LUBON - LUM BNAI (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 08/04/2016

A south-west facing cave entrance (7 m wide, 6 m high) gives access to a spacious cave passage along a NW-SE trending fault (photograph in ARBENZ & WEIDMANN 2003: 13) that takes water down a sandy passage to a final collapse chamber. Krem –>Lum Bnai is an other entrance. ETYMOLOGY: The War (Khasi) morphem "lubon" is not identified unless it corresponds to the standard Khasi a) ”lymbung” (adjective) = »in a heap or group« (SINGH, N 1906: 124) b) ”ka lbong” (noun) = »the thigh« (SINGH, N 1906: 112) c) ”lbang” (adjective) = »with the dhoti rolled up« (SINGH, N 1906: 112).SITUATION (Attention: Estimated coordinates only): Below the road descending from the village of Nongjri (WGS84 N25°11'28”: E091°47'38”: circa 300 m asl) down to Nongjri Bazar (WGS84 N25°10'45”: E091°48'18”: 80 m asl), about 500 m (or so) east of the latter, and some 75 m in a direct line approximately south-west of the cave entrance to Krem –>Lum Bnai. CULTURAL HISTORY - Human use: Bat hunting ground eqipped with a bat trap in February 1998. CAVE LIFE: Bats (Chiroptera).