LASHING (Krem)
25.212200,92.155800
Description
One of the more voluminous caves known in India (more than 150'000 cubic metres) is in places about 50 m wide and 40 m high (note 1). In the gloomy main passage huge mounds of dark soil are trenched by a stream, which, small in the dry season, must flood an extensive backup zone dammed by a major collapse. Rocks exposed in the streambed are covered with a shiny and, if moist, shockingly slippery mineral varnish. ETYMOLOGY: The meaning of the cave name "Krem Lashing" has not yet been discovered but possibly translates as »Cave [of the] Three Pennies / Seeds / Bones« (note 2). SITUATION: The cave entrance lies a few kilometres to the south of Pdengshakap village where the presence of the cave is indicated in November 1995 by a sign board reading "Krem Pubon Lashing". To the right of the road a 15 minute walk along a vague path leads over a small hummock, via some fields and a wet area, and finally over a small ridge to the left whereupon the path descends steeply to the massive cave entrance. CAVE DESCRIPTION: The WNW-facing, 12 m wide and 2 m high cave entrance in a caprock of Lakadong Sandstone (Middle Sylhet stage) gives access to a circuitous, initially 15 m wide and high cave passage (in places almost 30 m wide and more than 15 m high) in Lakadong Limestone (Lower Sylhet stage), which by and by decreases in size and eventually leads to a collapsed area at a walking distance of 1075 m (less than 250 m in a direct line SSW) from the cave entrance. Here, the cave continues in one or the other inaccessible ways. Huge soil accumulations in the generally dark, muddy and slippery testify to seasonal flooding of an extensive backup zone. Between 70 m and 150 m from the entrance into the cave, a major ceiling collapse led to an about 50 m high pile damming the main cave passage. Several tributaries of complicated structure add side passages. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2005: »A massive cave … Due to the huge amount of sticky and slippery mud in the cave, the best period to visit would be Feb/March« (KHARPRAN DALY 2005 s.a.). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2006: »A river cave which is very gloomy because of the dark and slippery mud it contains« (KHARPRAN DALY 2006 s.a.: 37). CULTURAL HISTORY - Cave legend: The noteworthy collapse hill (about 50 m high) in the main passage, is »supposedly caused by over enthusiastic fishing with the use of explosives« (Jarratt 05.02.2002 Mss after Charles Slong 1995.11.28 personal communication). CULTURAL HISTORY - human use: Currently (1997) developed as something of a show cave (hence the sign), Krem Lashing is also reputed to be a renowned fishing spot. The fishing site being in the first deep pool that lies some 900 m from the entrance and has a rough path leading to it. CAVE LIFE: Several hundred, perhaps thousand square metres of the perennially moist sediment infilling are covered with (at least) two varieties of worm heaps (note 3) which dot the dark grey coloured surface of the soil. A solitary centipede (Chilopoda: Scolopendra), some 25 cm long and wearing a frightening coloured costume -- including bright shades of blue -- was videoed by Rafael Warjri, Shillong, when it was lazily free climbing an overhanging wall above a lively little stream.
NOTE 1: BROOKS, S J (2000: 1) simply took feet (a unit of linear measure equal to 30.48 cm) as metres (the fundamental unit of length in the metric system, equal to 100 centimeters) to arrive at a »Krem Pubon Lashing where the largest cave passage yet found [1995] in the Indian subcontinent was surveyed at 50 metres wide.« This, however, is probably not the case as the Borra Cave in Andhra Pradesh seems to be more voluminous than Krem Lashing (186'966 cubic metres). NOTE 2: The Amwi Khasi and Synteng Khasi "ka la" (GURDON 1906: 200) is the same as the standard Khasi "ka lai" and the word for the number 3 or »the three« (SINGH, N 1906: 109; GURDON 1906: 208) The Khasi noun ”ka sh'ing” (SINGH, N 1906: 194) or "ka shieng" (GURDON, P R T 1906: 86) is a contraction of "ka shyieng" (Khasi; noun), binomial imitative: ”ka shyieng ka shruh” (SINGH, N 1906: 194), and is not only the word for »a cowrie, a pice [paisa, a small coin] when used after cardinal numbers« (SINGH, N 1906: 194) but also for »a seed« (SINGH, N 1906: 194) and »a bone« (OLDHAM, T 1854 / 1984 appendix C: lxi; SINGH, N 1906: 194; GURDON, P R T 1906: 86; SINGH, N 1920: 50; BLAH, E 2007: 34). NOTE 3: u wieh (Khasi, noun), an earthworm (SINGH, N 1906: 204). NOTE 4: »4-3-97 Leaving Jowai early in the morning, drives to Krem Lashing at Pdengshakap village. Estelle, Daniel, Brian, Donbok, Raphael and Anand got to the area which Daniel, Simon and Chris had left in 1995; where the passage was found to continue for about 160 m to end in [sic! for: to give access to] a boulder choke. Tony, J-Rat, Andy and Kaiman [Kyrmen 'Hope' C Hiwot Passah] find way through the downstream boulder choke which was where exploration had stopped in 1995, and find a streamway and more big passage, surveying 570 m. 5-3-97 Estelle, J-Rat, Tony, Daniel, Anand and Raphael return to Krem Lashing and survey another 500 m. The rest [i.e. Brian D. Kharpran Daly and Donbokwell "Bok" Syiemlieh] of the team spend the day prospecting in the area surounding Krem Lashing but find little of interest« (Brooks, S J in: BROOKS, S J et al 1998: 31).
Documents
Bibliography 07/04/2016Histoire
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1995.11.28: Brian D. Kharpran Daly, Lindsay B. Diengdoh and Kyrmen 'Hope' C Hiwot Passah herding Antony 'Tony' Boycott, Jennifer 'Jenni' or 'Jenny' A. Brooks, Simon J. Brooks, H. D. Gebauer, Estelle Sandford, and Christopher M. Smart, discovered a tiny road sign indicating "cave" off the road. Brooks, S J narrates how the team »returned to Pdengshakap village and made arrangements to visit Krem Pubon Lashing before driving to Amlarem where party overnights« (Brooks, S J in: BROOKS, S J et al 1998: 18). 1995.11.29: Guided by Charles Slong (Pdengshakap village headman), H. D. Gebauer (book), Simon J. Brooks (compass and clino) and Jennifer 'Jenni' or 'Jenny' A. Brooks (tape) mapped the first 1850 m in company with Boycott, Antony 'Tony', Brian D. Kharpran Daly, Lindsay B. Diengdoh, Kyrmen 'Hope' C Hiwot Passah, George 'Whiskey Jo' Lyngdoh et al. Brooks, S J noted: ”29-11-95 Return to Pdengshakap and partly explore and survey the massive Krem Pubon Lashing. Later that evening return to Jowai« (Brooks, S J in: BROOKS, S J et al 1998: 18).1997.03.04 - 05: Guided by Anand Janatia, H. D. Gebauer (book), Estelle Sandford (compass and clinometer) and Brian D. Kharpran Daly (measuring tape) mapped another 1237 m of cave passages while Tony [Anthony] Boycott (scouting) and Anthony 'Tony' R. Jarratt (scouting) explored, being videoed by Raphael Warjri and Donbokwell "Bok" Syiemlieh (note 4).
Cavités proche
| Distance (km) | Nom | Longueur (m) | Profondeur (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.6 | AMKOI, Pdengshakap (Krem) | ||
| 1.2 | PSHAHSHURO (Krem) | ||
| 1.7 | LYMBIT, Amlari (Krem) | ||
| 2.6 | AMKHLOO, Pdengshakap (Krem) | ||
| 2.6 | AMSONG (Krem) | ||
| 2.7 | AMKHLOO, Syndai (Krem) | ||
| 3.0 | AMLADKOH (Krem) | ||
| 3.1 | HATI MATLAH (Krem) | ||
| 3.1 | RYLENG (Krem) |