KOTLA CAVE (Glennie 1937)
31.150000,76.966700
Description
A collapse entrance (0.9 m wide) or »three foot square hole in a flat field« (note 1), which, in 1937, had been either »recently discovered« (Bahadur 1937 s.a. Mss) or »three years previously« (Craven 1991.02.26 Mss after Glennie 1938.09.21 Mss), gives access to a temple cave »sacred to Sivi devi« (Glennie 1937 Mss "Notebook" page 2), which contains a »large stalagmite« (speleothem) that probably is venerated as a lingam. IDENTITY: Not known to me. In the vicinity of Arki, the temple caves with sacred stalagmites (linga) are the three following: Betehr Goffar (Beterh Cave, Third Cave) Lutru Mahadev (Latru Mahadev, Laturu Mahadev) Mutru Mahadev (Matru Mahader, Nagdwar). ETYMOLOGY: Glennie (1937 Mss "Notebook" page 2) recorded this item as an anonymous item »A1. Cave in Baghal State near Kotla« and explains that it is sacred to one »Sivi devi« but, as an Imperial military man, was not able to allow a locally established cave name. If Kotla Cave (Glennie 1937) is sacred to a certain »Sivi Devi« (or so), we can expect that is is better known as Sivi Goffar or Sivi Devi Goffar, but a Shiva Goffar (Cave of Shiva / Shiva Deva) seems to be much more likely (note 2). Over the years, the Kotla Cave (Glennie 1937) has been called »A1. Cave in Baghal State near Kotla« (Glennie 1937 Mss "Notebook" page 2) »cave in the Simla Hills«(GLENNIE 1947: 590) »cave near the village of Kotla« (GLENNIE 1948: 777) »grotte des Himalaya, région Simla« (LINDBERG 1960: 46) »one of these caves« (GLENNIE 1969: 107) »Hill State Cave, Baghal State« (GLENNIE 1969: 109) »cave near Kotala« (CRAVEN 1969: 31). SITUATION: Either at a more or less assumed elevation of 3060 feet = 933 m (GLENNIE 1969: 109) or, to be less precise, at about 3000 ft = 915 m asl (GLENNIE 1969: 107) but in an enigmatic location near a certain village of Kotla or Kotala (note 3), which is said (note 4) to lie »8 miles« (13 km) from Naldera (N31°11': E77°11').SITUATION 1937: Glennie (1937 Mss "Notebook" page 2) commenced to position »A1. Cave in Baghal State near Kotla. Lat. Long. » but never completed the entry. SITUATION 1938: According to Dr. med. Stephen A. Craven (1991.02.26 personal correspondence), there exists one letter by Glennie (1938.09.21 Mss) to Eli "Cymmie" Simpson, which places one »Siva Cave« (perhaps the Kotla Cave Glennie 1937) at an unspecified (travelling?) distance of of »8 miles« (13 km) without orientation from »the sinkhole in Baghal State« which either is –>Naldera Cave 10-5 or –>Naldera Cave 11-1. SITUATION 1947: GLENNIE (1947: 590) places »two widely separated caves« without noteworthy names (i.e. –>Kotla Cave Glennie 1937 and either –>Naldera Cave 10-5 or –>Naldera Cave 11-1) simply somewhere »in the Simla Hills.« SITUATION 1960: LINDBERG (1960: 46) follows GLENNIE (1947) and places »deux grottes [sans nome, i.e. Kotla Cave Glennie 1937 and –>Naldera Cave] des Himalaya, région Simla, éloignées l'une de l'autre, Glennie a, par ailleurs, d´couvert un Diploure (Campodea) de forte taille, considéré comme un suivivant de la faune extensive des grands Campodea maintenant disparue de la surface.« SITUATION 1969: GLENNIE (1969: 107) locates »one of these caves« (Kotla Cave, Naldera Cave) in an unspecified location somewhere »In a low valley about 40 miles [64 km] walk from Simla [31°06'N: 77°07'E] in another direction [sic! for: approximately west] and at a height of about 3000 feet [933 m] is a small Hill State where there are many extensive caves.« CRAVEN (1969: 31): »Himachal Pradesh: Glennie (1948, 1969) has reported two caves near Simla. There is the Naldera Cave [… and the] other cave is about 40 miles [64 km] from Simla near Kotala in the Baghat [sic!] Hill State, 3,000 feet above sea level.« SITUATION 1971: »About 35 years ago I was in Baghal State to see a cave which had suddenly opened up a 3 foot square hole in a flat field. On the way I passed an open cave … [i.e. –>Naldera Cave]« (Glennie, E. A. s.a. = circa 1971.06.02 Mss: Letter to John F. Peake). SITUATION 1991: »Glennie E. A. (n.d.) Siva Cave [sic!] (MS. note in BSA records, now British Cave Research Association [note 5]. Near Kotla, Baghal State …« (Craven 1991.02.26 personal correspondence). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1937: »Enter small pot hole 8 ft [2.5 m] down, chamber about 8 ft diam. with large stalagmite in middle. Then down 8 ft another stalagmite (passage to right terminates quickly) proceed to left, through a narrow passage * onto large chamber about 50 ft [15 m] long, 30 ft [9 m] wide. Descend slippery drop about 20 feet [6 m]. Then climb again and enter second chamber same size very lofty (very small opening to surface in roof). This chamber can also be entered from 2nd chamber by descending to lower level 20 ft. [6 m] down. This lower level drops down to end of cave. Here on mud Campodea (No. 1 was found). The whole cave though [deleted not] no actual running water was very damp, all rocks slippery with moisture, must be very wet in monsoon.* From passage a very narrow but negociable [sic!] hole leads down to a small chamber about 50 ft x 20 ft. The whole cave is aligned along one fissure, no side galleries« (Glennie 1937 Mss "Notebook" page 2) CAVE DESCRIPTION 1938, not seen: An elusive letter by E. A. Glennie (1938.09.21 Mss: Letter to Eli "Cymmie" Simpson) is said to contain a »detailed description and survey of the sinkhole [note 6] in Baghal State, 8 miles [13 km] from Siva Cave [note 7]« (Craven, S A 1991.02.26 Mss). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1969: »… cave … about 40 miles [64 km] from Simla near Kotala … Glennie tells me that this cave was brought to his attention when the roof collapsed and a child fell in. Other commitments prevented him from doing anything except a cursory inspection of the place, though he says it is a promising area and should yield other caves« (CRAVEN 1969: 31) CAVE DESCRIPTION 1991: »Glennie E. A. (n.d.) Siva Cave [sic!] (MS. note in BSA records, now British Cave Research Association. Near Kotla, Baghal State, examined by Glennie, K. Wadely [Wadley?] and a police constable. Discovered three years previously [1934] when the ground collapsed and a child fell 8 ft. [2.5 m] into an 8 ft. diameter chamber with a central stalagmite. Two other very high chambers - each 30 ft x 20 ft [9.15 by 18.3 m]« (Craven 1991.02.26 personal correspondence). TACKLE: Long socks worn by men, that is to say »stockings« (Glennie, E A 1937 Mss "Notebook" page 2). CULTURAL HISTORY: »A1. Cave in Baghal State near Kotla …Takes about 2 hours to explore fully. No bats. The cave only recently discovered through collapse under a child. Is sacred to Sivi devi. Local priest requires bakshish. It must be explored in stockinged feet« (Glennie, E A 1937 Mss "Notebook" page 2). CAVE CLIMATE: GLENNIE (1969: 107, 109) reports an air temperature of 78°F (25.6°C) in the cave. CAVE LIFE: GLENNIE (1947b: 590) reports the presence of Campodea (Insecta: Apterygota: Diplura: Campodeida). GLENNIE (1948: 777): »The specimens which I obtained« either from Kotla Cave (Glennie 1937) or from a so-called »Naldera Mine above milestone 11-5« (sic! either –>Naldera Cave 10-5 or –>Naldera Cave 11-1), »are undetermined, undescribed and destroyed. The insect awaits rediscovery. The most promising area is Baghat State [sic! for: Baghal State; now –>Arki panchayat] and in particular the cave near the village of Kotla where it may be common. I saw three during a brief visit.« GLENNIE (1969: 107): »… Diplura [Insecta: Apterygota: Diplura: conf. Campodeida: Campodea] were seen and are probably present in large numbers. I watched a group of these spaced about eight inches apart moving apparently as a team straight up a gentle slope of calcite. The cerci, moved about independently quivering like the antennae of an ant, and with front end curved down apparently to test the ground by actual contact with the tip. One was collected and compared with the Naldera specimen …«
NOTE 1: Glennie, Edward Aubrey (circa 1971.06.20 s.a. Mss: Letter to John F. Peake). NOTE 2: »Sivi devi« (Glennie, E A 1937 Mss "Notebook" page 2) is problematic insofar as this would be a goddess named Sivi (or Shivi, Sibbi) while Hindu believers identify stalagmites as linga representing the male Shiva deva (also: "Great God" Mahadeva, Mahadeo). NOTE 3: There are dozens, if not hundreds of places called Kotla, Kotli, or Kotlu in the foothills of the north-west Indian Himalaya. The AMS sheet NH43-04 Simla (U502 series, 1959 edition) shows least five of them (at linear distances from Arki 31°09'N: 76°58'E) Kotli 31°10'N: 76°46'E lies 19 km west Kotla 31°11'N: 76°49'E lies 16 km WNW Kotlu 31°12'N: 76°48'E lies 17 km WNW Kotla 31°13'N: 76°33'E lies 43 km WNW Kotla 31°43'N: 77°15'E lies 70 km NNE. AUDEN (1934: 453, localities index) lists another Kotla near 30°39'N: 77°23'E at linear distances of 70 km SE of Arki and 56 km SSE of Simla. One more Kotla is mentioned in the adventurous narratives resulting from the »British Speleological Expedition to the Himalayas 1970« (CONWAY 1972, HODGSON 1970b, NEWTON) in connection with –>Baterh Goffar and the two caves called –>Pajyara Ra Kotla (probably for Pajyare ka Kotla) near »Darla Ghat« (31°12'30”N: 76°58'45"E Everest 1830; ghat = ford or gad, khad = stream), the Darlaghat shown in the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006: 5 H4) on the National Highaway NH88 at travelling distances of 43 km south-east of Bilaspur (31°20'N: 76°45'E) and 62 km WNW from Simla / Shimla (31°06'N: 77°07'E). Darlaghat lies about 10 km in a direct line approximately NNW of Arki (31°09'N: 76°58'E), from where it is reached via Sallaghat (India Road Atlas, Eicher Goodearth 2006: 5 H4) or Shalla Ghat (Conway, J circa 1971 s.a.: Map of Caving District, Arki), the corrupted »Shabagrat« of HALL (1971: 7). NOTE 4: Stephen A. Craven (1991.02.26 Mss) after an elusive letter by Glennie (1938.09.21 Mss) to Eli "Cymmie" Simpson. NOTE 5: The letter Glennie (1938.09.21 Mss: Letter to Eli "Cymmie" Simpson), to which Dr. Stephen A. Craven referred to (1991.02.26 Mss) was not among the material of the "BSA Box India" (held by the BCRA Library, Matlock, Derbyshire, UK) when it first had been xerox copied for by Ray Mansfield (ca. 1988 ± 5) and later laser copied by Simon J. Brooks (2005 November). NOTE 6: »the sinkhole« (Craven, S A 1991.02.26 Mss) –>Naldera Cave; –>Naldera Cave 10-5; –>Naldera Cave 11-1. NOTE 7: »Siva Cave« (Craven, S A 1991.02.26 Mss) is the Kotla Cave (Glennie 1937). NOTE 8: »Mr. K. Wadely« (Raja Sahib Bahadur, undated 1937 Mss; Craven, S A 1991.02.26 personal correspondence) appears to be the »K. Wadley« of Glennie, Edward Aubrey (1937 Notebook: 2). NOTE 9: The elusive letter (Glennie, E A 1938.09.21 Mss: Letter to Eli "Cymmie" Simpson) was said to narrate that the cave »near Kotla, Baghal State« had been »examined by Glennie, K. Wadely and a police constable. Discovered three years previously [1934] when the ground collapsed and a child fell 8 ft. [2.5 m] into an 8 ft. diameter chamber with a central stalagmite« (Craven, S A 1991.02.26 personal correspondence).
Documents
Bibliography 02/04/2016History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1937: Raja Sahib Bahadur (undated 1937 Mss: Permit) allowed »Colonel Glennie, Survey Department of Government of India along with Mr. K. Wadely [note 8] for visiting and entering the cave which has recently been discovered near the village of Kotla with a view to explore the above cave by the end of May, 1937.« 1937 June: Edward Aubrey Glennie (1937 Mss "Notebook" page 2) »… visited with K. Wadley« (note 9) what he recorded as »A1. Cave in Baghal State near Kotla.«
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.8 | JAKHOLI CAVE | ||
| 0.9 | MUTRU MAHADEV GOFFAR | ||
| 1.2 | LUTRU MAHADEVA CAVE | ||
| 1.2 | Arki Resurgence | ||
| 1.3 | DUNGA DORA | ||
| 4.0 | SHALAGHAT, Solan (Cave at) | ||
| 5.4 | DAWARAS | ||
| 7.2 | Saug Goffar | ||
| 9.1 | GHIANA CAVE 1 |