VIKRAMKHOL SHELTER
21.666700,83.666700
Description
A north-east facing rock shelter in »Archaean crystalline rocks« (MOHAPATRA 1981) is situated in a remote tribal location (compare –>Ulap Shelter) and believed to contain disputed rock art (engravings) or not deciphered »inscriptions« (compare –>Ushakothi Shelter) which I am tempted to suspect of representing script karren. SITUATION (after MOHAPATRA 1981, plate 1 between pages 110-111): To approach Vikramkhol one has to alight from the train at Belpahar railway station (note 1) on the Howrah - Nagpur line. From here, the first part of the journey is negotiable by bus in an unspecified direction up to a certain village of Lakhanpur (note 2) or -- if possible -- up to Pikol (note 3) a little further inside the forests. The second part, a distance of nearly 10 km up to the rock shelter, has to be covered on foot. A narrow winding track runs along the Bagdia Jor through dense forest. The nearest village, Titliabahal (note 4), is about 2 km from the shelter. CAVE DESCRIPTION: The north-east facing shelter, about 36 m wide and 8 m high, is very unlike a grotto and has an incipient overhanging roof of unspecified crystalline Archaean rocks. Big blocks of strewn rock debris render the floor much uneven. CULTURAL HISTORY - rock art: FABRI (1936) not seen. JAYASWAL (1933: 58-60) gives 9 plates showing the inked inscription. According to MOHAPATRA (1981) it is CHAKRAVARTI (1936: 229) who opines »… it is in any case incorrect to say that it consists of mere scratches and is not an inscription at all, for almost the whole record is incised with care and the symbols mostly look to be well shaped letters of Brahmi ma, to, ya, ga, ra, and ja.«
NOTE 1: Belpahar town (N21°47': E083°37' AMS sheet NF44-12 Raigarh, 1956 edition) and Belpahar railway station (N21°49': E083°51' nima.mil/geonames, accessed 16.11.2003) lies some 40 or 45 km in a direct line approximately NNW of Sambalpur N21°27': E083°58'). NOTE 2: Lakhanpur. ROY CHOWDHURY, M K 1974: Geology and mineral resources of the states of India: Orissa) positions one Lakhanpur at N21°38': E083°37' (unspecified geodetic datum probably Everest 1830) but nima.mil/geonames (accessed 16.11.2003) offers a choice of two different Lakhanpur villages on AMS sheet NF44-12: One Lakhanpur N21°46': E083°46', about 10 km in a direct line SW of Belpahar (RS N21°49': E083°51'), and another Lakhanpur N21°39': E083°38' about 31 km in a direct line WSW of Belpahar (RS N21°49': E083°51'). ROY CHOWDHURY, M K (1973) and ROY CHOWDHURY, M K 1974) report from Lakhanpur (N21°38': E083°37') a 3 m thick horizon of occasional dolomite and limestone occurring in an area of 10 by 3 km. NOTE 3: »Pikol« (MOHAPATRA 1981) is not identified as it is neither listed on nima.mil/geonames (accessed 16.11.2003) nor obvious on AMS sheet NF44-12 Raighar (U502 series, 1955 edition). NOTE 4: »Titliabahal« (MOHAPATRA 1981) or Titlia Bahal, Titlia Mahal is not identified as it is neither listed on nima.mil/geonames (accessed 16.11.2003) nor obviously indicated on the AMS sheet NF44-12 Raighar (U502 series, 1955 edition).
Documents
Bibliography 04/07/2016- Chakravarti, N P 1936; Fabri, C L 1936; Gordon, D H 1960; Jayaswal, P K 1933; Mohapatra, G C 1981.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33.2 | Ulap Shelter | ||
| 40.9 | SINGHANPUR ROCK SHELTERS | ||
| 47.8 | KABRA PAHAR SHELTERS | ||
| 57.9 | USHAKOTHI | ||
| 111.3 | DEOGARH FALLS (Caves at) | ||
| 136.9 | BIRAMITRAPUR HILL TOP CAVE | ||
| 145.9 | KAILASH GUPHA, Jashpur | ||
| 152.0 | KHURIA RANI (Felsenhöhle der) | ||
| 168.9 | CHORDTALLA |