KALAROOS
34.500000,74.400000
Description
The Kalaroos, Kela Roose and Kelaroose or Alarums (note 1), literally »Road to Russia« is sort of a »legendary cave path« (ROSE, P 1961), which originally connected Kupwara (note 2) to Russia while a modern Journalese bullshit spreader (BHOPAL TIMES 2000.12.28) developed the fabulous underground tunnel into a well-established secret way by which infiltrating militants sneak in from all over Pakistan. SITUATION: Neil Sootinck (2007.11.21 personal correspondence) has learned the »Alarums Caves« (sic!) are situated about 90 km (more likely: 90 miles or about 145 km along the road ) from Srinagar (N34°05': E74°49') but already in Kupwara district and in the Lolab Valley, which nima.mil/geonames (accessed 16.11.2003) positions at N34°30': E74°24' in an area where AMS sheet NI43-06 Srinagar (U502 series, 1959 edition) shows the north-west draining valley of the river Sum Nar about 15 or 20 km approximately east and south-east from the town of »Kopwara« (N34°31' E74°16'), headquarters of Kupwara district, about 70 km in a direct line north-west from Srinagar (N34°05': E74°49'). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1961: Spelunking Australians narrated a tale according to which they had visited the »legendary cave path« which appears to be locally well-known: »Kalaroose, the legendary cave path to Russia, was complete flop, turning out to be an old copper mine [note 3] in some argalaceous [sic! for: argillaceous?] matter« (ROSE, P 1961). CULTURAL HISTORY 2000, August: Paul A. Edmunds (2000.08.08 personal correspondence) had learned from his family doctor (note 4) in Great Britain that »Kela Roos [sic!] in the Kupwara district of Kashmir … gets its name because it goes all the way to Russia. Dr. N.A. Malick … believes people have been in the cave, but only as far as their paraffin lamps could go.« CULTURAL HISTORY 2000, December: A »quintet of Pakistani militants … sneaked in through Kalaroos [sic!] in J&K's Kupwara district and were suitably equipped each with an AK-27 rifle, two grenades, four extra magazines, some food and Rs 5,000« (BHOPAL TIMES 2000.12.28, Thursday, front page). CULTURAL HISTORY 2007: »Alarums caves, lolab, Kupwara ¬ At a distance of 90 kilometers from Srinagar lies the district of Kupwara. The folk stories around the area of Lolab say that the Alarums caves of Lolab Valley [note 5] stretches up to Russia ( note 6). People have explored the caves for up to two days?? and then had given up because of the darkness« (Neil Sootinck 2007.11.21 personal correspondence).
NOTE 1: So far, I saw the name of the fabulous tunnel spelles, edited or printed as Alarums Caves Neil Sootinck, Shillong, Meghalaya (2007.11.21 personal correspondence) Kalaroos BHOPAL TIMES, The (2000.12.28 Thursday, front page) Kalaroose ROSE, Paull (1961) Kela Roos Edmunds, Paul A (2000.08.08 personal correspondence after Dr. N. A. Malick). NOTE 2: The India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006: 2 A2, A3, B2, B3) shows the district of Kupwara between the districts of Muzaffarabad (Pakistan) in the west and Baramula (India) in the east. The district headquarters is indicated as »Kopawar« on AMS sheet NI43-06 Srinagar (U502 series, 1959) at linear distances of about 70 km north-west from Srinagar (N34°05': E74°49') and 30 km approximately north-west from Wular Lake.NOTE 3: VIGNE (1842, 2: 5) mentions a copper mine near the spring »Harput Nag« (not identified). NOTE 4: Dr. N. A. Malick, who has just returned from his family home in India (2000.08.08 personal correspondence after Dr. N. A. Malick). NOTE 5: Lolab Valley N34°30': E74°24' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) on AMS sheet NI43-06 Srinagar (U502 series, 1959 edition). NOTE 6: »… heard this somewhere before many times in many states- ha ha« (Neil Sootinck 2007.11.21 personal correspondence).
Documents
Bibliography 30/03/2016- Rose, Paull 1961.
Cavités proche
| Distance (km) | Nom | Longueur (m) | Profondeur (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.2 | WULAR | ||
| 19.1 | IMSELVARA CAVE | ||
| 35.1 | DANISHAWAR CAVE, Erin Valley | ||
| 37.1 | BAGTOR (Cave near) | ||
| 42.4 | GURAIS (Cave at) | ||
| 45.2 | DAWAR POST OFFICE (Cave at) | ||
| 45.9 | TOOMOO CRATER | ||
| 46.7 | SOORAPRA CRATER | ||
| 46.7 | WANGAT MINES, Kangan |