SING DANG (Cave near)
27.350000,88.483300
Description
The souls of the Heemo clan of Lepchas enter and exit the hither world (keyword exitcave) on their way to and fro the »Rum-lyang« or »Place of Gods« by way of a fabulous underground tunnel (note 1) beginning at a fall called Phim Leb (note 2) at rock called Sing Dang in the vincinity of the village Samdong (note 3). SITUATION 1 (NEBESKY WOJKOWITZ (1951: 36): »… near a rock called Sing Dang, in the vicinity of the village Samdong« (note 4). SITUATION 2 (ROCK 1953: 945): »Below the Mengsher mendong of Lingmo [note 5] at the fall called Phim-leb in the Lepcha language« (note 6). SITUATION 3 (HUMMEL 1957: 629): »… bei Samdong (88°30' 27°21') im Felsen Sing-dang« (note 7).
NOTE 1: The fabulous tunnel connecting the cave near Sing Dang (N27°21': E88°29': 1220 m asl) with the top of Mt. Kanchenjunga (N27°42': E88°08': 8598 m asl) spans a linear distance of about 52.6 km (north-west) and a vertical range of about 7380 m. NOTE 2: Compare –>Phim Leb near Lingmo (N27°21': E88°27'). NOTE 3: Samdong N27°21': E088°30' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) lies at a linear distance of 40 km NNE of Darjeeling (N27°02': E88°16') or 12 km in a direct line west of Gangtok (N27°20': E88°37') above the left (east) bank of Tista river and opposite of Lingmo (N27°21': E88°27') and the cave –>Phim Leb across the Tista. NOTE 4: NEBESKY WOJKOWITZ (1951: 23, 35-36): »According to the old Lepcha belief … the place from which the soul [Muk nyam] comes and to which it again returns after a man's death, is called Rum lyang, the place of gods. It is believed, that this place lies somewhere in the hills, close to Mount Kanchenjunga. […] The Chronicles of the Maharajas of Sikkim mention a belief of the Sengdenmos, that the spirit goes to the "place of Gods" via a subterranean passage, the entrance of which is a cave in the vicinity of Monphu, while the Heemos claim, that the spirit enters this way near a rock called Sing Dang, in the vicinity of the village Samdong …« NOTE 5: The small town of Lingmo is shown near N27°21': E88°27' at elevations around 4000 feet (1220 m asl) on AMS sheet NG45-03 Kanchenjunga (U502 series, 1963 edition) above the right (west) bank of the river Tista and in an area about 40 km in a direct line about NNE of Darjeeling and 17 km west of Gangtok. NOTE 6: ROCK (1953: 945): »The Heemo Lepchas believe that their spirits are conveyed through another subterranean passage beginning at a fall called Phim-leb, at the rock of Sing-dang in Samdong, to the same destination« (Mt. Kanchenjunga N27°42': E88°08'). NOTE 7: HUMMEL (1957: 628-629): »Für die Beziehung der … Höhlen Sikhims zu den Bergen des Landes bringt die … sogenannte Mun-Religion der Lepcha in Sikhim eindeutige Beweise. Danach kommen die Seelen der Menschen von Rum-lyang, dem Ort der Götter auf den Bergen, durch eine Höhle zur Erde, durch die sie wieder beim Tode zurückkehren (NEBESKY WOJKOWITZ 1951: 23ff, 1956: 143). Die Lokalisierung von Rum-lyang und entsprechend auch die der Höhlen variiert bei den verschiedenen Clans. Die meisten wähnen den Göttersitz auf den Gangs-chen-mdzod (mched)-lnga (Kangchenjunga), wobei jedoch die Ansicht über den Höhlenzugang verschieden ist. Bei den … Hee-mo is es eine Höhle im Felsen Sing-dang bei Samdong (88°30' 27°21') …«
Cavités proche
| Distance (km) | Nom | Longueur (m) | Profondeur (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.3 | PHIM LEB CAVE, Lingmo | ||
| 7.3 | SITHA LINGDING | ||
| 9.2 | BE PHUG | ||
| 14.9 | PACHIKHANI MINES | ||
| 16.8 | Unboo Lep | ||
| 18.8 | TSE CHU PHUG 2 | ||
| 18.8 | TSE CHU PHUG | ||
| 21.1 | KAHDO SANG PHUG | ||
| 22.4 | LHARI NYING PHUG |