DAIN THLEN (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A wave-cut cave, which is not only located at an elevation of 1450 m above the level of the sea but also some 500 km in a direct line from the nearest coast, currently forms by erosion of an interstratal marly intercalation in Eocene (Upper Sylhet stage) Narpuh Sandstone due to the turmoil of water in the turbulent stilling basin at the base of the Dain Thlen waterfall. The cave entrance is reputed to give access to a fabulous tunnel. SITUATION: About 2 km in a direct line north-east from Sohra Pdengshnong (25°16'52”N: 91°43'20”E WGS84) and not only in the thalweg of the Umpynjingthuli but also above the -shores- of the stilling basin at the base of the Dain Thlen waterfall or Ka Kshaid Dainthlen (GUIDE TO SHILLONG 1983: III). APPROACH: Both of the two Dain Thlen caves (see: Krem –>Dain Thlen 2) are reached by descending some 100 m west of the spot where the river plunges down in the dry season. The climb down from the almost level riverbed starts where the first right-angled gap n the sandstone plateau west (orographically right) of the falls is met with. Two free climbable drops, 2.5 m and 4.5 m, may be made comfortable with a handline and descend down to a jungle path which leads downhill to the boulders embracing the perennially deep stilling basin at the base of the waterfall. The obvious cave entrance to the first cave lies on the hither side of the pool and is reached by traversing a few metres along a slippery ledge perennially moistured by spray. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1983: Ka Kshaid Dainthlen or the Dainthlen falls [note 1] … is worth visiting and offers a very good spot for picnic. There are still some signs even to this day to mark the events mentioned above [see: Krem –>Thlen]. There is a dao by which the body of the Thlen was cut to pieces and the basin where the flesh was put after cutting, both of which have been turned into stone (GUIDE TO SHILLONG …1983: III -- forwarded by Anthony 'Tony' R Jarratt, 2000.03.15 personal correspondence) CAVE DESRIPTION 1985: There is an elongated cave near the Dainthlen's falls (BAREH 1967 / 1985, 1997: 324). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2003: A south-west facing cave entrance (up to 4.5 m wide and 1.4 m high) with a well defined, nearly horizontal threshold and lintel, parallel to it, but with rounded sides, gives access to one solitary roundish chamber (lit by daylight, 11 m wide NW-SE and 8 m wide SW-NE, up to 2.2 m high) which is limited by an enclosing circular wall exposing marl and a ceiling and floor of sandstone which dips by an approximate angle of 10° to the south-west, towards the cave entrance and the pool below the cave. The floor is clean washed and the cave is empty with the exception of a few chips of marl flakes (H D Gebauer 2003). CULTURAL HISTORY - cave legend: Some readings of the –>U Thlen legend would require a cave not too far from a path leading to a weekly market and an cave entrance where one could throw live pigs and sheep or red hot lumps of iron in. Both Krem Dain Thlen ns. 1 and 2 do not fulfill these requirements. Locally, however, the rock Dain Thlen (cutting of the Thlen) is said to lie at the bottom of the waterfall and the water is drained by a subterranean route (fabulous tunnel?) to a resurgence in a cliff above a tributary stream to the nearby river Umiam (note 2).RIPTION 1985: There is an elongated cave near the Dainthlen's falls (BAREH 1967 / 1985, 1997: 324). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2003: A south-west facing cave entrance (up to 4.5 m wide and 1.4 m high) with a well defined, nearly horizontal threshold and lintel, parallel to it, but with rounded sides, gives access to one solitary roundish chamber (lit by daylight, 11 m wide NW-SE and 8 m wide SW-NE, up to 2.2 m high) which is limited by an enclosing circular wall exposing marl and a ceiling and floor of sandstone which dips by an approximate angle of 10° to the south-west, towards the cave entrance and the pool below the cave. The floor is clean washed and the cave is empty with the exception of a few chips of marl flakes (H D Gebauer 2003). CULTURAL HISTORY - cave legend: Some readings of the –>U Thlen legend would require a cave not too far from a path leading to a weekly market and an cave entrance where one could throw live pigs and sheep or red hot lumps of iron in. Both Krem Dain Thlen nRIPTION 1985: There is an elongated cave near the Dainthlen's falls (BAREH 1967 / 1985, 1997: 324). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2003: A south-west facing cave entrance (up to 4.5 m wide and 1.4 m high) with a well defined, nearly horizontal threshold and lintel, parallel to it, but with rounded sides, gives access to one solitary roundish chamber (lit by daylight, 11 m wide NW-SE and 8 m wide SW-NE, up to 2.2 m high) which is limited by an enclosing circular wall exposing marl and a ceiling and floor of sandstone which dips by an approximate angle of 10° to the south-west, towards the cave entrance and the pool below the cave. The floor is clean washed and the cave is empty with the exception of a few chips of marl flakes (H D Gebauer 2003). CULTURAL HISTORY - cave legend: Some readings of the –>U Thlen legend would require a cave not too far from a path leading to a weekly market and an cave entrance where one could throw live pigs and sheep or red hot lumps of iron in. Both Krem Dain Thlen ns. 1 and 2 do not fulfill these requirements. Locally, however, the rock Dain Thlen (cutting of the Thlen) is said to lie at the bottom of the waterfall and the water is drained by a subterranean route (fabulous tunnel?) to a resurgence in a cliff above a tributary stream to the nearby river Umiam (note 2).