PRIANG, Nongjri - Therria (Krem)

(Pynursla - IN)
25.186100,91.798600
Grottocenter / carte

Description

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 07/05/2016

Three weather-eaten cave entrances near the top of highly dissected and serrated limestone outcrop give access to a solitary and profusely calcite decorated cave chamber (30 m by 20 m wide, 15 m high) containing enormous amounts of milk-white coloured, secondary calcite formations (speleothems). ETYMOLOGY: SINGH, N (1906) lists no Khasi word "priang" as such but ”phriang” (verb) means »to spread out; to scatter« (SINGH, N 1906: 158). According to an other interpretation, "priang" is a contraction of "pyn" (a prefix of many causative verbs) combined either with "riang" (adjective) »in order, in a row« (SINGH, N 1906: 172) or with "ri" (to keep, to take care of; a country, a province; a kidney bean; a cane, a kind of bamboo tie) and "ang" (note 1). SITUATION: About one kilometre in a direct line from the lower margin (near N25°11'30”: E091°47'30”) of Nongjri proper, at about the same elevation as Krem –>Priang and Krem –>Longkurdom, and about 100 m (or so) east of the bridle path (in parts overrun by the hardtopped road) from Nongjri proper generally SSE towards Nongjri Bazar. APPROACH: When descending from Nongjri proper generally SSE towards Nongjri Bazar, the bridle path hits near (±50 m) N25°12'18”: E091°47'50” the hard-topped road. Only 250 m (or so) further south-east and near (±50 m) N25°11'16”: E091°47'48” (WGS84) the sandstone slabbed bridle path descends to the bed of a stream and ascends, now paved with limestone slabs polished by generations of bare feet trotting to the top of a spur with two "mawliem" (stone walled resting places). An ascent of about 30 vertical metres from the second mawliem leads to an extremely weathered limestone outcrop. About 100 m from the footpath, the cave entrances are hidden in a mess of fallen karst pinnacles covered with jungle.

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 07/05/2016

NOTE 1: ang (khasi, verb) to gape (OLDHAM, T 1854 / 1984 appendix C: lxiv); to open; to crack (SINGH, N 1906: 1). kaba ang (Khasi noun) chasm (SINGH, N 1920: 67). ka jingpdang (Khasi; noun) chasm, chink, cleft, rift, rent (SINGH, N 1920: 67; 69, 74; 442, 433).

History

EXPLORATION HISTORY: Guided by Langspah Ryngkun and Sijon Dkhar from Nongjri, it were H. D. Gebauer, Brian D. Kharpran Daly and Ian E. Chandler (Croyden Caving Club), assisted by Gurjinder Singh (Indian Army), who surveyed and mapped, and thereby explored. Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 07/05/2016

Caves nearby

Distance (km)NameLength (m)Depth (m)
0.2LONGKURDOM (Krem)
0.3DIENGNGAI (Krem)
0.7KHRIANG (Krem)
0.7WAH THYLLONG, Nongjri - Therria (Krem)
0.8MAWKHYMLONG (Krem)
0.9WAH REN (Krem)
1.0LUM BNAI (Krem)
1.0LUBON - LUM BNAI (Krem)
1.1MAWKANONG, Wah Thyllong (Krem)