RIDA (Krem)
25.296300,91.575800
Description
A south-west facing, inhabitable rock shelter, which is about 25 m wide and on average 3 m high, is entirely daylight-lit and characterised by relatively »big fallen boulders« (Kharpran Daly 2010.02.02 Mss: Krem Rida). GEOLOGY: The »cave is on calcareous sandstone« (Kharpran Daly 2010.02.02 Mss: Krem Rida) and probably formed in the »limy« (PALMER 1924) facies of the Cretaceous (MEDLICOTT 1869) Langpar Formation (note 1). ETYMOLOGY: »Cave had no name. We gave the name "Krem Rida" as it is located in the property of Mrs. Ridalis Marbaniang [note 2]« (Kharpran Daly 2010.02.02 Mss: Krem Rida) or »Mrs. Ridolis Marbaniang« (Kharpran Daly 2009.09.11 Mss "Here are a few more caves" personal correspondence). SITUATION 2009: Somewhere »at Phodpyndiang in Mawsynram« (Kharpran Daly 2009.09.11 Mss "Here are a few more caves" item 1) or on the Phud Pyndiang (note 3). SITUATION 2010: The GPS position, which has been recorded for the rock shelter christened Krem Rida, indicates a spot about 750 m in a direct line due west from the village of Mawsynram (note 4) and in the upper reaches of a tributary (N25°17'23”: E091°33'06” WGS84) from the east to the orographical left bank of the river Umngi (Um Ngi). APPROACH: »From the IB (PWD) Mawsynram [note 5] proceed [generally north] towards Mawsynram village. Just before reaching the village, a left turn (dirt track) leads for about 100 m or 150 m to a concrete pathway on the left, down a slope for 50 m to the 25 m wide entrance of [the] cave« (Kharpran Daly 2010.02.02 Mss: Krem Rida). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2010.03.29: »The cave turned out to be more of a rock shelter with a bit of chamber« (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 2nd February). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2010.02.02: »More of a shallow shelter with a bit of chamber, [with the back wall] running parallel to entrance« (Kharpran Daly 2010.02.02 Mss: Krem Rida: Evaluation) consists of a »wide entrance of 25 m, with big fallen boulders on entrance. Average 3 m high. Cave faces south. It is more of a shelter with a bit of [a] chamber running across the width of the entrance [note 6]. Cave is on calcareous sandstone« (Kharpran Daly 2010.02.02 Mss: Krem Rida: Description). SPELEOMETRY 2010: Krem Rida had been the first cave explored by incompetent guest cavers from the Indian Navy in the care of Peter Ludwig, techniques of cave surveying were trained (note 7) to a degree resulting in a survey length of 44.39 m at a vertical range of ±3.54 m (-2.47 m, +1.07 m). This, however, was recorded as 93.39 m (Anonymous et al 2010.03.29 Mss "Survey summary.xls" table). SPELEOMETRY 2011: Thomas Arbenz forwarded on 18th December 2011 an undated survey data file titled »Krem Rida_02.Text« that had been improved with the help of unknown armchair techniques, which allowed creating an artistic work which looks like a circuitous survey length of 93.39 m at a vertical range of 3.54 m (-2.47 m, +1.07 m). CULTURAL HISTORY: The allegedly south-facing cave entrance rather faces south-west and gives access to what seems to consist of a partly daylight-lit and inhabitable rock shelter with a source of water. These circumstances seems to render Krem Rida an object of some archaeological potential. The 2010 cave visitor's lack of interest, however, resulted in discovering that there is »none known« (Arbenz, T 2011.12.18 Mss Krem Rida.doc).
NOTE 1: The GPS position recorded for Krem Rida indicates a spot in an area which is shown on the geological map of PALMER (1924) to expose »Cretaceous« (MEDLICOTT 1869) on the surface and, in this case, probably the Upper Cretaceous (Danian) Langpar Sandstones (calcareous sandstones and arenaceous limestones with thin intercalations of fine grained sandstone containing fragments of plant remains and coaly streaks), which generally rest of the Mahadeks (Mahadeo beds MEDLICOTT 1869) resting on the Bottom Conglomerate (MEDLICOTT 1869). »… between Mawsynram [25°17'53”N: 91°35'01”E: 1423 m] and Jimpiat [Jympiat N25°18'05”: E091°33'28” WGS84] the basal conglomerate is … probably 100 feet [about 30 m thick] … Being south of the old shore line these basal beds are older than those of Lum Nyangram [south of Laitkseh in Nobosophoh], but I believe they still form part of the Langpar horizon« (PALMER 1924: 161). NOTE 2: Marbaniang is the name of »a clan in the Cherra State« (GURDON, P R T 1906: 216 no. 56: This is one of the myntri clans of Mawsynram State). NOTE 3: phod (Kharpran Daly 2010.02.02 Mss: Krem Rida), phot (MAMALLAN et al. 1995) seems to relate to ka phúd, n. the bed of a stream, a mountain gorge (SINGH, N 1906: 158) ka phud wah bed [of a stream] (SINGH, N 1920: 40) pûd, v. to omit (SINGH, N 1906: 164); fail (SINGH, N 1920: 172). ka púd, n. (SINGH, N 1906; SINGH, N 1920), u pud (BLAH, E 2007), boundary (SINGH, N 1906: 164); border, boundary, compass, confine, demarcation, landmark, limit, limitation, mete, outline, outskirt, precinct, »purview« [sic! purlieu], term, termination, terminus (SINGH, N 1920: 50, 51, 81, 86, 114, 283, 293, 293, 316, 394, 355, 356, 522, 522, 523); barrier, boundary, confine, demarcation, line, limit, purlieu, term (BLAH, E 2007: 26, 34, 58, 74, 172, 172, 242, 304). pûid, v. rip open, lance, dissect (SINGH, N 1920: 62) and, perhaps, also tou pdot, n. gorge (SINGH, N 1920: 204; BLAH, E 2007: 119); gullet (SINGH, N 1920: 210); pharynx (BLAH, E 2007: 222); throat, Adam's apple (SINGH, N 1906: 153). pyn (Khasi) is a prefix of many causative verbs, as "pyn" + "iap" (to die) forms pyn-iap / pyniap, literally: cause to die, to kill. diang (Khasi, verb) to receive (SINGH, N 1906: 67, 166). NOTE 4: Mawsynram, the village near (±250 m) 25°17'53”N: 91°35'01”E: 1423 m (WGS84 modified from 25°17'51”N: 91°35'11”E, Everest 1830, Survey of India 78-O/11 edition 1974), once was thought to lie at an elevation of »4598 feet« or 1401.5 m asl (Survey of India sheet 78-O/11 edition 1913). NOTE 5: The Mawsynram Inspection Bungalow (PWD) lies south-west from of the village of Mawsynram and is indicated as »IB (PWD)« near (±100 m) 25°17'10”N: 91°34'40”E (WGS84 modified from 25°17'08”N: 91°34'50”E, Everest 1830, Survey of India sheet 78-O/11 edition 1974) at a location at about halfway (along the road south-west) to Laitsohum (N25°16'45”: E091°33'40” WGS84). NOTE 6: Little doubt remains that »a bit of chamber running across the width of the entrance« (Kharpran Daly 2010.02.02 Mss: Krem Rida) can be interpreted as a roofed and daylight-lit niche. NOTE 7: »Wir sind da alle hinmarschiret, es war aber nix. Ich hab aber drauf gedrängt, daß es (auch) aus Übungsgründen vermessen wird. Ich war ziemlich mit Disto kalibrieren und Bohrmaschine testen beschäftigt« (Peter Ludwig 2010.06.21 Mss: Re ML 2010 Krem Rida).
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 2009.09.11: »Mrs. Ridolis [sic!] Marbaniang informed me of two caves on her property at Phodpyndiang in Mawsynram« (Kharpran Daly 2009.09.11 Mss "Here are a few more caves" item 1). 2010.02.01: Brian D. Kharpran Daly, Phrang Kupar “Teddy” Mawlong, and the Indian Navy Commander Vijay Chhikara paid »Mrs. Ridalis [sic!] Marbaniang« (Mawsynram) a visit to gain information about a cave on her land (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). 2010.02.02: Firmly Marbaniang guided Brian D. Kharpran Daly, Phrang Kupar “Teddy” Mawlong, Peter Ludwig, Cdr. Vijay Chhikara (Commander, Indian Navy), Vikrant Shukla, Amulya Prasad Parihar, Prakash Bishnoi (Leading Seaman), Karma Choki Bhutia (Leading Store Assistant), Vikram Singh Kirola (Leading Seaman), Pankaj Rai (Seaman 1st Class), Roshan Singh Yengkhom (Medical Assistant) and Vinklo Sumi to what was identified as »more of a rock shelter with a bit of chamber« (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.3 | MAWJYMBUIÑ, Mawsynram (Krem) | ||
| 1.4 | DAM, Mawsynram (Krem) | ||
| 1.4 | MAWSYNRAM CAVE (Kharpran Daly 1999) (aa -) | ||
| 2.5 | MADURI (Krem) | ||
| 2.5 | PURI (Krem) | ||
| 2.5 | KYNTURSNIANG (Krem hajan) | ||
| 3.4 | PHUD JASIM, 1st (Krem) | ||
| 3.4 | PHUD JASIM, 2nd (Krem) | ||
| 3.7 | MAWSYNRAM - Jathang (Spring near) |