AA CAVE, Imliya

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Cave is indicated near N24°42'58”: E079°15'05” (Everest 1830) close to the left (west) margin of the Survey of India sheet 54-P/06 (edition 1977). ETYMOLOGY: The Hindi -imli- is the Tamarind, a tropical African tree of the pea family (Leguminosae: Tamarindus indica), cultivated throughout the tropics for its pods and also grown as an ornamental and shade tree; 2. the sticky brown acidic pulp from the pod of a Tamarind tree, widely used as a flavoring in Asian cooking. SITUATION: West of Khajuraho (24°51'N: 79°56'E) on a NNE-SSW trending ridge (rising above a temple with spring) in the Imliya Reserved Forest east of the hamlet of Imliya, Imlia (note 1) or Imalai (?). APPROACH: Judging from the Survey of India sheet 54-P/06 (1977 edition), this cave is possibly easiest reached from a T-junction (note 2) near the village of Gaura (note 3) by turning off to the right (west) for a road to Tikamgarh (note 4). Having crossed the rivers Kathan Nadi (N24°39'10”: E079°17'36”: 286 m sl) and Dhasan River (N24°40'05”: E079°17'00”: 282 m asl) one has to leave the road, about 10 or 11 km from the T-junction and 4 or 5 km beyond the Dhasan River near kilometer 47 for a path or track to the right (NNE), which reaches after some 3 km sort of a south-east facing -khona- (pocket valley). Embraced by the flanks of the pocket valley stands a temple with a spring (at circa 320 m asl) and the southern ridge is marked with what seems to be two closed depressions (dolines), one (at 370 m asl) above the other (390 m asl) and the upper one marked with a symbol for dry tank (water reservoir).Cave is indicated near N24°42'58”: E079°15'05” (Everest 1830) close to the left (west) margin of the Survey of India sheet 54-P/06 (edition 1977). ETYMOLOGY: The Hindi -imli- is the Tamarind, a tropical African tree of the pea family (Leguminosae: Tamarindus indica), cultivated throughout the tropics for its pods and also grown as an ornamental and shade tree; 2. the sticky brown acidic pulp from the pod of a Tamarind tree, widely used as a flavoring in Asian cooking. SITUATION: West of Khajuraho (24°51'N: 79°56'E) on a NNE-SSW trending ridge (rising above a temple with spring) in the Imliya Reserved Forest east of the hamlet of Imliya, Imlia (note 1) or Imalai (?). APPROACH: Judging from the Survey of India sheet 54-P/06 (1977 edition), this cave is possibly easiest reached from a T-junction (note 2) near the village of Gaura (note 3) by turning off to the right (west) for a road to Tikamgarh (note 4). Having crossed the rivers Kathan Nadi (N24°39'10”: E079°17'36”: 286 m sl) and Dhasan River (N24°40'05”: E079°17'00”: 282 m asl) one has to leave the road, about 10 or 11 km from the T-junction and 4 or 5 km beyond the Dhasan River near kilometer 47 for a path or track to the right (NNE), which reaches after some 3 km sort of a south-east facing -khona- (pocket valley). Embraced by the flanks of the pocket valley stands a temple with a spring (at circa 320 m asl) and the southern ridge is marked with what seems to be two closed depressions (dolines), one (at 370 m asl) above the other (390 m asl) and the upper one marked with a symbol for dry tank (water reservoir).