UMDURLIANG SINK (aa -)
25.290300,90.958300
Description
GODWIN AUSTEN (1869b: 18) had been the first foreigner who drew the attention of worldwide karst and cave watchers to »innumerable crevices and holes, or rather wells« (potholes) in the nummulitic limestone above the banks of the Um Durliang: »The village of Nongumlai [note 1] … stands on an open bare slope of the hard sandstone [note 2] that terminates a few hundred yards below, in the main stream, a source of the Um Durliang [note 3] flowing to the south. Immediately beyond this stream a densely forested hill [note 4] rises rather abruptly, all of nummulitic limestone [note 3], the surface of the slope being as usual, most fantastically eaten away. Thence to the south a very large area with forest is also of this rock, in which all trace of drainage lines ceases, water finding its way down to innumerable crevices and holes, or rather wells in the rocks, for the word hole hardly expresses the deeply honey - combed state, it presents.« ETYMOLOGY: "ka dur" (Khasi, noun) »a shape, a form, a picture« (SINGH, N 1906: 74) and "ka liang" is either the word for »a side, a party« or a short form of "ka pliang" (SINGH, N 1906: 116), »a plate« (SINGH, N 1906: 116, 161) in the sense of a flat dish, typically circular and made of china, metal or wood from which food is eaten or served.
NOTE 1: »Nongumlai« (GODWIN AUSTEN 1869b: 18), the "nong" (village) of Umlai, is indicated as Nongumlai near (±500 m) N25°17'23”: E090°58'05” (WGS84 modified from N25°17'21”: E090°58'15” Everest 1830) on the 1926 edition of the Survey of India Half-Inch series toposheet 78-K/SE nameless a populated place near (±500 m) N25°17'22”: E090°57'45” (WGS84 modified from N25°17'21”: E090°58'15” Everest 1830) on the 1930 edition of the Survey of India Half-Inch series toposheet 78-K/SE. not at all on the Survey of India 1: 50'000 series toposheet 78-K/15 (edition 1972) and »Umlai« was in December 2012 »no more village« (Kharpran Daly, B D 2012.12.31 personal correspondence). NOTE 2: This »hard sandstone« (GODWIN AUSTEN 1869b: 18), identified as »Tura Sandstone« (SAINI & BHATTACHARYA 1999: 4-6), belongs to the Mahadek Formation (GHOSH, A M N 1940; BHATTACHARYA & BHATTACHARYA 1978: 10) or Mahadek Stage (DAS GUPTA, A B 1977: 6), Cherra Sandstone (GHOSH, A M N 1940) and Mahadeo Beds (PALMER 1924: 160), renamed from Mahadeo band (MEDLICOTT 1869: 28 = 178), of Upper Maestrichtian to Campanian (BHATTACHARYA & BHATTACHARYA 1978: 10), Upper Cretaceous: Maestrichtian (GHOSH, A M N 1940), Upper Cretaceous (ROY CHOWDHURY 1974: 73), or simply Cretaceous (MEDLICOTT 1869; PALMER 1924) age. NOTE 3: The »Um Durliang« (GODWIN AUSTEN 1869b: 18) is indicated on the Survey of India toposheet 78-K/15 (edition 1972) in the upper reaches as the »Wah Shaud Nala« (N25°17'30”: E090°57'55” WGS84 modified from Everest 1830) but in the lower reaches as »Soling Nala« (N25°15'30”: E090°50'00”). "nala" (Hindi, Bengali) valley, thalweg, seasonal watercourse, river, stream, brook, etc. NOTE 4: The »densely forested hill« (GODWIN AUSTEN 1869b: 18) is probably the Tigabin GODWIN AUSTEN (1869b plate IX) Tigasin near (±500 m) N25°18'00”: E090°58'50” (WGS84 modified from N25°18'00”: E090°59'00” Everest 1830, Survey of India 78-K/SE edition 1926) .1871 near (±500 m) N25°18'00”: E090°59'00”: 570.3 m asl (WGS84 modified from N25°17'58”: E090°59'10”: 1871 feet, Everest 1830, Survey of India 78-K/SE edition 1930). Tigasim .570 near (±250 m) N25°18'02”: E090°59'00”: 570 m asl (WGS84 modified from N25°18'00”: E090°59'10”: 570 m asl Everest 1830, Survey of India 78-K/15 edition 1972) Gigasim Kharpran Daly, B D (2012.12.31 personal correspondence). NOTE 3: SAINI & BHATTACHARYA (1999: 4-6, geological map 1: 35'000) show plenty of nummulitic »Siju Limestone« downstream of Nongumlai.
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1868: Henry Haversham Godwin Austen had noticed in the nummulitic limestone near »the village of Nongumlai« above the banks of the »Um Durliang … innumerable crevices and holes, or rather wells« (GODWIN AUSTEN, H H 1869b: 18). 2012 December: Within merely twelve dozen (144) years, »a new area has been opened up with good potential, though it is a long way from Shillong. Coal mining has entered the area so elephants have been driven out, at least for the winter; they would all come back in the monsoons when mining is stopped« (Kharpran Daly, B D 2012.12.31 personal correspondence).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | LIEW AWIANG (Krem) | ||
| 2.7 | AMARSANG (Krem) | ||
| 3.1 | NONGPYNIAW, Umdohlun (Krem) | ||
| 3.1 | NOKSALGAN (Krem) | ||
| 3.9 | LIEWKHA, Amarsang (Krem) | ||
| 4.2 | AMARSANG, Balphakram (Cave at) | ||
| 4.2 | CHIHPRIT, Thetja (Krem) | ||
| 4.5 | BANDINI NAGIL | ||
| 6.1 | WAKKABE UNDERGROUND STREAM |