BHIMA DEVI (Cave of)
33.766700,75.216700
Description
Not seen: HUGEL (1845). A north-west facing, modified natural cave entrance in limestone gives access to the famous temple cave named Bhima Devi, which contains not only a lingam (note 1) and a fabulous underground tunnel leading all the way underground to Islamabad (note 2), but also is the home of bats. As far as known, the cave extends about 60 m ESE-WNW and consists of approximately 180 m (note 3) of joint controlled cave passages (rifts of phreatic origin) with »minor wall-fluting [scallops?] and very old, dead stalagmites« (speleothems) that leads to a collapse, which is blocked by fallen boulders and emits an air current but would require destroying sedimentary cave deposits to dig a penetrable continuation in view of forced underground progress (note 4). ETYMOLOGY: No specific name has been identified for this cave which is variously called either after placenames of nearby landmarks, namely a) the nearby temple sacred to Martanda, b) the nearby village of Bawan named after the spring –>Bawan Nag, c) the nearby hamlet of Bhaumajo, or after d) the nearby »Bhimakesava [Bhima-ke Shava] temple, which Bhima Shahi, king [shah], king of Kabul, the maternal grandfather of Queen Didda, is said to have erected during the rule (A.D. 950 to 958) of her husband Ksemagupta [note 5]« (STEIN, M A 1899: 176). So far, I saw this cave referred to as to be completed 1590 »unfathomable cave on one side of the springs of Bawun« (VIGNE, G T 1842: 4 after »Abu Fuzl« a.k.a. Abul Fazl 'Allami 1590: Ain i Akbari) 1835 »excavation close by Bowun« (VIGNE, G T 1842: 4) 1835 »grösste Höhle bei Mattan« (HÜGEL, Carl 1840-1848, 1: 284) 1848 XXXX (CUNNINGHAM, A 1848) 1851 »other cave of Mutthun, or Mattan« (HERVEY, Mrs. 1853, 2: 197) 1853 »limestone cave near Matar Nag« (BLYTH, E 1853: 580-581) 1872 »caves of Bhima Devi, Kashmir« (DOBSON, G E 1872: 208-210; DOBSON, G E 1878a: 295) 1883 XXXX (LYDEKKER, R 1883) 1891 »Kashmir Bat Cave« (BLANFORD, W T 1888-1891, 1: 331) 1891 XXXX (REDSLOB, F 1891) 1895 XXXX (LAWRENCE, W R 1895) 1900 »strange cave temples … on the right bank of the Liddar high in a cliffside« (DOUGHTY, M 1901: 46) 1949 XXXX (PRANAVANANDA 1949) 1971 XXXX (PATOUREL, G N J le 1971) 1970 »Bhamajo Bat Cave« (WALTHAM, A C 1971: 26 figure 5) 1993 »largest cave at Bhumzu« (STRASSER, R 1993) 2001 XXXX (JUBERTHIE et al. 2001: 1800) 2002 XXXX (FOTEDAR, S 2002). SITUATION 1835: Above »some small ancient excavations in the limestone-rock« (–>Bhamajo Shelters) and in the vicinity of Bawan (N33°46': E75°13') or »Bowun« (VIGNE 1842: 3). SITUATION 1900: »… some strange cave temples [are] to be found a short way off on [one or the other] right bank of the Liddar high in a cliffside. Excavated partially by man, these caves run far back into the hillside, and contain temples of the usual Kashmir form, built some one thousand years ago, and quite unworthy of remark except for the strange fact of the existence of people who could care to build in the darkness and gloom when all the land lay open to them -- a ready-made background of perfect beauty« (DOUGHTY, M 1901: 46-47).SITUATION 1949: At walking distances of 3 km from the village of Bawan (N33°46': E75°13') or »Bavan« (PRANAVANADA 1949: 172), which lies 8 km on the pilrimage route along the motorable road from Anantnag (a.k.a. Islamabad N33°44': E75°09') towards Pahalgam (N34°02': E75°20'). SITUATION 1970: WALTHAM (1971b) locates the cave entrance less than a kilometre upstream from the so-called »Bawan Springs« (–>Martand Nag a.k.a. Matar Nag, Matur Nag) in the eastern Vale of Kashmir and a few hundred metres south of –>Bhamajo Cave. Here, the cave entrance lies only a few metres from the road and about 10 m or 12 m above the valley floor on the eastern / orographically left bank of the river Liddar. SITUATION 1993: STRASSER, R (1993: 346) places the cave entrance to the largest cave at »Bhumzu« about 1.6 km north of the legendary spring of »Bhavan« (Bawan, i.e. –>Martand Nag), 20 m above the level of the "Lidder" river and three minutes short of a second cave (see: Bhima Devi). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1590 edited 1993: There is a cave near the springs at Bawan (–>Martand Nag), of which »… the depth cannot be ascertained« (ABUL FAZL 1590 translated and edited after JARRETT 1893 by SARKAR & SEZGIN 1993, 2: 360). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1835, summer: There is »… a porch, elevated on the perpendicular face of the rock in which it is cut. The old pathway has been much injured, and I clambered up with some difficulty. Within is a small antechamber, from which a few steps lead into another excavation behind it; but I was deterred from going beyond the entrance, by the stench arising from the innumerable bats that I disturbed, which was rendered absolutely insupportable by the great heat of the weather« (VIGNE, G T 1842: 4-5). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1835, November 25th (after HÜGEL, Carl 1840-1848, 1: 286): The cave entrance lies about 30 feet above the ground and is rather difficult to clamber up. Several leads off the entrance area give access to cave chambers formed by nature and of various shapes. I searched one after the other but they all close down and are without [man-made] decorations. In one chambers I found a fresh grave and in another a human skeletton but if proceeding onwards, there is only one feasible cave passage and this ends due to the lowering ceiling after 50 or 60 paces of which the last 20 have to be crossed in mud and dripping water. This was the Mattan's famed endless cave (note 7). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1848: »A straight narrow fissure 160 feet [48.8 m] long which gradually widens out towards the end into two small chambers, from 16 to 20 feet across, and from 12 to 15 feet in height« and contains »a shapeless waterworn stone [lingam], which is considered holy by the Hindus« (CUNNINGHAM, A 1848: 252, plate X »Cave of Bhima Devi« plan on a scale of 1 inch = 40 feet). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1851, 10th June, Tuesday: »Taking a light, and accompanied by Ghaussie and several Brahmins, I entered the gloomy mountain portal. Heavy drops of water were dripping from the stone, and the ground was damp under our feet. As we advanced, the soil became half-a-foot deep in mud, and one of the Brahmins carried me to where the rock descends so low as to make further progress apparently impossible. … The length of the cave I saw is eighty paces. I did not count mine, but the men's. The width of the cave is very little, just enough for a person to pass, and the rock on both sides slants so much, that I could not stand upright, though the actual height of the interior may be nearly seven feet. The further extremity of the cave, about the last thirty paces, is far more spacious and lofty« (HERVEY, Mrs 1853, 2: 197-198). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1883: One of the »caverns about a mile above Bawan« in the Liddar valley »has its opening about 40 feet [12 m] above the ground and may be traversed for a length of about 210 feet [64.05 m] but seems to extend much farther« (LYDEKKER, R 1883: 31). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1895: »Close by [–>Bhaumajo Cave] is another cave of still greater extend, but with no architectural accessoires« (LAWRENCE, W R 1895: 169). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1891: REDSLOB, F (1891: 308) reports having entered a few hundred paces. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1900: »… some strange cave temples to be found a short way off on the right bank of the Liddar high in a cliffside. Excavated partially by man, these caves run far back into the hillside, and contain temples of the usual Kashmir form, built some one thousand years ago, and quite unworthy of remark … Our guide insisted on our following a narrow, dark passage that led to a tiny chamber where had lived and died a very holy fakir …« (DOUGHTY, M 1901: 46-47). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1949: PRANAVANADA (1949: 172) places the village of »Bunzu« at walking distances of 3 km from the village »Bavan« (Bawan) and 8 km along the pilgrimage route from Anantnag to Pahalgam. The cave is an estimated »200 yards long« [180 m or. perhaps, 200 feet = circa 60 m] and requires belly crawling at places. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1971.1: »… a cave … about 60 m long … [where] Rog [Roger J. Bowser] spent a day on a dig at the end of the cave« (BOWSER, R 1971: 21). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1971.2: »The passages in the cave are entirely phreatic, formed along a series of nearly vertical joints, with the main rift running obliquely across the 28° dip. The passage morphology is classically phreatic with an abundance of roof pendants, anastomosing channels and closed avens, the only vadose activity being some minor wall-fluting and very old, dead stalagmites. The floors are now mostly covered in mud, though varved sands occur locally, and the end of the main passage is blocked by boulders. Beside the joint control of the cave plan, some passage profiles are influenced by thin shale horizons. The phreatic origins of the cave, and its present situation, perched above the Vale floor, clearly demonstrate that it was formed in an ancient topography before excavation of the present valleys and the subsequent infilling by the Vale sediments; it is clearly pre-Pleistocene« (WALTHAM, A C 1971b: 25, cave plan and projected section on page 26). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1993: »Bhumzu: Am linken Ufer des des Lidder-Flußes, etwa 1,6 km nördlich der legendären Bhavan-Quelle. In der größten der dortigen Höhlen ist ein Steintempel am Ende eines natürlichen Spaltes in einem Kalkkliff, das künstlich erweitert wurde. Der Höhleneingang 20 m über dem Flußniveau ist in Form einer Türe ausgehauen, ein düsterer 17 m langer Gang führt zum Tempeleingang. Es handelt sich um einen einfachen Kultraum über bescheidener Plinthe, durch Treppen zugänglich. Der quadratische Einang wird von zwei Rundnischen flankiert, darüber hoher Dreieckgiebel mit Dreipaß-Bogenfeld. Die Höhle zieht sich 70 m weit in den Berg hinein« (STRASSER, R 1993: 346). SPELEOMETRY: 1835 ca 60 m or »50 bis 60 Schritte« (HÜGEL, Carl 1840-1848, 1: 286) 1848 60 m or 160 + 20 + 16 feet (CUNNINGHAM, A 1848: 252) 178 m or 160 + 20 + 16 yards (CUNNINGHAM, A 1848 plate X: cave plan, one inch to 40 feet) 1851 ca. 50 m or »eighty paces« (HERVEY, Mrs 1853, 2: 198) 1883 ca. 64 m or »about 210 feet« (LYDEKKER, R 1883: 31) 1891 »mehrere hundert Fuß« (REDSLOB, F 1891: 308) 1949 ca. 183 m or »200 yards« (PRANAVANADA 1949: 172) 1971 60 m BOWSER, R (1971: 21) ca. 180 m WALTHAM, A C (1971 editor: 26 figure 5 cave plan) 1993 70 m STRASSER, R (1993: 346). CAVE CLIMATE: PATOUREL, G N le (1971: 75-76) measured in September 1970 a cave temperature of 18°C with a diurnal variation of 2°C. CAVE LIFE -- bats (Chiroptera). 1853: W. Theobald, Esq. Jr. had collectedspecimens of Myotis pallidiventris ("pale bellied", better: theobaldi) »from limestone caves [no name mentioned] near Matar Nag, N. of Islamabad, Kashmir« (BLYTH, E 1853: 580-581). 1872: Vespertilio macropus collected from the caves of Bhima Devi, Kashmir at an elevation of 2000 m (DOBSON 1872: 208-210). 1878: »… specimens [of Vespertilio longipes, Chiroptera] were obtained by Captain Murray in the caves of Bhima Devi« at an elevation of about 1830 m (DOBSON 1878a: 295). 1891: As far as the »Kashmir Cave Bat« is concerned, »It is probable that Myotis theobaldi, obtained from caves near Matur Nag, N. of Islamabad, Kashmir, was the same as Vespertilio longipes …« (BLANFORD 1888-1891: 331). 1900: »… I did want to get to the outer air and the perfume of roses and jessamine and living things, away from those horrors of mortality, and the smells and stuffiness of airless places, and the haunting of ghostly swarms of bats that descended from the roof, touched one on the back, fluttered eerily about my head, pawed in ghostly guise the back of my hand, filled me with the dread of phantom terrors. I turned and fled, though the guide assured me that in ten minutes the place would be clear. Ten minutes more of such horrors would have cured me of all mortal ills for ever« (DOUGHTY, M 1901: 47).1935, circa: not seen WOLF, B (1934-1938, 3: 518) may review DOBSON (1878: 295). [forwarded by Claude Chabert; Ray Mansfield]. 1970: PATOUREL, G N le (1971: 75-76) investigated specimens of Myotis longipes from a day roost of 2000 individuals, and another day roost of Myotis blythi for external and internal parasites. JUBERTHIE et al. (2001: 1800) had learned about Chiroptera: Vespertilio longipes Dobson 1878: 295.
NOTE 1: »… there is a shapeless water worn stone [lingam?], which is considered holy by the Hindus« (CUNNINGHAM 1848: 252). NOTE 2: »Mutthun, or Mattan -- 11th June, 1851. Wednesday -- I visited the famous Caves of Mutthun yesterday evening … The Brahmins subsequently endeavoured to make me believe there was a road all through the mountains to Islamabad, and that a person could reach it crawling on hands and knees« (HERVEY 1853, 2: 198). The fabulous tunnel leading from the cave of Bhima Devi to an unspecified spot at Anantnag (a.k.a. Islamabad N33°44': E75°09') covers a linear distance of about 7.34 km approximately ESE. NOTE 3: Till today holds true Abul Fazl's centuries old statement of 1590 A.D. that the cave's length »cannot be ascertained« (ABUL FAZL 1590 translated and edited after JARRETT 1893 revised by SARKAR & SEZGIN 1993, 2: 360). CUNNINGHAM (1848: 252) mentions 160 + 20 + 15 feet (59 m) but, judging from his cave survey, appears to have meant 160 + 20 + 15 yards (178 m). LYDEKKER (1883: 31) says the »cavern … may be traversed for a length of about 210 feet [64 m obviously without considering the tributary side passages and counting exclusively the travelling distance between the entrance and the furthest point reached] but seems to extend much farther.« Impeccable PRANAVANANDA (1949: 172) estimates a length of about 200 yards (183 m). The "British Karst Research Expedition to the Himalaya 1970" (WALTHAM, A C 1971 editor) managed to produce a simple cave plan (showing some 180 m of passage) but failed to arrive at a cave length (PATOUREL, G 1971: 75-76; WALTHAM, A C 1971b: 25) or stated cave lengths including »about 60 m« (BOWSER 1971: 21) and »about 300 feet« (91 m, COWARD 1971a: 31; 1971c: 30). NOTE 4: Roger J. Bowser spent in late September 1970 »… a day on a dig at the end of the cave« (BOWSER 1971: 21) and allegedly »… tried unsuccessfully [sic! for: not sufficiently motivated] to dig his way through« (WALTHAM, J M 1971: 11). NOTE 5: »See Rajat, vi. 178 note« (STEIN, M A 1899: 176 note) which seems to refer to KALHANA (1140 edited by STEIN, M A 1892-1900, vol. 1, book VI, page 178, footnote). NOTE 6: HÜGEL, Carl (1840-1848, 1: 286): »Der Eingang in dieser Höhle ist ungefähr 30 Fuss über der Ebene, und ziemlich schwer zu erklimmen. Im Anfange findet man mehrere Eingänge zu kleinen, von Natur gebildeten Kammern von verschiedener Form; ich durchsuchte eine nach der anderen; sie sind alle ohne Ausgang und ohne irgend eine Verzierung; in einer Kammer fand ich ein neues Grab, in einer anderen ein menschliches Gerippe: allein, wenn man weiter fortgeht, so ist bald nur mehr Ein Weg übrig, und dieser endet durch die immer niederer und niederer werdende Decke nach 50 bis 60 Schritten, von den 20 im Schlamme des herabtriefenden Wassers zurück zu legen sind. Dies war die berühmte endlose Höhle Mattan's.« NOTE 7: »Our expeditionary force consisted … [of] the brother officer … F. … and myself« (KNIGHT 1863 "Diary" Introduction). NOTE 8: »This was written without being aware that the native name of Mutton is a corruption of Martund, by which name the temple is also designated« (KNIGHT 1863 "Diary" note 10).
Documents
Bibliography 23/03/2016- Abul Fazl 'Allami 1590 (Ain i Akbari: edited by Beveridge, H, a.i.; Gladwin, Francis 1783, 1800; Blochmann, H 1873, 1939, 1949, 1993; Jarrett, H S 1891, 1939, 1949, 1993); Blanford, W T 1888-1891; Blyth, Edward 1853, 1855; Bowser, Roger J 1971; Coward, Julien M H 1971a, 1971c; Cunningham, Alexander 1848; Dobson, George Edward 1872b, 1878a; Doughty, Marion 1901; Fotedar, Sunil 2002; Hervey, Mrs. 1853; Hügel, Carl [Hugel, Charles] 1840-1848, 1845; Knight, William Henry 1863; Lawrence, Walter Roper 1895 edited 1967, 1981, 1996, 2005; Lydekker, Richard 1883; Patourel, Geoffrey N J le 1971; Pranavananda, Swami [alias: Somayajulu, Kanakadandi Venkata] 1949, 1983; Redslob, F 1891; Strasser, Robert 1993; Waltham, Anthony C 1971b; Waltham, Janet M 1971; Wolf, Benno 1934-38.
Histoire
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1590: Noted by ABUL FAZL (1590, translated and edited by JARRETT 1893, JARRETT & SARKAR 1949, JARRETT, SARKAR & SEZGIN 1993, 2: 360). 1822 / 1823: William Moorcroft (MOORCROFT & TREBECK 1841: Travels), generally aware of caves, »did not visit these caves« (CUNNINGHAM 1848: 252). 1835 unknown date: Godfrey Thomas Vigne (born on 1st September 1801 at Walthamstow, then in Essex, died 12th July 1863 at Woodford Wells, Essex), an English amateur cricketer and traveller, »clambered up with some difficulty« but soon »was deterred from going beyond the entrance, by the stench arising from the innumerable bats that I disturbed, which was rendered absolutely insupportable by the great heat of the weather« (VIGNE 1842: 4-5). Alexander Cunningham confirms that »Vigne (Kashmír, v. 2 - p. 4) was deterred from entering by the stench of innumerable bats« (CUNNINGHAM 1848: 252)1835.11.25: Carl [Freiherr von] HÜGEL, (1840-1848, 1: 286; a.k.a. "Baron Charles Hugel" [sic!] 1845) mentiones no bats whatsoever but did explore the »endless cave« in search of organic remains in a fossil state of conservation »Es war mir wichtig, diese Höhlen zu untersuchen, in denen ich hoffte organische Überreste im fossilen Zustande zu finden« (vol. 1: 281). 1848: Alexander CUNNINGHAM (1848) published describtion and cave plan (1inch: 40 feet).1851 June 10th, Tuesday; Mrs. Hervey narrates to have visited »the other« of the »famous Caves of Mutthun« without explaining how she got lifted up to the cave entrance. She alleges to have even entered but mentions no bats. Needles to say that preferring being carried over moving one or the other limb, exploration came to a halt when she »certainly saw no aperture, which was not large enough to admit a well-sized dog.« At least she admits that »I did not see a single one« of the »several little chambers, of different forms« that had been explored by »Baron Hügel« (HERVEY 1853, 2: 197-198). 1853: W. Theobald, Esq. Jr., has favoured the Asiatic Society of Bengal (Calcutta) with bats collected from limestone caves near Matar Nag (BLYTH, E 1853). 1860.07.13: Captain William Henry KNIGHT (1863 Diary: 1860 July 13) and his anonymous mate »F« (note 7) went to »Mutton« (note 8) and »thought it not worth while proceeding to Bamazoo, where we were told there were caves; but, treating the fishes to a small coin's worth of Indian maize, we retraced our steps.« 1970, early to mid September: Geoffrey N. J. le Patourel reduced to one »Geoff was pleased with the bat colony there and he and Sue [Susan E. Carney] braved the stench to catch and examine the bats. … the main passage ends in [sic! qua: leads to] a boulder choke that Rog [Roger J. Bowser] tried unsuccessfully to dig his way through« (WALTHAM, J M 1971: 11).
Cavités proche
| Distance (km) | Nom | Longueur (m) | Profondeur (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | RUK-u- DIN RISHI (Dargah ka) | ||
| 0.0 | SHIVA, Bhamajo (Cave of) | ||
| 0.9 | BAWAN SPRINGS | ||
| 0.9 | KAMALA NAG | ||
| 1.8 | BHAMAJO CAVE | ||
| 1.9 | SURYA GOFFAR, Martand | ||
| 2.4 | SER (Höhle bei) | ||
| 4.8 | SUCCURGAOM | ||
| 7.2 | Maliknag |