NURSING DURWAZA (Hole at the)
24.833300,93.950000
Description
An unspecified, possibly daylight-lit or stygian (aphotic) »hole« (note 1) is said to have been used for human sacrifice: »Five Kamhow heads had been brought into Manipur and offered up, as usual in such cases, in the hole on the north side of the Nursing Durwaza, called "Suroong", to the presiding deity … The hole is most sacred, and it is said that few Manipuris even are allowed to see it« (MACKENZIE, A 1884 / 1995: 171). ETYMOLOGY: »Nursing« (MACKENZIE, A 1884 / 1995: 171) reminds me of Narasimha (Narasingha, Narsimha, Narsingh), Hindu god with the head of a tiger or lion. The Hindi (Farsi / Persian loanword) "darwaza" (durwaza, durwauza) signifies a typically formal gateway, door. The term »suroong« (MACKENZIE, A 1884 / 1995: 171) looks like a version of the word "suranga" (note 2) or "surangam" (note 3) for a cave, tunnel, infiltration tunnel, etc.
NOTE 1: I owe Christopher M. Smart (1999 personal correspondence) the reference to MACKENZIE, A (1884) and »the hole on the north side of the Nursing Durwaza«. NOTE 2: In central South India, "suranga" was said to mean a »natural cave« (CAMMIADE, L A (1926: 175): Notes on the exploration of the Kurnool bone caves.- Man in India: Journal of Anthropology (Ranchi: Man in India Office), vol. 6: 175. NOTE 3: In northern Kerala (western South India), »Surangam — Surangams are horizontal tunnels made on the slopes of laterite hillocks« in: JAYARAJAN, M (2004: A socio - cultural and ecological study of the mid-land laterite hillocks along Kavvavi River basin.- (Thiruvananthapuram: Centre for Development Studies, Kerala Research Programme on Local Level Development), page 8, referring to an unspecified »Kamalakshan, K. 2002« not listed in the bibliography of JAYARAJAN, M (2004: 35-36 references).
Cavités proche
| Distance (km) | Nom | Longueur (m) | Profondeur (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.1 | NONGMAIJIN HILL (Cave on) | ||
| 11.2 | Kounu Hill, Chirang (Cave on a) | ||
| 23.1 | DIMAPUR (Cave at) | ||
| 40.5 | AWA KHONG BOREHOLE PHB-2 CAVITY | ||
| 43.1 | Murringphy (Cave at) | ||
| 52.2 | KHANGKHUI MANGSOR | ||
| 82.4 | DZUKOU VALLEY CAVES | ||
| 87.3 | DZÜLEKIE UNDERGROUND STREAM | ||
| 91.2 | KHONOMA (Hole at) |