HARNI HARNA CAVE
24.583300,83.200000
Description
The rock art site »Harni Harna« (note 1) reported COCKBURN (1883b: 126) from a location somewhere at a travelling distance (on horse back) of »a mile« (one or two kilometers) in an unspecified direction from the fortress of »Bidjeygurh« or Bijaigarh Fort (note 2). CULTURAL HISTORY- rock art: COCKBURN (1883c: 59) reports from »Harni Harna cave near Bidjeygurh« paintings of a rhinocerus hunting scene (note 3) while DRAKE BROCKMANN (1911: District Gazetteer, Mirzapur.- page 358) notices unspecified »relics of prehistoric man have been found in the caves and rock shelters.«
NOTE 1: The humbugging derogator MACMUNN (1933: 155), keen on serving well established classes, wanted to make believe the »Harnis are one of the most persistent of rogue tribes, with more daring and character than many … Harni is but Sanscrit for a thief, and the tribes' own legend that some rajah lad called them Haranis because one of them had caught a wounded deer on foot for him, is but on a par with their gift of humbugging the world.« NOTE 2: »Bidjeygurh« (COCKBURN 1983b: 126; 1983c: 59) in Robertsganj tahsil is marked Bijaigarh Fort (about 75 km in a direct line south-east of Mirzapur town) on Survey of India sheet 63-P/02 (edition 1971) at an elevation of 576 m asl near N24°34'40”: E083°11'00” (Everest 1830), marked Bijaigarh in the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006: 57 G2), and positioned as Bidjey Gurh, Bijaigarh and Bijaigarh Fort at N24°35': E083°12' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003). NOTE 3: The three famous rock art sites in Uttar Pradesh showing rhinocerus (or so) are »Jagdaha Cave« (rock shelter near Ghormangur ±250 m N24°36'45”: E083°13'40”, about 84 km in a direct line SSE of Varanasi / Benares 25°20'N: 83°00'E), Harni Harna (±2.5 km N24°35': E083°12' about 86 km in a direct line SSE of Benares), and Roup Shelter = Temple Mound Cave (Roump village, ±2.5 km N24°39': E083°05'), about 77 km in a direct line east by south of Benares (25°20'N: 83°00'E).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8 | GOMUNWA CAVE | ||
| 2.2 | DHARAN GHAT SHELTER | ||
| 4.3 | GHORMANGUR SHELTER | ||
| 4.3 | JAGDAHA CAVE | ||
| 10.1 | GUPT NATH, Baijnath | ||
| 13.9 | ROUP SHELTER | ||
| 17.5 | GHAT CAVE | ||
| 17.5 | PANCHMUKHI SHELTER | ||
| 17.5 | SYMBOL CAVE |