RANIKHERA CAVE 1
24.490400,79.359000
Description
What appears to correspond to the »Cave + Spring« shown on Survey of India sheet 54-P/07 (1977 edition) about 10 km along the road (7 km in a direct line) north of Bhimkund (Bajna) consists, as far as I know, of a single passage, which descends to a small pool and sump of uninviting, stagnant water and is formed in what looks like sort of a Vindhyan sandstone or a granular, apparently dolomitic limestone (without visible reaction to hydrochloric acid). ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known name had been known to Sanjay (note 1), a local guide picked up at the village of Ranikhera (note 2). As the village of Bharwani (N24°30'05”: E079°21'30”) lies only a kilometer west of Ranikhera village (N24°30'05”: E079°22'08”: 365 m asl, Everest 1830, Survey of India sheet 56-P/06, edition 1977) and both of the villages lie about 1 km approxiametly north of the –>Ranikhera Cave, it may be identical, but this is mere guesswork, with –>Bharwani Gufa. SITUATION: About 2 km approximately south of Ranikhera, a village on the short cut (a road motorable in the dry season) between –>Jatashankar (Bijawar, Survey of India sheet 54-P/10) and –>Bhimkund (Chhatarpur: Bajna). The cave entrance lies in one of three (or more?) closed depressions (dolines) in a low jungle of Sal (Shorea robusta) and shrubs. A guide is neccessary to reach the site by a not too bad selection of criss-crossing animals' and foresters' trails. This item is indicated as »Cave Spring« near N24°29'30”: E079°21'30" (Everest 1830 coordinates): 390 m asl and close to the northern rim of the of Survey of India sheet 54-P/07 (1977 edition). The Survey of India sheets 54-P/06 (adjacent north) and 54-P/10 (adjacent east) are also useful. CAVE DESCRIPTION: At the lowest point of a collapse doline (about 7 by 10 m wide and 2 m deep) descends a comfortable but short passage (2 m wide, 1.8 m high, 6 m to 215°, circa -10°) with a soil floor to a silent pool of algae green water (water temperature 20.5°C) with a low airspace (2 m wide, 0.2 m high) in the back. The passage might continue but the non-English speaking local guide forbade entering the water very serenely: Unfortunately –as I painfully had to learn much later– not due to any cultural restriction but only because he was dead sure that a badly if at all Hindi speaking farang (foreigner) would drown as easily as a normal Indian citizen. CAVE POTENTIAL - Prospects: There was (16. January 2001, about noon) no obvious air draught but I guess the cave continues not only below but also above the water because of two reasons: First, there were bats but no smell of bats (too small in number?). Second, if the descending cave is closed a few metres in, it should function as a trap for cool air but it was considerably warmer than the air. CAVE LIFE: Tiny pigmented fish (Pisces), about one inch long. Four or five small bats (Chiroptera) were flying around. They were clearly disturbed by some possible predator and I am not sure that these were human visitors.
NOTE 1: Sanjay (Sanjaya), in the Mahabharata a bard talented with superhuman perception, who describes for the blind king Dhritarashtra the progress of the great battle between his sons, the Kauravas, and their opponents, the Pandavas. NOTE 2: Ranikhera village (N24°30'05”: E079°22'08”: 365 m asl Everest 1830, SI sheet 56-P/06, edition 1977), the Queen's Village, lies about a kilometre (or so) approximately WNW from Bharwani (N24°30'05”: E079°21'30” Everest 1830: 365 m asl) or west of Suraipura Kalan (N24°30'15”: E079°23'00” Everest: 360 m asl) and about 10 km along the road (7 km in a direct line) north of the Bhimkund (N24°26'15”: E079°22'41” Everest: 395 m asl) near Bajna in Chhatarpur.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | RANIKHERA CAVE 2 | ||
| 0.0 | RANIKHERA CAVE 3 | ||
| 0.2 | PUKHARIA CAVE | ||
| 1.2 | BHARWANI CAVE | ||
| 6.2 | BHIMKUND, Chhatarpur - Bajna | ||
| 9.1 | SADWA GUFA | ||
| 12.0 | KUWA PAHAR, Bijawar | ||
| 12.1 | PATALA GANGA, Darguwan / Dargawan | ||
| 15.7 | ARJUNKUND, Dhangawan |