and high? or high and wide?) which contains not only a second, relatively small sized cave entrance of inexplicale dimensions but also two sumps that had been bypassed by short grovels over top and gave access to what was interpreted as a boulder choke and possibly represenzs the most extreme point accessible to sports cavers in need of more beer. HUMAN USE: Water supply. CAVE LIFE: In the course of a hurried visit (2001.02.29), sports cavers sawnot only a catfish or loach (note 6) and shrimps (Crustacea) but also an assemblage of relatively large spiders (Arachnidae: Aranea), harvestmen (Opiliones), millipeds (Millipedes), crickets (Orthoptera), snot gobblers (larval stage of fungus gnats, Diptera: Mycetophilidae), relatively small bats (Chiroptera), and quills of porcupine (Hystrix).pecified temple without recognised name, which possibly is a Kali mandir (temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali). Here rises a stream from a cave dammed by man. CAVE DESCRIPTION: An unspecified cave entrance (unidentified shape, unidentified dimensions, unidentified orientation, unidentified characteristics) is said to give access to a relatively short crawl of unknown length, which possibly is less than one or two kilometres long and eventually leads -- don't bring horses -- to a walking sized cave passage (4 m by 3 m to 5 by 3 m wide and high? or high and wide?) which contains not only a second, relatively small sized cave entrance of inexplicale dimensions but also two sumps that had been bypassed by short grovels over top and gave access to what was interpreted as a boulder choke and possibly represenzs the most extreme point accessible to sports cavers in need of more beer. HUMAN USE: Water supply. CAVE LIFE: In the course of a hurried visit (2001.02.29), sports cavers sawpecified temple without recognised name, which possibly is a Kali mandir (temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali). Here rises a stream from a cave dammed by man. CAVE DESCRIPTION: An unspecified cave entrance (unidentified shape, unidentified dimensions, unidentified orientation, unidentified characteristics) is said to give access to a relatively short crawl of unknown length, which possibly is less than one or two kilometres long and eventually leads -- don't bring horses -- to a walking sized cave passage (4 m by 3 m to 5 by 3 m wide and high? or high and wide?) which contains not only a second, relatively small sized cave entrance of inexplicale dimensions but also two sumps that had been bypassed by short grovels over top and gave access to what was interpreted as a boulder choke and possibly represenzs the most extreme point accessible to sports cavers in need of more beer. HUMAN USE: Water supply. CAVE LIFE: In the course of a hurried visit (2001.02.29), sports cavers sawpecified temple without recognised name, which possibly is a Kali mandir (temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali). Here rises a stream from a cave dammed by man. CAVE DESCRIPTION: An unspecified cave entrance (unidentified shape, unidentified dimensions, unidentified orientation, unidentified characteristics) is said to give access to a relatively short crawl of unknown length, which possibly is less than one or two kilometres long and eventually leads -- don't bring horses -- to a walking sized cave passage (4 m by 3 m to 5 by 3 m wide and high? or high and wide?) which contains not only a second, relatively small sized cave entrance of inexplicale dimensions but also two sumps that had been bypassed by short grovels over top and gave access to what was interpreted as a boulder choke and possibly represenzs the most extreme point accessible to sports cavers in need of more beer. HUMAN USE: Water supply. CAVE LIFE: In the course of a hurried visit (2001.02.29), sports cavers sawpecified temple without recognised name, which possibly is a Kali mandir (temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali). Here rises a stream from a cave dammed by man. CAVE DESCRIPTION: An unspecified cave entrance (unidentified shape, unidentified dimensions, unidentified orientation, unidentified characteristics) is said to give access to a relatively short crawl of unknown length, which possibly is less than one or two kilometres long and eventually leads -- don't bring horses -- to a walking sized cave passage (4 m by 3 m to 5 by 3 m wide and high? or high and wide?) which contains not only a second, relatively small sized cave entrance of inexplicale dimensions but also two sumps that had been bypassed by short grovels over top and gave access to what was interpreted as a boulder choke and possibly represenzs the most extreme point accessible to sports cavers in need of more beer. HUMAN USE: Water supply. CAVE LIFE: In the course of a hurried visit (2001.02.29), sports cavers sawnot only a catfish or loach (note 6) and shrimps (Crustacea) but also an assemblage of relatively large spiders (Arachnidae: Aranea), harvestmen (Opiliones), millipeds (Millipedes), crickets (Orthoptera), snot gobblers (larval stage of fungus gnats, Diptera: Mycetophilidae), relatively small bats (Chiroptera), and quills of porcupine (Hystrix).