ROBBERS' CAVE, Mahableshwar
17.884300,73.667100
Description
A hole (about 4.5 m by 7 m wide) in the locally slightly inclined level surface, which obviously originates from a ceiling collapse, is complete with a fixed iron ladder, pierces a caprock of basalt, and drops 6 m down to intersect 60 m (BROSSET 1962d: 740-741) of a solitary cave passage, which penetrates a soft, reddish coloured rock resembling laterite. The upstream branch, in cross-section rounded triangular (initially up to 5 m wide and high), leads approximately NNE upstream. Less than 2 m or 3 m in, however, the entire floor was covered on 11th February 2007 with a foul smelling, standing pool of bat piss diluted with some water to which I didn't even expose my termometer (estimated 25°C or so in the air). BROSSET (1962d: 740-741) reported a 60 m long main passage (on average 5 m wide and 2.5 m high) characterised by bat covered walls and ceilings above knee deep liquid guano. The solitary cave passage, which follows the axis of a shallow syncline, may have developed due to piping processes of an interstratal laterite bed capped with Upper Cretaceous to Lower Eocene Deccan Trap Basalt. ETYMOLOGY: The origin of the cave name »Robber's Caves« (note 1) or »Robbers' Cave« (note 2), which seems to be locally known as »Robbes Cave« (note 3), remains in the dark (note 4). SITUATION 1961: »Robbes Cave« (sic!) est située »dans la forêt des Mahableshwar« (BROSSET 1961: 435, 1962b, 1962c) or, if your prefer, at a place (note 5) in the forest of Mahableshwar and at an unspecified distance of 4 km (perhaps along a winding route but possibly in a direct line) in an unspecified direction from an unspecified starting point at –>Mahableshwar. SITUATION 2001: JUBERTHIE et al. (2001: 1799) refer to a certain »Brosset« (without any bibibliographical details whatsoever), and place the cave near Bombay (sic!) though this city lies 214 km along the road away, corresponding to 6 or 7 hrs by bus plus half an hour by taxi plus half an hour on foot. SITUATION 2007: At a walking distance of about 1.5 km approximately north-west from the village of Malausar, which lies at a travelling distance of estimated 5 or 6 km along the road roughly south-east from the bus stand in Mahabaleshwar (note 6) and some 400 m east of the road towards Tapola. APPROACH: The cave is probably easiest reached by walking from the road into Malausar village eastwards up to the mosque (green and white) and then by turning northish (right) and uphill till, above the last houses of the village, a motorable fair-weather track is met. Turn to the west (in this case on left-hand side) and follow this "road" contouring through forest till a wide open expanse is reached, where volcanic Trap basalts slope by about 3° or 5° approximately south-southwest. The expanse, embraced by low forested hillocks, is barren and strewn with rocks with little grass and hardly any soil in between. Here, the pothole-style cave entrance lies inside a tiny grove at the south-southwestern edge of the expanse, which ends abruptly above forest covered scarps descending southwards (Gebauer 2007.02.11). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1961: BROSSET (1961: 435) was shown a cave entrance hidden in thickets but betrayed by a strong guano smell and the screams of its inhabitants as it leads to the dwelling place of an enormous colony of Schreiber's long-fingered bat (Miniopterus schreibersi Kuhl 1819) hanging barrel-vaults in swarming masses. Proceeding in a rain of urine, we encountered a number of 30 or 40 thousand in the first 30 m of the gallery alone. Then our progress was thwarted by the danger of disappearing in guano while the cave passage continues and the bats cover the vault as far as we could illuminate with a powerfull torch light. … In May we returned and penetrated, with great difficulties, this cave to its terminal sump (note 7). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1962: »Robbes Cave [sic!] … The cavity is situated … at an altitude of about 1200 m in a depression in a partly forested plateau. The origin of the cave is not quite clear, limestone being absent in the neighbourhood. In shape the cavity is like a simple gallery, about 5 m broad, 2.5 m high and 60 m long. A portion of the roof has fallen in [and the resulting daylight window is] lightning up the first 30 m of the gallery, which becomes quite dark afterwards. The floor of the cave is partially covered with guano, mixed with water. The observer who wishes to go further than the entrance must enter into this foul smelling mud more than half a metre deep and covered with varying depths of water at different seasons. The water maintains the humidity of the cave, and also protects its inhabitants against predators. The walls and the ceiling of the cave are completely covered with bats. The bottom [upstream end?] is closed by the classical siphon [note 8], which very often marks the end of natural caves« (BROSSET 1962d: 740-741). Generally said, it is a »natural cave (forest area)« (BROSSET 1962a: 11 table) and, as such, »… a natural cave with permanent water inside« (BROSSET (1962c table) BROSSET (1961, 1962b, 1962c) adds that the cave has »many ramifications« (read: bat sized holes) and drains, during the monsoon, a stream varying in depth between 0.8 and 1.5 m. CULTURAL HISTORY - cult spot: XXXX Adjacent to the cave entrance and sheltered by a an overhanging rock is a nice little Hindu cult spot, complete with a trishul (trident), burned incence, etc. and a small tree on the twigs of which many infant-sized, green-coulered glass bangles were deposited. CAVE LIFE - bats (Chiroptera): Robbers' Cave is a famous haunt of Schreiber's long-fingered bat (Vespertillionidae Gray 1821: Miniopterinae Miller 1907: Miniopterus Bonaparte 1837: Miniopterus schreibersi Kuhl 1819). BROSSET (1962a: 183): »Chez Miniopterus schreibersi, le type de coloration rouge, qui n'existe pas chez les individues européens et nord-africains, est fréquent en Inde. Il touche, à Robbes caves [sic!], environ 1 individue sur 40. La couleur de ces individus est d'un beau rouge acajou. Onze spécimen de ce type furent tous reconnus femelles. … Le minioptères mâles des Robbes caves [sic!] présentaient en avril - mai une curieuse "calvitie" qui semble due au frottement du crâne sur une surface dure …« BROSSET (1962b: 11 table): Pteropidae [note 9]: Rousettus leschenaulti Desmarest 1820 (Fulveous fruit bat). In »February, April-May, August« (1959 or1960) a colony of estimated 500 individuals at »Mahableshwar … in the Robbers' Cave (forest area). Natural cave.« BROSSET (1962b: 183): About one out of 40 Miniopterus schreibersi has a reddish coloured fur variety. BROSSET (1962b: 202) claims about 25'000 and BROSSET (1962d: 739) at least 100'000 individuals of Miniopterus schreibersi, which inhabit »Robbes Cave« (sic!) »… this colony seems to be the largest known anywhere in the world.« BROSSET (1962c: 596 table) reports a population of bats (Chiroptera) consisting of estimated 250 Rhinolophus rouxi (Temminck 1835) associated with an enormous colony of Miniopterus schreibersi (Kuhl 1819). BROSSET (1962c: 604): »Robbers' Cave, Mahableshwar. On 7 August 1960 several individuals [of Rhinolophus lepidus Blyth 1844] collected were in a state of complete hibernation.« BROSSET (1963: 350): »In the Robbers' Cave, I noticed that the pregnacy of this small insectivorous bat [Miniopterus schreibersi] has a duration of at least five months.«
NOTE 1: »Robber's Caves« (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 16: 424-425). NOTE 2: JUBERTHIE et al. (2001: 1799) attempted to translate Andrè Brosset's »Robber's Cave« into the French language but arrived at a »Caverne des Voleurs« or Thief's Cavern. NOTE 3: »Robbes Cave« (BROSSET 1961, 1962b, 1962c; SALUNKE 2003: Mahabaleshwar Town Map). NOTE 4: Since hiding out in a sewage drain must be preferable to a prolonged stay inside the »Robbes Cave« (Indo-English), I presume this cave is rather called after one Robert than after one or several robbers or persons, who take property unlawfully by force or threat of force. NOTE 5: BROSSET (1961) positions the entrance of Robbers' Cave at N17°50': E074°10': 1200 m asl (unspecified geodetic datum probably Everest 1830) but this position is problematic insofar as it indicates the Nandugarh ridge, which lies some 50 km in a direct line approximately ESE of Mahabaleshwar and about 20 km north-east of Satara. The elevation of 1302 m asl read with a 12-channel GPS (Gebauer, H D 2007.02.11 Garmin 12) is problematic insofar, as the cave lies obviously at least 100 m, perhaps even 200 m lower than Mahabaleshwar town (Wilson Point GTS station at 1372 m asl, LONELY PLANET, India 2005: 754). NOTE 6: Mahabaleshwar (Mahabaleshvar, Mahableshvar, Mahableshwar, formerly Malcolmpeth, Malcolm Peth) N17°56': E073°40' (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 16: 424) or N17°55': E073°40' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) in the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006) map 90 C4.NOTE 7: »… la Robbes [sic!] Cave, cavité naturelle située dans la forêt des Mahableshwar. L'entrée de la caverne, disimulée dans les broussailles, se signale par une puissante odeur de guano, et par les piaillements de ses habitants. C'est le lieu de séjour d'une énorme colonie de Minioptères. Le voûtes sont tapisées d'une masse grouillante. Nous avançons sous une pluie d'urine et dénombrons de 30 à 40.000 individues dans les trente premiers mètres de galerie. Notre progression est arrêtée par les risques d'enlisement dans le guano, mais la colonie se poursuit, recouvrant les voûtes aussi loin que peut éclairer une puissante torche. … En mai, je retournai dans cette caverne et, au prix de grandes difficulties, parcours la cavité jusqu'au siphon terminal« (BROSSET 1961: 435). NOTE 8: This »classical siphon« (BROSSET 1962d: 741) is possibly a diving spot inspiring in a limited degree. Judging from the other pipe-like single-passage caves in laterite which I have explored to their penetrable limits, I expect that following the Robbers' Cave's solitary cave passage upstream leads to a flat-out crawl, which, in this case, is not flooded with water but with classical bat piss. NOTE 9: »… the Cheiropterus [Chiroptera] family includes and is constituted by the bats. … The Indian species belong chiefly to the genus Pteropus. The eatable rousette (Pt. edulis), called kalon by the natives, is abundant in the great Asiatic islands. Its flesh is white, delicate, and remarkably tender. Its wings extend more than five feet from point to point, and its muzzle resembles that of a dog with the point of its nose cut in two. It is taken by means of a sack fastened to the extremity of a pole« (MURRAY, H et al. 1832, 3: 23).
Documents
Bibliography 14/05/2016History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1960.04.09: André BROSSET (1961: 434) in company with an unacknowled guide and attendants (no names mentioned) visited »Robbes Cave« (sic!) and penetrated the first 30 m. 1960.05: André BROSSET (1961: 434), again in company with unacknowled attendants (no names mentioned), came back to »cette caverne« (this cave), penetraded »la cavité« (the cave) and reached, negotiating great difficulties, sort of a terminal sump. 1960.05.04: André BROSSET (1962c: 598) saw at Robbers' Cave about 150 female Rhinolophus rouxi Temminck 1835, »each carrying a young about 20 days old, i.e. born on 15 April.«1960.05.06: BROSSET (1961: 429) discovered in »Robbes Cave« (sic) a colony of Rhinolophus rouxi that was »… une colonie de misebas comptant plusieurs centaines de femelles portant des jeunes.« 1961 May 16: André Brosset in company with Humayun Abdulali, returned to the cave. 1961 August 07: André Brosset and Humayun Abdulali returned at the height of the monsoon. 2007 February 11: H. D. Gebauer and Andre Abele traced the item down, explored the dry part of the cave, sketched and photographed.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | ROBBERS' CAVE, Mahableshwar 2 | ||
| 7.3 | SHIVA, Mahabaleshwar (Cave of) | ||
| 7.5 | PANCHGANGA MANDIR SPRING | ||
| 8.9 | MAHABALESHWAR MANDIR | ||
| 14.5 | MEHERBABA CAVES, Panchgani | ||
| 15.1 | BHIM CHULA | ||
| 15.3 | DEN DINE RESTAURANT | ||
| 15.4 | Panchgani Plinth and Tobacco Cave | ||
| 18.9 | RAJPURI CAVES, Panchgani |