MAWJYMBUIÑ, Mawsynram (Krem)
25.304200,91.585000
Description
The NNW-facing cave entrance in arenaceous Upper Cretaceous (Danian) Langpar Limestone (note 1) is an estimated 40 m or 50 m wide and gives access to a spacious temple cave, which is not only renowned for its legendary size but also is famous (note 2) for a short and stout stalagmite boss (about a metre high) beneath an active stalactite (about half a metre long), which are visible at a conveniently daylight-lit location in entrance area. Local folklore implies that a fabulous tunnel could be followed all the way underground to somewhere in "Bangladesh" or "China" (beyond the horizon). ETYMOLOGY: The Khasi cave name "Krem Mawjymbuiñ" translates as »Cave [of the] Breast Stone« and is due to the cave's prominent feature, a centrally located occurrence secondary calcite, which consists of a physically unequal pair of a relatively small stalactite above a stout stalagmite boss. Hindu believers identify the dripping stalactite with the udder of the wealth-providing cow Kamadenhu and the stalagmite as a "lingam" representing Shiva. Some journalists, however, cannot help but to regard the mammalian cave (note 3) as a »Penis Cave« (note 4) whilst an anonymous contributor to a couple of internet webshites (note 5) introduced the strange loanword "dongshiling" which combines the Khasi "dong" (note 6) with the vernacular Indic "Shiling" (note 7) in the sense of »revered stalagmite« to construct an adaptation of the Indic word "gupteshwar" for the »Hidden Lord« (note 8). The name of the nearby village, Mawsynram, can be liberally translated as »rock [of the] home« (note 9) and it seems likely that the cave had been known and was used as an »inhabitable rock« long before the village came into existence. SITUATION: The location of Krem Mawjymbuiñ is indicated on the Survey of India toposheet 78-O/11 (edition 1974) with the symbol for a temple in the area adjacent north of the village of Mawsynram (N25°17'50”: E091°35'15”: 1401.5 m asl), which lies at a travelling distance of 55 km (India Tourism Development Corporation 1982: 6) approximately south-west of Shillong (25°34'N: 91°53'E) along the road via Weiloi (25°22'N: 91°37'E) to Balat (N25°11'30”: E091°22'30”). The cave and car park is conveniently approached by a hard-topped road from the nearby village. Upon approaching from Shillong, and approximately half a kilometre short of the village of Mawsynram, a metalled road leads from the main road off east and descends to a daylight-lit car parking area from where the impressive cave entrance is seen to lie in the flank of a relatively small, blind valley. GEOLOGY: The Eocene limestone in »the Mawsynran [sic! qua: Mawsynram] region and north of Cherrapunji … is only poorly developed, and sandstones of that age [are] very similar to the Cretaceous sandstones … Unfortunately in my survey [1920-1921] the small Mawsynrang [sic!] Eocene outlier yielded fossils only in the limestone, and these were all of Eocene types. The absence of fossils in the topmost Cretaceous beds has been one of the chief disappointments in the work« (PALMER 1924: 168). CAVE DESCRIPTION: A small stream enters the cave formed in a sandy limestone (perhaps Upper Cretaceous Langpar Limestone). So far only inadequately mapped, the both famous and important cave consists mainly of a spacious entrance chamber some 50 m across and about 4 m high at its centre. In the middle of this cave chamber is a stalactite above a stalagmite boss (0.8 m diameter, 1.2 m high) that is frequently covered in offerings and decorations. The cave stream flows under the east wall of the cave chamber and around boulders before flowing into a side passage heading east. This side passage can be followed for approximately 40 m and leads to a collapse and boulders. A side passage off this cave passage leads to a rift, daylight and a second cave entrance. Another side passage at the rear of the entrance chamber forms a series of inlet passages that lures investigative cave visitors north and then east for some 50 m, which, the inlet, eventually becomes too small to be negotiable even by grown up cavers. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1879: In the »Khásí and Jáintiá Hills« are »many peculiar caves and caverns are found in the limestone rock formation, the most notable being the caves at Cherrá Púnji … In another cave, the limestone stalactites have been carved [sic!] into images representing the gods and of the Hindu pantheon« (HUNTER 1879 edited 1998, 2: 211). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1977: »The other caves of Meghalaya are Mawjymbuin Cave (Mawsynram), Mawlum Syiem Cave (Mawsmai), Mawkyrdop and Dam Um Cave near Mamwluh, Cherrapunji« (ZIMBA, D T 1977 / 1991: 146). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1980: »Mawsynram cave … where it is interesting to watch water dripping from a breast shaped stone hanging from the ceiling and falling on a stone that looks like a Shiva« (NORTH EAST 1980). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1981: »… a picturesque cave of vast and unexplored depth, featuring a giant stalagmite [a pygmy giant up to 1.2 m in height], in the shape of a 'Sivalinga' which is bathed the year round by water from an overhanging stalactite shaped like a woman's breast [sic! qua: cow's udder]. It is a place of pilgrimage for Hindus« (BAZELY (1991: 19-21). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1982: The Tourism Development Corporation, India (1982: 6) suggests an excursion from Shillong to »Mawsynram 55 km« and attempts to make believe in a so-called »… historic Mawjymbuin Cave, where it is interesting to watch water dripping from a breast-shaped stone hanging from the ceiling and falling down on a stone that looks like a Shiva Linga.« CAVE DESCRIPTION 1996: »Meghalaya … Cherrapunji was until recently the wettest place on earth … Other places of interest around the state include Jakrem with its hot springs, Kayllang Rock at Mairang, Mawjymbuin Cave at Mawsynram and Umiam Lake« (LONELY PLANET, India 1996: 562). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1999: »Mawsynram … Its major attraction is a picturesque cave featuring a giant stalagmite [note 10] in the shape of a Shivalinga, which is bathed the year round by water dropping from an overhanging stalactite shaped like a cow's udder. This famous cavern is locally known as 'Krem Mawjymbuin' -- a place of pilgrimage for Hindus and a natural wonder for sightseers« (DIRECTORATE … s.a. circa 1999: 12). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2005: »A little sandstone cave of only 209 m. The cave is becoming a sacred shrine for Hindu believers because of the existence of a stalactite over a female [sic! for: male] stalagmite at the entrance itself, which gives the impression of a Shiv Ling« (KHARPRAN DALY s.a. 2005). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2006: »The major attraction« at Mawsynram »is Mawjymbuin cave with a giant stalacmite [note 10 again] in the form of Shivalingam« (DIRECTOR OF TOURISM, Government of Meghalaya, s.a. circa 2006: Khasi Hills, Land of Abundant Wonders). DEVICE DESCRIPTION 2012: »… the cave shrine in Mawsynrum [sic! qua: Mawsynram]« or »Mawjuimbuin [sic! qua: Mawjymbuiñ] shrine is a big shiva linga stone with water dripping from the ceiling of the cave« (The Shillong Times 2012.07.30: Pilgrims undertake foot march). CULTURAL HISTORY - religious aspects: The Khasi "ka maw jymbuin" (the breast [shaped] stone) seems to indicate that the stalactite speleothem is at the focus of the indigenous population and reflects the matrilineal orientation of the Khasi religion. Patristic Hindu worshippers, however, though generally ready and prepared to venerate any venerated site, consider the dripping stalactite to represent a "cow's udder" (like the udder of the wish-fulfilling, read: food providing, Kamadhenu cow goddess) and believe the most outstanding cave feature is the short and stout stalagmite boss as this is an impersonification of the god Shiva in the shape of a lingam (male sexual organ) best defaced with tawdy red colour powder combined with soot, decomposing animal excretions (milk, butter), and recently decapitated flower heads that were sacrified and offered by people who confuse veneration with destructive pollution. The sacred temple cave, which is advertised as a tourist attraction and indicated with the symbol for a temple on the Survey of India toposheet 78-O/11 (edition 1974), could be considered as a religious show cave (BAZELY 1991; DIRECTORATE… 1999; INDIEN HANDBUCH 1984, 1994, 1988; LONELY PLANET, India 1981, 1990: 399, 1993: 540, 1996: 562, 1997: 588, 1999, 2001, 2003; MAWSYNRAM CAVE 1988 postcard; NORTH EAST 1992; TOURISM DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION 1982: 6).
NOTE 1: Christopher M. Smart interpreted the arenaceous limestone, in which Krem Dam and Krem Mawjymbuiñ have developed, as »calcareous sandstone« though his own chemical analysis of a rock sample collected from »the wall at the entrance of Krem Mawjymbuin« proofed that this specimen contained only about one third (34.2%, 33.6%) in weight of insolubles: »Under the hand lens, the specimen exhibited a fragmental texture with a high degree of compactness. Despite this compactness the rock was comparatively soft. A 0.03 mm thin section … was examined using a polarising petrological microscope. The fine grained groundmass was immediately evident with a few medium grained (0.25 mm to 1 mm) clasts. Sorting was observed to be good to very good but there was no preferential orientation of the mainly sub-angular grains. With the analyser out, the rock appeared to predominately consist of colourless and mainly low relief minerals. The phenomenon of twinkling, alternating strongly marked and slightly marked borders, with rotation of the polariser served to indicate the presence of calcite. With the analyser in, the colourless minerals seen before were identified as quartz« (BROOKS & SMART 1995 appendix xiv). NOTE 2: MAWSYNRAM CAVE (1988) is one of the rare Indian cave postcards (vertical, colour, 14.5 cm by 9 cm, produced by the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation, unidentified photographer) and shows an amazingly dark green coloured stalagmite boss beneath a stalactite. ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF INDIA, Meghalaya (1994: 5) lists »Mawsynram« among the »Caves in Khasi-Jaintia Hills.« LONELY PLANET, India (5th ed. 1990, 6th ed. 1993, 7th ed. 1997: 588, 8th ed. 1999, 13th 2009 and earlier?) mentions »Mawjymbuin cave« but ignores this item in later editions (9th 2002; 10th 2003; 11th 2005, 12th 2007, 13th 2009: 641; 2011: 582). NOTE 3: The English "mammalian" (adjective), anglicized in the early 19th century (first used in the plural) form "mammalia" (modern Latin), neuter plural of "mammalis" (adjective), from "mamma" (noun), breast. NOTE 4: The English word "penis" (noun), from the Latin ”penis” (tail, penis) signifies the male genital organ of higher vertebrates, carrying the duct for the transfer of sperm during copulation. In humans and most other mammals, it consists largely of erectile tissue and serves also for the elimination of urine; Zoologically: a type of male copulatory organ present in some invertebrates, such as gastropod mollusks. NOTE 5: Simon J. Brooks (2012.05.09 email) had advised Arbenz, T (2012.05.09 email) to forward a link to an internet website where somebody (no name mentioned) uploaded images showing one aspect of the interior of an unspecified cave (no name mentioned), which is associated with the words »Dongshiling« and »Mawriang« and contains the unmistakable stalactite and stalagmite couple of Krem Mawjymbuiñ near the village of Mawsynram. NOTE 6: The Khasi "ka kdong" or "ka k'dong" (noun) is a contraction of "ka kyndong" and signifies »a corner, the quarters, an angle« (SINGH, N 1906: 70; SINGH, N 1920: 18, 95) in the sense of "ka jaka rih" (SINGH, N 1920: 95) or, if I understand it properly, »that what allows to hide; to put or keep out of sight; to conceal from the view or notice of others« (hdg). NOTE 7: "shiling" (vernacular Indic), a corruption of "shivalingam" (Sanskrit), combines one of the names of the Hindu god Shiva (literally: auspicious, gracious) with "lingam" (literally: mark, sign), plural: "linga", an uniconic representation of Shiva; consisting of an upright standing object, mostly made from stone; considered the symbol of a phallus / the "male creative energy" (power). NOTE 8: "gupteshwar" (Sanskrit, Hindi, etc) from "gupta" (past participle of gupd) »concealed, hidden; preserved« (WILSON, H H 1855: 39, 190); »concealed; guarded, protected« (KALYANARAM, S 1998: 1911, 2086); secret, unseen; »rectum« (WILFORD, F 1801: 502) + "ishwara" lord, god) -- in northern India a very popular epithet for numerous natural temple caves which attract customers by giving access to a stalagmite that is celebrated as a lingam representing the presence of Shiva. NOTE 9: The place name "Mawsynram" derives from "u máw" or »a stone« (SINGH, N 1906: 130; SINGH, N 1920: 498; BLAH, E 2007: 289) combined with the noun "ka synrang" which has been translated not only by »a coping of a rock or cave« (SINGH, N 1906: 216) or simply »a cave« (SINGH, N 1920: 63) but also as »a nest« (BLAH 2007: 198) in the sense of a den (the hole or lair of an animal). The Khasi "synram" seems to originate from the prefix (GURDON 1906: 208) or particle (ROBERTS 1891) "syn" forming intensives (GURDON 1906: 208) and the word "ka rám" for »the jungle which has been cleared for jhum cultivation« (SINGH, N 1906: 170). NOTE 10: The »giant stalacmite« (DIRECTOR … circa 2006 s.a.; DIRECTORATE … circa 1999 s.a.: 12) in Krem Mawjymbuin (Mawsynram) measures about a metre in height and is, on a global scale, one of the worldwide tiniest giants. NOTE 11: For one, the Krem Mawjymbuiñ at Mawsynram had been known to people familiar with the area not after the year 1992 but since time immemorial and the so-called "1992 survey" is not an acceptable cave survey but a historical document evidencing the surveying standards of some British sports cavers way back in the second half of the 20th century.
Documents
Bibliography 24/04/2016- Bazely, Peter James 1991; Brooks, Simon J 1993; Brooks, Simon J & Smart, Christopher M 1995; Chopra, P N 1994; Director of Tourism, Government of Meghalaya undated circa 2006; Directorate of Information and Public Relation 1999 s.a.; Gebauer, H D 1980; Hunter, William Wilson 1879 edited 1975, 1998; India Tourism Development Corporation 1982; Indien Handbuch 1984, 1994, 1998; Kharpran Daly, Brian D undated circa 2005; Kharpran Daly, B D 2006 s.a.; Laloo, Minimon 1999; Lonely Planet, India 1981, 1990, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1999; Lonely Planet, North India 2001; Mawsynram Cave (postcard, 1988); North East 1992; Shillong Times 2012.07.30 Pilgrims undertake foot march; Shillong Times 2012.08.09 Acting Syiem's action; Shillong Times 2012.08.31 KHADC show causes acting Syiem for issuing NOC; Shrivastava, V K 1997; Smart, Christopher M 1995a; Zimba, Dawa Tsering 1977 / 1978, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1991, 2005.
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1879: William Wilson HUNTER (1879 edited 1998, 2: 211) had learned about »many peculiar caves and caverns« (no names mentioned), which »are found in the limestone rock formation« occuring in the »Khásí and Jáintiá Hills« where, among »the caves at Cherrá Púnji« is also »another cave« (no cave name mentioned) in which the »limestone stalactites have been carved into images representing the gods and of the Hindu pantheon.« 1920-1921: Captain PALMER (1924: 168) surveyed the geology of the area and found the Eocene limestone in »the Mawsynran region and north of Cherrapunji … only poorly developed, and sandstones of that age very similar to the Cretaceous sandstones« but did not bother to mention caves. 1977: Dawa Tsering ZIMBA (1977 edited 1991: 146) pointed out that »the other caves of Meghalaya are Mawjymbuin Cave (Mawsynram), Mawlum Syiem Cave (Mawsmai), Mawkyrdop and Dam Um Cave near Mawmluh, Cherrapunji.« 1992.11.12: Simon J. Brooks, Christopher M. Smart, Rob Harper and Helen Harper, who had been chauffeur-driven by »a local taxi driver, by the name of Mr Noro« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 9), from Shillong to »Mawsynram … visited, explored, surveyed and photographed Krem Mawjymbuin - the known cave at Mawsynram« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 12) to a degree resulting in a quick and easy sketch plan. 2012.02.15, Andre Abele, Georg Bäumler, Sharareh "Shary" Ghazy, and Jean-Pierre Bartholeyns: »… did some shopping in the market and on their way back to the IB they saw a cave entrance on the opposite side of the valley. They walked up to it and found a nice and picturesque entrance [to the famous Krem Mawjymbuiñ]« but somebody cared to spoil the chance of seeing it properly surveyed and created, instead, a tale according to which this cave would have been »already known and surveyed in 1992« (Anonymous 2012.03.10 Mss: Meghalaya 2012 Team 2 Diary). This, of course, is not the case at all (note 11). 2012.07.30: »More than five hundred devotees took out a procession on foot from the 151 year old Mahadev Khola Dham, in Shillong city to reach the cave shrine in Mawsynrum [sic! qua: Mawsynram] on Sunday. Sadhus undertaking the 64 Km foot march come annually from various parts of the country on the occasion they assembled at the Mahadev Khola Dham. The Mawjuimbuin [sic! qua: Mawjymbuiñ] shrine is a big shiva linga stone with water dripping from the ceiling of the cave. This yatra has often been termed as Meghalaya’s ‘Amarnath Yatra’ by many people earlier has has turned out to be a much anticipated affair« (The Shillong Times 2012.07.30: Pilgrims undertake foot march). 2012.08.08: »The non-adherence to the rules laid by the Dorbar Shnong of Mawsynram by the acting syiem of Hima Mawsynram Amos Malngiang has fumed the West Khasi Hills based NGOs who demanded an immediate intervention of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) into the matter, failing of which they will be forced to issue an ultimatum to Malngiang to rectify the problem. The three NGOs which included the KSU, FKJGP and HNYF of Mawsynram circle has alleged that the acting Syiem of Mawsynram has by-passed the Dorbar Shnong by granting the No Objection Certificate (NOC) for religious activities inside the Mawjymbuin Cave. The KHADC in October last had made it clear that the maintenance of the Mawjymbuin cave falls within the jurisdiction of the Mawsynram Dorbar Shnong and the authority to grant the NOC depends on the Dorbar Shnong. “In the meeting held on October with the CEM, it was agreed upon that the right to grant NOC should be of the Dorbar Shnong and not the acting Syiem. However, it was found again that the acting Syiem has broke the agreement by leaving the Dorbar Shnong in the dark while granting the NOC for religious activities inside the cave”, FKJGP education secretary Morgan J Lyngdoh told reporters here on Wednesday [2012.08.08]. The local NGOs who came to the KHADC on Wednesday with a motive to apprise the CEM of this matter however, failed to meet him as he was away from office despite having arranged the timing himself. The NGOs on Wednesday [2012.08.08] lambasted PN Syiem for his lack of discipline in maintaining the time arranged for a meeting. “To our surprise, Syiem was not present at the office and when we tried to call him, his cell phone switched off”, KSU Mawsynram circle president Sambor Nongbet told reporters here on Wednesday. The KHADC corridor turned into a waiting platform and the local NGOs finally left the KHADC premises after the CEM failed to come to the office.« (SHILLONG TIMES 2012.08.09: Acting Syiem’s action irks NGOs). 2012.08.31: »The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has issued a show cause notice to the acting Syiem of Hima Mawsynram, Amos Malngiang, seeking clarification on the alleged issuance of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for performing religious activities inside the Mawjymbuin Cave at Mawsynram in East Khasi Hills. “We have issued a show cause notice to Amos Malngiang last week with the expectation of an early response from him,” KHADC Executive Member in charge Elaka, Lamphrang Blah, informed here on Wednesday. Blah informed that the show cause order was issued after three local NGOs – KSU, FKJGP and HNYF (Mawsynram circle) – had alleged the acting Syiem of bypassing the Dorbar Shnong by granting NOC for performing religious activities inside the Mawjymbuin Cave. The local NGOs have been maintaining that since the Mawjymbuin Cave was under the jurisdiction of the Mawsynram Dorbar Shnong, the authority to grant the NOC lies solely on the Dorbar …« (The Shillong Times 2012.08.31: KHADC show causes acting Syiem for issuing NOC).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | MAWSYNRAM CAVE (Kharpran Daly 1999) (aa -) | ||
| 0.9 | DAM, Mawsynram (Krem) | ||
| 1.3 | RIDA (Krem) | ||
| 2.5 | MAWSYNRAM - Jathang (Spring near) | ||
| 3.2 | AA CAVES, Mawsynram (Smart 1992) | ||
| 3.6 | KYNTURSNIANG (Krem hajan) | ||
| 3.7 | MADURI (Krem) | ||
| 3.7 | PURI (Krem) | ||
| 4.2 | PHUD JASIM, 1st (Krem) |