MARAI, Pomlakrai - Nongkrem (Krem)
25.495800,91.883300
Description
Gaps between gravitationally dislocated granite boulders (note 1) shelter an approximate underground volume of eight or 10 cubic metres which is reputed to represent the home of the fabled Ka Pah Syntiew, the revered ancestral queen mother of the Syiem (lady chiefs) of Mylliem and Khyrim. ETYMOLOGY: Krem Marai, the »Goods Providing Cave« is named after Lady Syntiew, the "Providress" (note 2) of both knowledge and technologies, and Nongkrem, the name of the village pertaining to it, can be interpreted as the »cave village« (note 3) of Ka Pah Syntiew (note 4), the Lady »lured by a flower« (note 5). SITUATION: In the setting of a pedimentation front (note 6) near the head of the river »Umiew or Umiam [note 7]« (GURDON, P R T 1906: 165) and east of the Shillong Peak (note 8), about 6 km or 7 km in a direct line due south of Shillong (25°34'N: 91°53'E) but about 20 or 25 km along the road towards Smit (N25°30': E091°54'), and above the south side of village of Nongkrem (note 9). KYNDIAH (1990: 32-33) gives a schematic location map. SITUATION 1906a: »… a cave called Marai … is situated near the present village Pomlakrai [note 10], at the source of the river Umiew or Umiam« (Roberts, H. undated Mss in GURDON, P R T 1906: 165-166). SITUATION 1906b: »… Ka Pah Syntiew … had as her abode a cave at Marai, near Nongkrem« (GURDON, P R T 1906: 165). SITUATION 1920: »Many hundred years ago, near the place now known as Pomlakroi, there was a cave called the Cave of Marai, near to which stood a high perpendicular rock around which which the youthful cow-herds of the time used to play« (RAFY, K U 1920 edited 1985: 18-24). SITUATION 1978: »… a narrow cave at the source of the Umium river close to the present Pomlakrai village« (CHOWDHURY, J N 1978 edited 1998: 108). SITUATION 1995: »On a granite hillock near to the village of Nongkrem that is situated to the north east [sic! qua: due south] of Shillong« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 24). CAVE DESCRIPTION: Amongst numerous sheltered corners and niches there are three man-sized cave entrances to an about 8 m long cave chamber, which has a more or less triangular cross section and a maximum height of 2.5 m. The cave floor, however, is buried under a cover of relatively loose, sandy soil. BROOKS & SMART (1995: 24) point out that »Krem Marai is formed largely in clefts of the rock« and understood that the cave is caving-wise exploitable insofar as it lures gentlemen with a taste for long ones into a frame of mind in which statements like »approximately 30 m of passage in total« are thought to sound reasonable (note 11). Seen through the lens of an adventure sports entertainer, »the cave consists of a triangular chamber 8 metres long by 2.5 metres high, with three entrances located between boulders in addition to a couple of short rift / cleft style passages that form through trips« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 24). CULTURAL HISTORY - sports caving: Expedition caving experts once had learned that »… inquiries made via local people will soon reveal the location of the cave« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 24). CAVE LEGEND 1906a: »In this State [Nongkrem] the tradition runs that the first High Priestess was Ka Pah Syntiew, i.e. the flower-lured one. Ka Pah Syntiew was a beautiful maiden who had as her abode a cave at Marai, near Nongkrem, whence she was enticed by a man of the Mylliem-ngap clan by means of a flower. She was taken by him to be his bride, and she became not only the first High Priestess, but also the mother of the Siems of Nongkrem« (GURDON, P R T 1906: 70). CAVE LEGEND 1906b: »In olden days a rumour got abroad that there was a woman in a cave called Marai, which is situated near the present village Pomlakrai, at the source of the river Umiew or Umiam. She was a young and very beautiful damsel. Many tried to catch her, but they could not, owing to the narrowness of the cave. There came, however, a certain very clever man who went to entice her by showing her a flower called "u tiew - jalyng - kteng". The damsel then came (out) near to snatch the flower, but the man went on holding back his hand until she came out in a more open place, when he seized her. He then brought her to his house and carefully tended her. That damsel was called "Ka Pah Syntiew", the flower-lured one, because that man caught her by coaxing and enticing her with a flower … After she had given birth to daughters and sons, she returned to the same place whence she had been captured, and from that time forth, she never came out again, however much her husband and children called and implored her. … a wonderful woman, who, it seemed very clear, was the daughter of the "god Shillong« (Roberts, H, undated in: GURDON, P R T 1906: 165-166). CAVE LEGEND 1920: »Many hundreds of years ago, near the place now known as Pomlakrai, there was a cave called the Cave of Marai, near to which stood a high perpendicular rock around which the youthful cowherds of the time used to play. They gathered there from different directions, and passed the time merrily, practising archery and playing on their flutes, while keeping an eye on their herds. The rock was too high for them to attempt to climb it, and it was always spoken of as " the rock on which the foot of man never trod." On a certain day, when the lads came as usual to the familiar rendezvous, they were surprised to see, sitting on the top of the rock, a fair young girl watching them silently and wistfully. The children, being superstitious, took fright at sight of her and ran in terror to Mylliem, their village, leaving the cattle to shift for themselves. When they told their news, the whole village was roused and men quickly gathered to the public meeting-place to hold a consultation. They decided to go and see for themselves if the apparition seen by the children was a real live child, or if they had been deluded by some spell or enchantment. Under the guidance of the lads, they hurried to the place on the hill where the rock stood, and there, as the boys had stated, sat a fair and beautiful child. The clothes worn by the little girl were far richer than any worn by their own womenfolk, so they judged that she belonged to some rich family, and she was altogether so lovely that the men gazed open-mouthed at her, dazzled by her beauty. Their sense of chivalry soon asserted itself, however, and they began to devise plans to rescue the maiden from her perilous position. To climb up the face of that steep rock was an impossible feat; so they called to her, but she would not answer; they made signs for her to descend, but she did not stir, and the men felt baffled and perplexed. Chief among the rescuers was a man called U Mylliem Ngap, who was remarkable for his sagacity and courage. When he saw that the child refused to be coaxed, he attributed it to her fear to venture unaided down that steep and slippery rock. So he sent some of his comrades to the jungle to cut down some bamboos, which he joined together and made into a pole long enough to reach the top of the rock. Then he beckoned to the child to take hold of it, but she sat on unmoved. By this time the day was beginning to wane, yet the child did not stir and the rescuers were growing desperate. To leave her to her fate on that impregnable rock would be little less than cold-blooded murder, for nothing but death awaited her. They began to lament loudly, as people lament when mourning for their dead, but the child sat on in the same indifferent attitude. Just then U Mylliem Ngap noticed a tuft of wild flowers growing near the cave, and he quickly gathered a bunch and fastened it to the end of the long pole and held it up to the maiden's view. The moment she saw the flowers, she gave a cry of delight and held out her hand to take them. U Mylliem Ngap promptly lowered the pole and the child moved towards it, but before she could grasp the flowers the pole was again lowered; so, little by little, step by step, as the men watched with bated breath, the little maid reached the ground in safety. U Mylliem Ngap, with general consent, constituted himself her champion. He called her "Pah Syntiew", which means " Lured by Flowers", for her name and her origin were unknown. He took her to his own home and adopted her as his own daughter, cherishing her with fondness and affection, which the child fully requited. Ka Pah Syntiew, as she grew up, fulfilled all the promises of her childhood and developed into a woman of incomparable beauty and her fame went abroad throughout the country. She was also gifted and wise beyond all the maidens of the neighbourhood, and was the chosen leader at all the Khasi dances and festivals. She taught the Khasi girls to dance and to sing, and it was she who instituted the Virgins' Dance, which remains popular to this day among the Khasis. Her foster-father, seeing she possessed so much discretion and wisdom, used to consult her in all his perplexities and seek her advice in all matters pertaining to the ruling of the village. She displayed such tact and judgment that people from other villages brought their disputes to her to be settled, and she was acknowledged to be wiser and more just than any ruler in the country, and they began to call her "Ka Siem" (the Chiefess, or the Queen). When she came of age, U Mylliem Ngap gave her in marriage to a man of prowess and worth, who is mentioned in Khasi lore as U Kongor Nongjri. She became the mother of many sons and daughters, who were all noble and comely. After her children had grown up, Ka Pah Syntiew called them all to her one day and revealed to them the secret of her birth. She was the daughter of U 'Lei Shillong, the mountain god, permitted by her father to dwell for a period among mankind, and at last the time was at hand for her to return to her native element. Not long after this Ka Pah Syntiew walked away in the direction of the cave of Marai, and no one dared to accompany her, for it was realised that her hour of departure had come. From that day she disappeared from mortal ken. Her descendants are known to this day as two of the leading families of Khasi chiefs, or Siems, and in common parlance these two families, those of Khairim [Khyrim] and Mylliem, are still called the Siems (the Chiefs) of Shillong or the Siems of the god« (RAFY, K U 1920: 20-24). CAVE LEGEND 1978: »The Syiems or chiefs of the two states [Mylliem, Khyrim] trace their common descent to their legendary ancestress Ka Pah Syntiew who lived in a cave near the Shillong peak. She was apparently a sylvan deity who was lured out of the cave being attracted by a bunch held out to her by the ancestor and founder of the two houses Mylliem and Khyrim. Only the Khyrim Syiemship still performs the annual religious rites dedicated to the founder ancestor and ancestress of the state. The [Nongkrem] festival, however, holds a far wider appeal to all the Khasis who look forward to it with expectant longing« (CHOWDHURY, J N 1978 edited 1998: 216). CAVE LEGEND 1981: SHADAP SEN, N C (1981: 184-185) repeats some aspects of GURDON (1906: 70, 166-168) and RAFY (1920, 1985: 18-23). CAVE LEGEND 1989: RANA (1989: 17-18) introduces the misprint »Meral Cave« (page 17) for »Cave called Marai« (page 18), repeats GURDON (1906) and refers to RAFY (1920). CAVE LEGEND 1991: BAZELY, J P (1991: 62, 1992: 89) claims that Ka Pah Syntiew was married to one »Kongor Nongjri« and repeats some aspects of GURDON (1906) and RAFY (1920). CAVE LEGEND 1995: »… this site appears to be of more interest to the archaeologist than the speleologist [note 12]« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 24).
NOTE 1: »Igneous rocks … granite … Throughout this area, the lithological character of this rock is tolerably persistent. It is a highly felspathic and largely crystalline rock … Hornblende does occur, but is rare. The granite presents also another character, often seen in such rocks, namely, the occurrence of huge masses of a harder texture, and slightly different proportionate composition, imbedded in the general mass. These masses are not so largely crystalline as the ordinary granite adjoining. Owing to the large amount of felspar, which enters into the composition of this granite, it decomposes readily, and for a depth of many feet from the surface is quite soft and incoherent« (OLDHAM, T 1854 / 1984: 35, fig 17 opposite page 35). »Between Lailángkot, on the south, and Shillong it [the granite] is five miles [8 km] broad« (MEDLICOTT, H B 1869: 201). NOTE 2: "már" (Khasi, noun) »goods, articles« (SINGH, N 1906: 128) + "ai" (verb, transitive), »to give; to bestow« (SINGH, N 1906: 1; SINGH, N 1920: 44, 201); »to allow; to bestow« (SINGH 1920: 15, 64); »to give« (OLDHAM 1854 / 1984 appendix C: lxiii, lxiv).NOTE 3: The Khasi noun "ka nong" or ”ka 'nong” is a contraction of ”ka shnong” (SINGH, N 1906: 197), a village, a town; the wages; the gain, the profit; »a square measure covering 6 dieng by 2 dieng« (SINGH, N 1906: 144) -- about 8.7 m by 5.8 m (50 square metres). 2. a contraction of ”ka rnong”, »the brass; the bronze« (SINGH, N 1906: 144). The Khasi prefix "ka nong" (feminine) or "u nong" (masculine) and "i nong" (plural) signifies »the resident of a village« as in ”ka / u nong-Sohra”, 2. »a doer; an agent« as in ”ka / u nongtuh”; 3. »a hired man or woman; anything hired out« (SINGH, N 1906: 144). NOTE 4: Ka Pah Syntiew is not only identified as »apparently a sylvan deity« (CHOWDHURY, J N 1978 / 1998: 216) but also as the »cave-woman« (BAREH 1967 edited 1997: 66-67). NOTE 5: "pah" (verb), »to allure, to bait, to feed; to cry -- as an animal or a bird« (SINGH, N 1906: 148) + "u syntiew" (noun), often substituted by the abbreviated "u 'tiew", a flower. The lady-luring flower, by the way, is said to have been a sample of "u 'tiew-jyalyngksiang", »the rhododendron« (SINGH, N 1906: 232) or "u 'tiew-ja-lyn-teng" (SHADAP-SEN 1981: 184-185) and »[ka] tiew Jalynkteng, a coloured creeper, kind of rhododendron« (BAREH 1967 edited 1997: 66-67). NOTE 6: The pedimentation front reveals buried piles of rounded massive crystalline boulders or core stones (Bornhardt type inselbergs broken down by a system of intersecting joints from castle kopjes into cuboidal blocks) evolved during two cycles of erosion: First a process of differential weathering by chemical decomposition and second exhumation by stripping away the surrounding weathered material. NOTE 7: The »Umiam or Umiew« (GURDON, P R T 1906: 176 note) is shown on the Survey of India sheet 78-O/12 (edition 1912) to debouche as an Anglo-Indian »Shella River« (±2.5 km N25°10': E091°42'30”) into the plains of Bangladesh where it joins (N25°22': E091°40°) in the west of Chhatak (N25°02'20”: E091°40'29”: 15 m asl WGS84) the north (orographically right) bank of the Surma. So far, I saw the indigenous Khasi name of the Anglo-Indian's »Shella River« (N25°22': E091°40° Survey of India sheet 78-O/12 edition 1912) river spelled, edited or printed as Omeeam Hudson, C K in: ALLEN, W J (1858 appendix: lvii, No. 9A footnote) Omeyong Jenkins, Captain F. (1834 October 15th letter to Trevelyan, C E.- in: ALLEN, W J 1858 appendix: lvii, No. 9A) Oomeeam ALLEN, W J (1858: 81) Oomeeang ALLEN, W J (1858: 81) Shella River SURVEY OF INDIA (1912: 78-O/12) U'myang F. (1829: 253) Umiam GURDON, P R T (1906: 176 note); KIBRIA, Asjadul (2003); Roberts, H. (undated Mss in GURDON, P R T 1906: 165) Umiew GURDON, P R T (1906: 176 note); Hudson, C K in: ALLEN, W J (1858 appendix: lvii, No. 9A footnote); Roberts, H. (undated Mss in GURDON, P R T 1906: 165) Umiew R SURVEY OF INDIA (1912 toposheet 78-O/12) Umiew River AMS sheet NG46-10 Shillong (U502 series, 1959 edition) Umium River CHOWDHURY, J N (1978 edited 1998: 108) Wah Barka Colin Rogers (2001.03.16 personal correspondence) Wah Umiew American Military Service (1959: NG46-10 Shillong, U502 series) and the corresponding Bengali name as Boga Panee ALLEN, W J (1858: 81); INDIA FOREIGN … (1862: 84) Boga Pani OLDHAM, T (1859: 173, 176); ROBINSON, W (1841: 406) Boga-panee HOOKER, J D (1854-1855, 2; 287, 308) Boga-pani F. (1829: 252); OLDHAM, T (1854 / 1984: 19, 20, 21, 35, 39); OLDHAM, T 1859: 123, 124, 126, 151, 156, 157 footnote) Bogah Panee Hudson, C K in: ALLEN, W J (1858 appendix: lvii, No. 9A footnote) Bogapani MEDLICOTT, H B (1869: 170, 176, 184, 187, 192, 193, 199); YULE, H (1844: 615). Wah Umiew American Military Service (1959: NG46-10 Shillong, U502 series). NOTE 8: Shillong peak N25°33': E091°52' (AMS sheet NG46-10 Shillong, U502 series, 1959 edition)1951 m asl (CHOWDHURY, J N 1978 edited 1998: 7), 1961 m asl (SINGH, R L 1971 ed. 1995: 681; India Road Atlas, Eicher Goodearth 2006: 46 A3), 1964 m asl or 6445 feet (AMS sheet NG46-10 Shillong, U502 series, 1959 edition; Tactical Pilotage Chart H-10DG, edition 1975). NOTE 9: Nongkrem near (±250 m) N25°29'49”: E091°52'50”: 1749.6 m asl (WGS84 modified from N25°29'47”: E091°53'00”: 5740 feet, Everest 1830, Survey of India 78-O/15 edition 1912) or »Nongkrim« (OLDHAM, T 1854 / 1984: 35, 36), »Nongkreem« (OLDHAM, T 1854 / 1984: 38), and »Nungkrím 5406 feet [1647.75 m]« (OLDHAM, T 1859 appendix A: i) lies about 12 km along the road south of Shillong (25°34'N: 91°53'E), some 3 km approximately south of Pomlakroi (N25°32': E091°53' WGS84) or »Pomlakrai« (Roberts, H in: GURDON, P R T 1906: 165), and 2.5 km in a direct line west of Smit (N25°30'00”: E091°54'30” WGS84). NOTE 10: »Pomlakrai, at the source of the river Umiew or Umiam« (Roberts, H in: GURDON, P R T 1906: 165) and »the present Pomlakrai village close to the source of the Umium river« (CHOWDHURY, J N 1978 edited 1998: 108) but »Pomlakroi« (RAFY, K U 1920 edited 1985: 18-24) is indicated as »Pomlakrai« near N25°32': E091°53' on the AMS sheet NG46-10 (U502 series, 1959 edition). NOTE 11: Contrary to the statement that Krem Marai is characterised by »approximately 30 m of passage in total« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 24), there is no "cave passage" as such. Only 150 years earlier it had been already known that talus caves »… are usually fissures roofed by precipitated blocks, or the spaces left between great superimposed masses of rock, and not, as in limestone, laterite &c., galleries or caverns in the substance of the rock itself« (pages 518-519 in NEWBOLD, T J 1845: Notes, chiefly geological, across the peninsula of southern India from Madras, Lat. 13°5', to Goa, Lat. 15°30' by the Baulpilly Pass and ruins of Bijanugger.- Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal ISSN 0368-1068, Calcutta: Asiatic Society of Bengal, vol. 14, part 2, issue 163: July - December, July 1845, article 4, pages 497-521). NOTE 12: The wording according to which Krem Marai »appears to be of more interest to the archaeologist than the speleologist« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 24) was probably meant to say that Krem Marai is of interest to the speleologist but beyond the reach of cavers in search of recreational adventure sports.
Documents
Bibliography 18/04/2016- Bareh, Hamlet 1967, 1985, 1997; Bazely, Peter James 1991, 1992; Brooks, Simon J & Smart, Christopher M 1995; Chowdhury, Jaganindra Nath 1978, 1996, 1998; Gurdon, Philip Richard Thornhagh 1906, 1907, 1914, 1975, 1990, 1993, 1996; Kharpran Daly, B D 2006 s.a.; Kyndiah, P R 1990; Rafy, K U 1920, 1985; Rana, B S 1989; Roberts, H in: Gurdon, P R T 1906; Shadap Sen, Namita Catherine 1981.
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1994.02.06: H. D. Gebauer (book), Boycott, Antony 'Tony' (scouting), Jennifer 'Jenni' or 'Jenny' A. Brooks (scouting), Simon J. Brooks (scouting), Rob Harper (scouting), Helen Harper (scouting), Brian Johnson (scouting), and Christopher M. Smart (scouting) sketched a rough ground plan of Krem Marai (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 20).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.9 | Saint Mary's Grotto | ||
| 7.9 | UMJASAI (Krem) | ||
| 13.8 | MANICK, Laitkroh (Krem) | ||
| 13.8 | MAWPHLANG (Cave near) | ||
| 15.1 | Mawlai (Khongmen 1994) (Cave near) | ||
| 15.3 | TIROT, Lum Diengiei (Krem) | ||
| 15.3 | DIENGIEI (Thliew Lum) | ||
| 15.8 | LYMBIT, Lyngshing (Krem) | ||
| 15.8 | LYMBIT, Lyngshing, 2nd (Krem) |