BIRENDRA CAVE, Bhalam

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

An unspecified cave entrance (unidentified shape, unidentified dimensions, unidentified orientation, unidentified characteristics) is said to give access to a so-called Birendra Cave with bats (Chiroptera). EVALUATION 2006: … accessible cave roost … in public land, easy and interesting for cave and bat study (PHUYAL & DHOUBADEL 2006: 35 table 1 item 12). EVALUATION 2008: Accessible cave roost (ADHIKARI, Hari 2008: 45 table, site no. 12, after Sujas 2005 instead PHUYAL, Sujas Prasad 2005). EVALUATION 2009: Birendra Cave … is not as famous as Mahendra Cave though it is very interesting and local as well as outside people visit the cave for recreation (SHRESTA, N M 2009: 27). EVALUATION 2011: … interesting for caving and speleonology [sic!] (WASTI & ACHARYA 2011: 332 table 1: item 7). ETYMOLOGY: Birendra Cave is possibly named in the same style as –>Mahendra Gupha but in honour of King Birendra of Nepal (note 1), who had been one of the three sons (note 2) and three daughters (note 3) ofQueen Indra Rajya Laxmi (died in 1950) by King Mahendra (born 1920.06.11, reigned 1955.03.13 to 1972.01.31). SITUATION: At an unidentified location, which lies not only somewhere north or north-east of Mahendrapul, the Pokhara town centre, and in the Bhalam V.D.C. east of Battulechour, but also in an undidentified spatial relation by an unidentified the river (SHRESTA, N M 2009: 27) or, perhaps, above the eastern (orographically right) bank of the Kali Khola. SITUATION 2006: Birhendra cave (Bhalam 2) [note 4] … lies on public land … in front of Putli cave (PHUYAL & DHOUBADEL 2006: 35 table 1 item 12). SITUATION 2007: Birendra Cave is reached from an unidentified starting point, which may be the IOF (Institute of Forestry) campus at Pokhara, by about an hour's drive plus 5 minute's walk. The cave is situated in front of Putli Cave (DANIEL 2007: 7). SITUATION 2009: Birendra Cave is located at North-East from Mahendrapool, the central hub of the Pokhara city. The place can be reachedwithin 30 minute of travel by local bus. The cave is situated by the river and made up of limestone (SHRESTA, N M 2009: 27).SITUATION 2011: … in front of Putli Cave. Lies on public land (WASTI & ACHARYA 2011: 332 table 1: item 7). POSITION: N 28°10'44”: E 83°59'33” E (unidentified geodetic datum, ADHIKARI 2008: 45 table, site no. 12, after one Sujas 2005 instead after PHUYAL, Sujas Prasad 2005; repeated by WASTI & ACHARYA 2011: 332 table 1 site no. 7). It may have slipped from the attention of both ADHIKARI (2008: 45) and WASTI & ACHARYA (2011) that their good-looking but obviously erroneous GPS position (note 5) for Birendra cave Bhalam - 2 does not at all indicate a location in the Bhalam V.D.C. and North-East from Mahendrapool (SHRESTA, N M 2009: 27) but a spot that lies at linear distances of 4.7 km south from Mahendrapul (N28°13'15”: E083°59'30”: 888 m asl) or 8.5 km south of Bhalamkhor (N28°15'12”: E084°00'32”) and on the terrace above the orographically left (localy ENE) bank of the Seti River (Seti Gandaki Khola) close to Dhunge Sangu (also: Bhim Bandha) and the –>Dhungesangu Gufa. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2006: Birhendra cave (Bhalam 2) … [is] easy and interesting for cave and bat study (PHUYAL & DHOUBADEL 2006: 35 table 1 item 12). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2009: The [Birendra] cave is … made up of limestone. Opening is about 2.5 m wide and about 120 m in length. There is very airy space just inside the entrance which narrows as one continues along the cave. At the right side the entrance divides into another moderate space with a narrow opening. The presence of certain debris suggests evidence of water flowing inside the cave (SHRESTA, N M 2009: 27). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2011: … interesting for caving and speleonology [sic] (WASTI & ACHARYA 2011: 332 table 1: item 7). CAVE LIFE, Chiroptera: Two bat species, Rhinolophus affinis and Hipposideros armiger were caught and examined (DANIEL, B. Ayyachamy 2007: 7). During “Field Techniques for Research and Conservationof Volant and Non Volant Small Mammals” at Pokhara Institute of Forestry, Dr. Paul A. Racey (Chair, IUCN SSC Chiroptera specialist Group) and Dr. Sripathi Kandula (Scientific chair of CCINSA from Madurai Kamaraj University) identified … Rhinolophus affinis and Hipposideros armiger in Birendra cave (ADHIKARI, Hari 2008: 46). Among four bats captured from Birendra cave, there were two male and two female and single male from Putali cave. All of them were Hipposideros armiger with estimated population of 300 and 250 respectively. Hence both caves harbor same species of bat i.e. Hipposideros armiger with total population 550 (SHRESTA, N M 2009: 28).y ENE) bank of the Seti River (Seti Gandaki Khola) close to Dhunge Sangu (also: Bhim Bandha) and the –>Dhungesangu Gufa. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2006: Birhendra cave (Bhalam 2) … [is] easy and interesting for cave and bat study (PHUYAL & DHOUBADEL 2006: 35 table 1 item 12). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2009: The [Birendra] cave is … made up of limestone. Opening is about 2.5 m wide and about 120 m in length. There is very airy space just inside the entrance which narrows as one continues along the cave. At the right side the entrance divides into another moderate space with a narrow opening. The presence of certain debris suggests evidence of water flowing inside the cave (SHRESTA, N M 2009: 27). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2011: … interesting for caving and speleonology [sic] (WASTI & ACHARYA 2011: 332 table 1: item 7). CAVE LIFE, Chiroptera: Two bat species, Rhinolophus affinis and Hipposideros armiger were caught and examined (DANIEL, B. Ayyachamy 2007: 7). During “Field Techniques for Research and Conservationof Volant and Non Volant Small Mammals” at Pokhara Institute of Forestry, Dr. Paul A. Racey (Chair, IUCN SSC Chiroptera specialist Group) and Dr. Sripathi Kandula (Scientific chair of CCINSA from Madurai Kamaraj University) identified … Rhinolophus affinis and Hipposideros armiger in Birendra cave (ADHIKARI, Hari 2008: 46). Among four bats captured from Birendra cave, there were two male and two female and single male from Putali cave. All of them were Hipposideros armiger with estimated population of 300 and 250 respectively. Hence both caves harbor same species of bat i.e. Hipposideros armiger with total population 550 (SHRESTA, N M 2009: 28).