URHULU POUK
25.153900,92.431700
Description
A row of about five closely neighbouring and partly overlapping cave entrances face south and give access to a cave system consisting of a relic rift cave passage (abandoned by flowing water) about 8 m vertically above a perennially active, horizontal sinkhole, which takes the entire dry season flow of the Lukha River along an underground route and hydrographical shortcut to a resurgence (note 1). ETYMOLOGY: The origin, history and meaning of the Hmar (Mizo) cave name Urhulu Pouk has not been discovered but may signify a steaming cave because the Mizo verb "ur" means not only »to smoke« but also »to drift or float or come on the air towards or against (as heat of fire, smoke, stench, etc« (note 2). SITUATION: About 600 m in a direct line east of Khaddum village, upstream and on the orographically right (locally northern) bank of the Lukha River. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1998: The largest known cave passage leads after a walking distance of 130 m to a potentially lethal pool of water (sump, diving spot) from where it countinuous flooded with water but unexplored as a phreatic cave passage. A lateral 60 m long rift cave passage (on average a metre wide and 3 m to 5 m high), about 8 m vertically above the active cave level, leads on a bearing of (±15°) 40° north east to an aven. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2006: »The 311 m long [note 3] cave is … a sink which drains most of the flow of the river Lukha. The main river passage leads to a lake, from where the water is sucked in, making it very dangerous to go near« (KHARPRAN DALY 2006 s.a.: 60).
NOTE 1: The resurgence of Urhulu Pouk is probably rather –>Paltan Pouk (or, perhaps, »Krem Limjung« or so) than Krem –>Mahabon Lukha, Krem –>Muïar (Krem Moowar) or –>Awia Pouk. NOTE 2: ur (Mizo; transitive verb) to smoke (as meat, etc); to smoke out (an animal from its hole, etc); to fumigate; to warm as house, etc, by keeping a fire going; to keep hot or warm; to inhabit (a house); to blacken with smoke (as roof or ceiling); to subject to the action of smoke (as roof, etc, in order to preserve it); to scorch (as fire anything above it); to get in the eyes, etc (as smoke); to make hot (as fire); to be wasted towards or against (as heat of fire, smoke, stench, etc); to drift or float or come on the air towards or against (as ditto); to heat, or bake, or boil with fire underneath it; to distil (spirits); to brew (beer). Metaphorically: to direct efforts towards; to worry, to bother, to influence, to enthuse, to warm (LORRAIN 1940: 538). NOTE 3: The surveyed part of the cave is 267 m long and it is only the survey length which is 310.89 m long at a vertical range of 10 m (+7.9 m / -2.4 m).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | LAILUK POUK | ||
| 0.5 | LAILUK POUK, 2nd | ||
| 0.7 | MAHABON, Lukha (Krem) | ||
| 0.7 | MOOÏAR (Krem) | ||
| 0.8 | SKEI, Lukha (Krem) | ||
| 0.8 | LUNAR, 1st (Cave on the) | ||
| 0.9 | LUNAR, 2nd (Cave on the) | ||
| 1.0 | AA CAVE, Khaddum (1999c) | ||
| 1.0 | LUNAR, 3rd (Cave on the) |