Gupteshwar Gupha
28.188300,83.957200
Description
One day during the rainy season of 1993 a relatively small, vertical tube (less than a metre in diameter), which descended in the base of a solution doline (till the 1980ies used as a latrine), unexpectedly but suddenly developed from a small hole into a sizeable collapse doline (note 1) measuring up to 23 m in diameter and 9 m in depth. At the deepest point of the young doline, there is now the crescent shaped, horizontal cave entrance (8 m wide and up to 3 m high) to the upstream section of –>Patale Chhango. ETYMOLOGY: The Gorkhali (Nepali) cave name "gupteshwar" derives from the Sanskrit "gupta" (secret, hidden) and "ishwar" (god, lord) and designates a stalagmite speleothem identified as a shiva lingam, the phallic emblem of the Hindu god Shiva. So far, I saw the name of this cave called or transcribed, edited and printed as Gupteshwar Cave SAVITHA (2004.08.22) Gupteshwor cave ADHIKARI, H (2008: 45 table, item 6); PHUYAL & DHOUBADEL (2006: 34); PHUYAL (2007: 28) Gupteswor cave WASTI & ACHARYA (2011: 332 table 1 site no. 1). SITUATION 2011: »Located near David's fall of Pokhara [i.e. –>Patale Chhango]« (WASTI & ACHARYA 2011: 332 table 1 site 3). POSITION: An obviously erronous GPS position »Lat-Long 28°10'56” 84°0'40” [unidentified geodetic datum, unspecified precision error]« (ADHIKARI, Hari 2008: 45 table, site no. 6 after »Sujas 2005« instead PHUYAL, Sujas Prasad 2005; WASTI & ACHARYA 2011: 332 table 1 site no. 1) for »Gupteswor cave (Pokhara - 17 Chorepatan)« indicates a spot at Daduwakhola, about 5.19 km in a direct line east of the cave entrance to Gupteshwar Gupha, Chhorepatan. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2000: »The main entrance to the Gupteshwar cave is located at the base of an about 4 m deep open sinkhole formed within the terrace. After entering the cave, one follows a steep course descending towards the north-east and reaches a gigantic gallery [i.e. –>Patale Chhango upstream] which opens up towards both sides« (GAUTAM et al. 2000: 100) CAVE DESCRIPTION 2006: »Gupteshwor Cave (Pokhara 17) … Accessible cave roost situated by the motor road, famous for caving … Very interesting cave for caving purpose. The biggest cave recorded in this study. … In Gupteshwor cave, the water level sometimes rises up to the cave entrance trapping and drowning unaware bat colonies« (PHUYAL & DHOUBADEL 2006)CULTURAL HISTORY - human use: The hole, formerly sheltering defacators from plain view, is used since 1994 as a religious show cave (Hindu temple cave) managed by self-established »pujaris« (read: greedy cave wardens disguised as pious authorities) exploiting maltreated stalagmites (speleothems) venerated as sacred (soiled) linga (phalli representing Shiva). 2004: »… there is Devi’s fall, also known as Patale Chango [sic! for: –>Patale Chhango], a waterfall 2 km south-west of the City, and the natural limestone cave formations including Gupteshwar Cave nearby« (SAVITHA 2004.08.22). 2006: »Bat cave, Mahendra cave and Gupteshwor cave have been used as a tourism resource … Mahendra cave is found to be illuminated with 12-hour run electric bulbs, Gupteshwor cave partially lit with electric bulbs, and Bat cave only be observed with torches [read: electric torches = flash lights]« (PHUYAL & DHOUBADEL 2006: 35). 2007: »A bat brochure was published in Nepali language … in collaboration with Self Help Environment Awareness Camp (SHEAC), Pokhara. Brochures were distributed among people around Bat Cave, Mahendra Cave, Crazy Cave, Birendra Cave, Putli Cave, Sita Cave, Gupteshwor Cave and Peace Cave« (PHUYAL 2007: 28). 2011: »Gupteswor cave (Pokhara 17 Chorepatan …[is] regarded as largest cave to Indian subcontinent [bullshit] important for religious activity are [sic! qua: and?] speleology« (WASTI & ACHARYA 2011: 332 site 3). CAVE LIFE: »Gupteshwor Cave (Pokhara 17) … Presence of bats was recorded« (PHUYAL & DHOUBADEL 2006: 35 table 1 item 6).
NOTE 1: Please note the diplomatic skill of engineering geologists who save caves from tourist hazards by pledging to save tourists from cave hazards: »The Mahendra and Gupteshwar caves, which are regularly visited by tourists and therefore represent sites prone to hazard related to possible failures of certain parts, are developed within the Phewa Formation (Koirala et al. 1996)« (GAUTAM et al. 2000: 100).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | BIRHENDRA GUFA (Gebauer 1980) | ||
| 0.8 | PATALE CHHANGO | ||
| 1.1 | PHORKE CAVE 1 | ||
| 1.1 | PHORKE CAVE 2 | ||
| 1.5 | TASHILLING DOLINE CAVE | ||
| 1.6 | BAIDAM CHASM | ||
| 2.6 | PHORKE CAVE 3 | ||
| 3.5 | PHIYAWRO GUFA | ||
| 4.2 | DHUNGESANGU GUPHA |