SHLEM KHLA (Krem)
25.202800,91.719400
Description
A north-facing cave entrance (7 m wide, 2.3 m high) and seasonal insurgence lies at the base of a much shattered collapse doline (shakehole, sinkhole) and drains water to a more or less horizontal network of predominantly low passages with plentiful calcite formations (speleothems). The average profile in the main passage resembles a wide inverted letter 'T'. The cave is developed in a limestone band (oolithic, lagoonal origin) sandwiched between sandstones. Towards the lower part of the cave, the main passage intersects another small stream passage that runs 90 m northwards before getting sufficiently low to ask for somebody else's knee pads or, even better, knee caps. ETYMOLOGY: The originally recorded cave name "Krem Shillem Khla" (Brian D. Kharpran Daly 1995 personal communication) is not easy to interprete but "Krem Shlem Khla" translates as »smelting house / iron workshop forest cave« (note 1) and it seems likely that iron smelting was done in the area. SITUATION: ATTENTION: Estimated coordinates only! The entrance to the insurgence cave lies about 10 walking minutes, or at a linear distance of about 0.5 km approximately east-southeast of Wahlong (note 2).
NOTE 1: ka shlem (Khasi; noun), »a smelting house; an iron workshop« (SINGH, N 1906: 196); »a forge; a furnace« (SINGH, N 1920: 188, 196); »a smithy« (BLAH, E 2007: 288)."ka khla“ is the word for a »a tiger, a leopard« but "ka khlâw“ (corruptable to ka khla) is »the jungle« (SINGH, N 1906: 32). NOTE 2: Wahlong, literally: Big Stream (of water), is the same as »Wolong« (Major Bivar in: MEDLICOTT, H B 1865: 391 table) and »Wullong« (MEDLICOTT, H B 1865: 421). In November 1995 I recorded at a populated place called Wahlong the GPS position (±150 m) 25°12'29”N: 91°43'25”E : circa (±200 m) 800 m asl (WGS84 modified from 25°12'27”N: 91°43'35”E Everest 1830, Gebauer, H D undated 1995 November unstable 4-channel GPS Garmin 4) where the Survey of India sheets 78-O/12 indicate a village called »Mawthangsokkhyllum« (edition 1912) or »Mawthangsok Khyllum« (edition 1937), apparently a contraction of "maw" (stone) + "thang" (to burn, deflagrate, enkindle, fire, light) + "soh khyllum" »a sour fruit resembling a guava« (SINGH, N 1906: 207).
Documents
Bibliography 23/05/2016History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1995.11.23 - 24: B. D. Kharpran Daly, Simon J.Brooks, and H. D. Gebauer (book) mapped and explored the cave in company with young rascals who stuffed the bats they picked from the cave's walls and ceiling alive into their trouser pockets. Brooks, S J noted: »23-11-95 … Return to Wahlong village and make initial exploration of Krem Shillem Khla« (BROOKS, S J et al 1998: 17).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | RI BLAI (Krem) | ||
| 0.3 | WAHLONG CAVE (Warren 2004) (aa -) | ||
| 0.4 | LAIT (Krem U) | ||
| 0.7 | NONGBAH CAVE, Wahlong (aa -) | ||
| 0.8 | WAHLONG CAVE (Ende 2003) (aa -) | ||
| 0.9 | Lyndad Pyngkat (Krem) | ||
| 1.6 | SHOH SHIAP 1 (Krem) | ||
| 1.6 | SHOH SHIAP 2 (Krem) | ||
| 1.7 | MAWRAMDAH (Krem) |