MENGA (Cave at)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A wide open cave entrance (8 m wide, 6 m high) in limestone (note 1) leads to a temple cave, which contains secondary calcite formations (speleothems), including a lingam sacred to Shiva, and allows encountering a degree of darkness that needs a torch (flashlight) for illumination. At one stage of encountering darkness, one has to crawl [squeeze a dwar?] to enter the cave through narrow crevice (note 2). SITUATION: Some 10 m or 12 m above the road (note 3) and somewhere at the village of Menga (note 4), which is said to lie 19 km along a road (3 hours by bus) in an unspecified direction from Daporizo / Daporijo (note 5). Menga River is shown on AMS sheet NH46-15 Kyimdong Dzong (U502 series, 1956 edition) to join near 28°06'N: 94°10'E the orographically left (locally west) bank of the Subansiri River (26°48'N: 93°49'E). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2008: A relatively small cave + temple (100% limestone with small formations, but they seem to have stopped growing) at a small village called enga (ASL 226 mtrs). The cave was approximately 35 feet [10 m or 12 m] up on the steep hill face, the opening measuring about 26 feet [8 m] wide x 20 feet [6 m] high with a high ceiling and had several small holes / branches on the left and above. The 1st one tapered and finally closed at 10 feet [3 m], the 2nd small but ran horizontally for 8 feet [2.4 m] before opening on top, climbed and wriggled into a chimney like cavity that went on up for approx. 15-18 feet [4.6 to 5.5 m]. Managed to go only half way, seemed to taper and get narrower. The cave had a wall built in front and came with its own pujari and even had a cement linga built over the original formation 12-14 in- x 36-40- [measuring30 cm to 36 cm by 0.9 m to 1 m]. The story behind was that there were a few snakes that would fall from the ceiling and curl themselves on the linga and so -- Shiva. The roads in that part of the world are built and maintained by the Border Roads Organisation and they always outsource labour fro the plains, so i guess the plains people then converted the cave into a temple. For the entrance to the cave they have built proper croncrete steps (and spent sack fulls of Rs.). Travelling along that road i came across a mile stone that said -Limeking 159 km-. Sounded good … (Neil Sootinck 2008.03.11 personal correspondence).CAVE DESCRIPTIONS 2002: Internet websites (note 6) count among the official places of interest in the vicinity of Daporijo … a beautiful cave a few kilometres away. The best season to visit is from October to April. Recommended clothing is woollen in winter and cotton in summer. CULTURAL HISTORY - religious folklore: assam.org/content.php?menu=1705&page_id=168 (accessed 2002.11.09): Out of the main cave is another cave is Lord Mahadev.enga (ASL 226 mtrs). The cave was approximately 35 feet [10 m or 12 m] up on the steep hill face, the opening measuring about 26 feet [8 m] wide x 20 feet [6 m] high with a high ceiling and had several small holes / branches on the left and above. The 1st one tapered and finally closed at 10 feet [3 m], the 2nd small but ran horizontally for 8 feet [2.4 m] before opening on top, climbed and wriggled into a chimney like cavity that went on up for approx. 15-18 feet [4.6 to 5.5 m]. Managed to go only half way, seemed to taper and get narrower. The cave had a wall built in front and came with its own pujari and even had a cement linga built over the original formation 12-14 in- x 36-40- [measuring30 cm to 36 cm by 0.9 m to 1 m]. The story behind was that there were a few snakes that would fall from the ceiling and curl themselves on the linga and so -- Shiva. The roads in that part of the world are built and maintained by the Border Roads Organisation and they always outsource labour froenga (ASL 226 mtrs). The cave was approximately 35 feet [10 m or 12 m] up on the steep hill face, the opening measuring about 26 feet [8 m] wide x 20 feet [6 m] high with a high ceiling and had several small holes / branches on the left and above. The 1st one tapered and finally closed at 10 feet [3 m], the 2nd small but ran horizontally for 8 feet [2.4 m] before opening on top, climbed and wriggled into a chimney like cavity that went on up for approx. 15-18 feet [4.6 to 5.5 m]. Managed to go only half way, seemed to taper and get narrower. The cave had a wall built in front and came with its own pujari and even had a cement linga built over the original formation 12-14 in- x 36-40- [measuring30 cm to 36 cm by 0.9 m to 1 m]. The story behind was that there were a few snakes that would fall from the ceiling and curl themselves on the linga and so -- Shiva. The roads in that part of the world are built and maintained by the Border Roads Organisation and they always outsource labour fro the plains, so i guess the plains people then converted the cave into a temple. For the entrance to the cave they have built proper croncrete steps (and spent sack fulls of Rs.). Travelling along that road i came across a mile stone that said -Limeking 159 km-. Sounded good … (Neil Sootinck 2008.03.11 personal correspondence).CAVE DESCRIPTIONS 2002: Internet websites (note 6) count among the official places of interest in the vicinity of Daporijo … a beautiful cave a few kilometres away. The best season to visit is from October to April. Recommended clothing is woollen in winter and cotton in summer. CULTURAL HISTORY - religious folklore: assam.org/content.php?menu=1705&page_id=168 (accessed 2002.11.09): Out of the main cave is another cave is Lord Mahadev.