PATHAR GITIM
25.413900,90.450000
Description
A perennial flow of water issues from the north-facing entrance to an exsurgence cave in sandstone (note 1). About 7 or 10 m of crawling sized passage lead upstream to a collapse doline (6 by 4 m wide, 2.5 m deep), a second entrance. A wet and muddy passage (0.3 by 0.7 m) continues and arrives from an impenetrable constriction in the approximate south. ETYMOLOGY: The Bengali "pathar githim" translates into »stone cave« or »rock cave« and means a cave in natural rock (not excavated by man).SITUATION: The cave lies in the vicinity of the village of Darangiri (Darenggiri, Darengiri N25°24': E090°27') and east (left) of the National Highway NH62 south towards Baghmara (N25°10'20”: E090°34'15” WGS84). In 1994, the cave entrance was reached by a 300 m long, slightly downhill walk on a fair weather road. Where this motorable track levels out, one has to cross a tributary from the right, and the following "bridge” crosses a gryke in sandstone. From the road side, the entrance was reached by following the tiny rivulet upstream through the undergrowth. BROOKS & SMART (1995: 21) mention no cave name, render it »a small cave« and place it somewhere on the road from »Tura to Siju via Williamnagar« and »north of Siju.« CULTURAL HISTORY: The road from Williamnagar (N25°29': E090°41') to Baghmara passes through the Darangiri coalfield (N25°24': E090°27') exploited by Bihari 'coal-wallahs' (coal miners; generally Hindu believers). Since there exist "pathar" cult spots in Bihar (note 2), one wonders, if the Pathar Gitim at Darangiri is a case of an "expatriated cult spot" --a place of worship, which migrants "re-identified" at their new place of living.
NOTE 1: In the Garo Hills (west of the Jadukata river), the Tura Sandstones rest unconformably on the Archaean complex and are conformably overlain by the Siju limestone. According to SASTRY, DESHPANDE & DWIVEDY (1996), the Tura sediments north-west of Nongwalbibra (N25°27'25": E090°42'10": circa 180 m asl) are represented by a basal pebbly sandstone and alternating feldspathic sandstone overlain by ferrugineous sandstone and alternating feldspathic sandstone and shale while coal seams are found at the contact of the feldspathic sandstone and shale. NOTE 2: In Bihar state, there is another Patharghata Lena (cave of the rocky ford), which consists of a cluster of five sacred 'caves' (man-made rock chambers used for religious purposes) on a hill of the same name (N25°17': E087°12' to N25°22': E087°16') on the south bank of the Ganges, Kahalgaon tahsil, Bhagalpur district).
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1994.02.14: H. D. Gebauer sketched and Boycott, Antony 'Tony' entered and penetrated while Simon J. and Jennifer 'Jenni' or 'Jenny' A. Brooks, Rob and Helen Harper, Brian Johnson and Christopher M. Smart carried the burden of looking on. According to BROOKS & SMART (1995: 21), the two Ambassador loads of cavers »Leave Tura (twice) and drove to Siju via Williamnagar after swapping one poorly jeep for a better one. Stopped en route north of Siju to investigate a small cave.«
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.0 | DOBHAKOL, Chignap | ||
| 8.1 | CHITOKPA RONGKOL | ||
| 8.6 | CHITOPA RONGKOL | ||
| 9.4 | AA CAVE (Harper 2008) no. 13 | ||
| 9.4 | AA CAVE (Harper 2008) no. 14 | ||
| 9.5 | AA CAVE (Harper 2008) no. 12b | ||
| 9.5 | Dangedkol-Chiningkrikol | ||
| 9.6 | AA CAVE (Harper 2008) no.15 | ||
| 9.7 | AA CAVE (Harper 2008) no. 11 |