GUCHHU PANI
30.350000,78.033300
Description
The so-called Robbers' Cave, locally known as Guchhu Pani (note 1), is not a cave in the speleological sense of the word but a roofless and daylight-lit, letter »I-shaped gorge« (BOSE 1979: 148), which is rather incised into a homogeneously calcite-cemented conglomerate (KUBASSEK 1981: 38; Robber's Cave.mov) or »conglomerate-limestone« (SINGH, S 1995: 27) than cut into a »limestone« (DURRANT et al. 1979: 39) or undefined »lime-impregnated rocks« (BOSE 1979: 148). The »gorge« (SINGH, S 1995: 27) or »narrow gorge« (CRAVEN 1969.03.15; CRAVEN 1969: 28) drains a perennially active stream (in January 2010 cobble-floored with ankle-deep to calve-deep water) and is decorated with »flowstone« (DURRANT et al. 1979: 39) or relatively »small stalactites and stalagmites« (BOSE 1979: 24), which rather represent secondary calcite formations (speleothems) than misprinted limestone or »limesione features« (BOSE 1979 plate 2 caption). Tourist experts with a good command of diplomatic phrasing advertise the popular picnic spot (note 2) as »… a stream [which] suddenly disappears from the sight, and again becomes visible at a distance of few metres« (HOLIDAY RESORTS, s.a.) because »… water vanishes underground only to reappear after a few yards in the form of a stream« (traveliteindia.com accessed 2004.08.22). SITUATION: Guchhu Pani (Robber's Cave) lies in the cantonment area north (note 3) of Dehra Dun, at a travelling distance of 8 km (note 4) from the Dehra Dun city bus stand, and about a kilometre (note 5) or 1.5 km (note 6) on foot from the village of Anarwala (note 7). PRIZE (1988b: 32) confirms that »Robber's Cave (Guccu Pani) [sic!]« lies »at the North, top end, 1 km from the village of Anarwala, whilst further downstream near Garhi is the Tapkeshwar Temple.« CRAVEN (1969: 27-28) provides the map reference »TL 555937« for the Survey of India One Inch series sheet 53 J/3 (edition 1942). GORGE DESCRIPTIONS: 1969: CRAVEN (1969.03.15: 10) narrates how he »… followed up the river bank until the stream narrowed and appeared to emerge from a foliage covered entrance. Closer inspection revealed not a cave, but a narrow gorge about three feet [0.9 m] wide and fifty feet [15 m] high which gradually widened and lowered until I was back in open country without having used my torch [sic!]« or, perhaps, flash light. CRAVEN (1969: 28) just about mentions »… Robbers' Cave (TL555927), north of Dehra Dun … essentially a narrow gorge rather than a cave.« 1972 »Near Dehra Dun a small stream at Guchhupani or Robber's Cave cuts a cleft in the rocks containing lime. Small stalactites and stalagmites are found here and at Tapkeshwar« (BOSE 1979: 24). »There are some naturaly beauty spots near Dehra Dun. Guchhupani, an I-shaped gorge of lime-impregnated rocks is one of them« (BOSE 1979: 148). 1979 »Robbers Cave … marked on the map of Dehra Dun, is not a cave but a narrow flowstone decorated limestone gorge. Some caves lead off from the gorge but these are all less than three metres long« (DURRANT et al. 1979: 39). 1981 KUBASSEK (1981: 38) provides not only a photograph (illustration 4) but also, in Hungarian language, a description along with a karstmorphological interpretation of the »Robber's Cave« or »Guchu Pani« where the gorge, which is currently forming in a kind of homogenous conglomerate at Dehra Dun, 760 m »tszf.« (above sea level), is -- as far as I understand -- not only »100 m« (long?) but also »1 to 1.5 m« (wide?) and »8 to 10 m« (deep?) in addition to »A homogén karbonátos közetben és konglomerátumban keletkezett üregrendszer falán több helyütt figyelhetök meg oldásnyomok. A leszivárgó vizek vékony, de kiterjedt felületú szürkés cseppkökérget hoztak létre.« 1995: »The Robbers' Cave gorge of Dehradun is one of the finest examples of gorge formation in conglomerate-limestone area having some fine examples of flow features« (SINGH, S 1995: 27). SPELEOMETRY: width height length source 0.9 m 15 m -- CRAVEN (1969.03.15) 1 - 1.5 m 8 - 10 m 100 m KUBASSEK (1981: 38) 1.5 - 3 m -- 150 m estimated after Robber's Cave.mov (uploaded 2010.01.03) on: youtube.com/watch?v=bwb-kGRKKhA (accessed 2012.01.24) -- -- 180 m alias »600 m« (sic!) or, more likely, 600 feet (183 m) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robber%27s_Cave,_India (accessed 2012.01.24). CULTURAL HISTORY -- hide-out of robbers (note 8): CRAVEN (1969.03.15: 10) draws the attention of gentlemen with a taste for cave legends to having been »… told in great detail about the cave's rather sordid history as a refuge for dacoits« (note 9) and that's it. Not necessarily noteworthy Internet websites associate the Robbers' Cave near Dehradun - Anarwali with a certain Daaku Maan Singh or Daaku Mann Singh, etc. CULTURAL HISTORY -- stronghold: At least one anonymous contributor to en.wikipedia.org (accessed 2012.01.24) created »in the central part … a fort wall structure which is now broken« and allegedly mentioned -- but this is bogus -- not only by BHARGAVA & BHATT (2006: 228) but also on dehradun.nic.in (accessed 2012.01.24), the official website of Dehradun. CULTURAL HISTORY -- culture shock: BOSE (1979: 148) developed a liking for »the city of Dehra Dun« because there are not only awful »military installations and offices« and »limestone quarries nearby« complete with breathtaking »many limestone kilns« but also »some natural beauty spots …« that include »Guchhupani« (sic!).
NOTE 1: So far, I saw the name of this gorge spelled and transcribed, edited or printed as Daaku Maan Singh's Cave youtube.com/watch?v=bwb-kGRKKhA (dated 2010.01.03, accessed 2012.01.24) Guchhu pani BOSE, S C (1979: 203 index) Guccu Pani PRIZE (1988b: 32) Guchhu Paani youtube.com/watch?v=bwb-kGRKKhA (dated 2010.01.03, accessed 2012.01.24) Guchchu Pani culturopedia.com/Places/places.html (accessed 2002.09.30) Guchhu Pani Guchhupani BOSE, S C (1972, 1976, 1979: 24, 148, plate 3) Guchu Pani BHARGAVA & BHATT (2006: 228); KUBASSEK, J (1981: 38) Robber's Cave BOSE, S C (1972, 1976, 1979: 24); KUBASSEK, J (1981: 38) Robbers Cave LONELY PLANET, India (1990: 302; 1993: 358); BHARGAVA & BHATT (2006: 228); en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robber%27s_Cave,_India (accessed 2012.01.24) Robbers' Cave CRAVEN (1969: 28; 1969.03.15: 10); LONELY PLANET, India (1996: 373; 1997: 384, 2001: 378, 2003: 383, 2005: 0); LONELY PLANET, North India (2001: 479); ramatoursindia.com (accessed 2002.10.13); SINGH, S (1995: 27) Roller's Cave Dehra Dun, Interior of Roller's Cave (undated postcard, before 1913). NOTE 2: »… a beautiful picnic spot« (BHARGAVA & BHATT 2006: 228), »popular picnic spot« (LONELY PLANET, India 1990: 302; 1993: 358; 1997: 384; 1999: 411; 2001: 378; 2003: 383; LONELY PLANET, North India 2001: 479). NOTE 3: CRAVEN (1969: 28), PRIZE (1988b: 32), and LONELY PLANET, North India (2001: 478) agree in placing the Robber's cave north of Dehra Dun. NOTE 4: From Dehra Dun 8 km (BHARGAVA & BHATT 2006: 228; LONELY PLANET, India 1993: 358; 1997: 384; 2001: 378; 2003: 383; 2005: 0; LONELY PLANET, North India 2001: 479). NOTE 5: »Local bus services operate within one km. of Robbers Cave« (BHARGAVA & BHATT 2006: 228; PRIZE 1988b: 32). NOTE 6: »Take a local bus and walk the remaining 1.5 km« (LONELY PLANET, India 1997: 384; 2001: 378; LONELY PLANET, North India (2001: 479).NOTE 7: »… just beyond Anarwala village (seven km)« (LONELY PLANET, India 1990: 302). »… just beyond Anarwala village« (LONELY PLANET, India 1993: 358; 1996: 373; 1997: 384). »… just beyond Anarwala village, eight km from Dehra Dun. Take a local bus to Anarwala and walk the remaining 1.5 km« (LONELY PLANET, India 1997: 384; 2001: 378; 2003: 383; 2005: 0). NOTE 8: "robber" (noun, English), a person who takes property unlawfully from a person or place by force or threat of force. Origin (Middle English) from "robere" (Anglo-Norman French and Old French) from the verb "rober" of Germanic origin; related to "reave" (verb). Synonyms: burglar, thief, housebreaker, mugger, shoplifter, purse-snatcher; stealer, pilferer, raider, looter, plunderer, pillager; [informal] crook, yegg, second-story man; [literary] brigand, highwayman. NOTE 9: »Dacoit, dakait. A member of a gang of robbers; Dakaiti, dacoity. Robbery by five or more persons« (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 25: ix).
Documents
Bibliography 28/03/2016- Bhargava, Gopkal K & Bhatt, S C 2006; Bose, S C 1972, 1976, 1979; Craven, Stephen A 1969, 1969.03.15; Dehra Dun, Interior of Roller's Cave (s.a., before 1913); Durrant G A, Smart C M, Turner J E K & Wilson, J M 1979, 1981 (Himalaya Underground 1976); Holiday Resorts (s.a.); Kubassek, Janos 1981; Lonely Planet, India 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001; Lonely Planet, North India 2001; Price, Liz [Elizabeth]1988b; Singh, Surendra 1995.
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: Depicted in 1913 as a postcard printed in Germany and issued by Macropolis Tobacconists of Calcutta (DEHRA DUN, s.a., before 1913).