LIENG U BLEI

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

An estimated 30 m wide and 15 m high entrance gives access to an about 8 m -deep- (horizontally receeding) rock shelter or curiously arched cavity (GURDON 1907: 114), which resembles an upturned boat in shape and is characterised by a floor drowned in the waters of the river known as Um Kynshiang and as Wah Ranikor, the Jadukata of the Bengali speaking people. ETYMOLOGY: The Khasi noun -u 'lei- is a short form of -u blei- and translates as a [male] god (SINGH, N 1906: 13) and -ka 'lieng- is a contraction of -ka khlieng- and means a kite but -ka lieng- is not only a Khasi word for a boat, a ship, a canoe (SINGH, N 1906: 117) but is also a religious -puja- or poojah term in the art of divination by egg-breaking and the name of the central biggest broken egg-shell (note 1). The Khasi people call the … curiously-arched cavity in the rock which resembles an upturned boat, … Ka lieng blei (the god's boat), and the plains people Basbanya's ship (GURDON 1907: 114). The people call the… curiously arched cavity strongly resembling an upturned boat … Basbanya's ship. Who Basbanya might have been, I could not learn, except that he was one of the -Deota Log- [note 2] (YULE, H 1844: 630-631). It is perhaps too far fetched to interpret Basbaniya (YULE, H 1844: 631; GURDON, P R T 1907: 114) as a version of the Khasi U Basa bañia (note 3). SITUATION: At a travelling distance of about 60 km along the road approximately west of Sohra (Cherrapunjee) and above the western (orographically right) bank of the river Jadukata (note 4). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1844: About forty miles west of Cherra [note 5], not far from Laour in the Silhet district, a river debouches from the mountains, marked in Capt. Fisher's map as the Jadukotta river. It is a wide shallow stream in the plains, but where you enter the hills in ascending, it is naturally dammed back so as to present for nearly ten miles a splendid river of the first class, with still, deep, and clean waters. Under one of the bold prcipices which spring right from the water, to a height of many hundred feet, is a curiously arched cavity strongly resembling an upturned boat, and which the people name Basbanya's ship. Who Basbanya might have been, I could not learn, except that he was one of the -Deota Log-. Resting under this vault, we witnessed the mode of fishing in the river … (YULE, H 1844: 630-631). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1907: In the Khasi Hills, especially on the southern side, there are numerous rivers, sometimes of considerable size, which find their way to the Sylhet plains through very deep valleys, the rivers flowing through narrow channels flanked by beetling cliffs which rise to considerable altitudes. The scenery in the neighbourhood of these beautiful rivers is of the most romantic description, and the traveller might imagine himself in Switzerland were it not for the absence of the snowy ranges. Of such a description is the scenery on the banks of the river Kenchiyong, the Jadukata [footnote 29: Literlly: Cut by magic] or Punatit of the plains. It is in the bed of the river, a few miles below Rilang, that there is the curiously-arched cavity in the rock which resembles an upturned boat, which the Khasis call Ka lieng blei (the god's boat), and the plains people Basbanya's ship. Near to this, on the opposite side of the river, there is a rock bearing a Persian inscription, but so defaced by the action of the water as to be impossible to decipher (GURDON, P R T 1906: 114). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2000: A 30 m wide and 15 high by 8 m deep rock shelter. Called Lieng U Blei (the Gods' Boat), it does indeed look like an upturned hull cut out of the sandstone cliff (Jarratt, Anthony 'Tony' R. 2000.03.05 Mss). CULTURAL HISTORY -- cave legend: The legend is that the gods were building a boat at night but it was left unfinished due to the crowing of a cock announcing daybreak -- hence it was left upside down (Jarratt, Anthony 'Tony' R. 2000.03.05 Mss). Inscription / epigraphy: The Intials M N D chiselled in rock some 20 m upstream (Jarratt, Anthony 'Tony' R. 2000.03.05 personal correspondence).lly: Cut by magic] or Punatit of the plains. It is in the bed of the river, a few miles below Rilang, that there is the curiously-arched cavity in the rock which resembles an upturned boat, which the Khasis call Ka lieng blei (the god's boat), and the plains people Basbanya's ship. Near to this, on the opposite side of the river, there is a rock bearing a Persian inscription, but so defaced by the action of the water as to be impossible to decipher (GURDON, P R T 1906: 114). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2000: A 30 m wide and 15 high by 8 m deep rock shelter. Called Lieng U Blei (the Gods' Boat), it does indeed look like an upturned hull cut out of the sandstone cliff (Jarratt, Anthony 'Tony' R. 2000.03.05 Mss). CULTURAL HISTORY -- cave legend: The legend is that the gods were building a boat at night but it was left unfinished due to the crowing of a cock announcing daybreak -- hence it was left upside down (Jarratt, Anthony 'Tony' R. 2000.03.05 Mss). Inscription / epigraphy: The Inlly: Cut by magic] or Punatit of the plains. It is in the bed of the river, a few miles below Rilang, that there is the curiously-arched cavity in the rock which resembles an upturned boat, which the Khasis call Ka lieng blei (the god's boat), and the plains people Basbanya's ship. Near to this, on the opposite side of the river, there is a rock bearing a Persian inscription, but so defaced by the action of the water as to be impossible to decipher (GURDON, P R T 1906: 114). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2000: A 30 m wide and 15 high by 8 m deep rock shelter. Called Lieng U Blei (the Gods' Boat), it does indeed look like an upturned hull cut out of the sandstone cliff (Jarratt, Anthony 'Tony' R. 2000.03.05 Mss). CULTURAL HISTORY -- cave legend: The legend is that the gods were building a boat at night but it was left unfinished due to the crowing of a cock announcing daybreak -- hence it was left upside down (Jarratt, Anthony 'Tony' R. 2000.03.05 Mss). Inscription / epigraphy: The Inlly: Cut by magic] or Punatit of the plains. It is in the bed of the river, a few miles below Rilang, that there is the curiously-arched cavity in the rock which resembles an upturned boat, which the Khasis call Ka lieng blei (the god's boat), and the plains people Basbanya's ship. Near to this, on the opposite side of the river, there is a rock bearing a Persian inscription, but so defaced by the action of the water as to be impossible to decipher (GURDON, P R T 1906: 114). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2000: A 30 m wide and 15 high by 8 m deep rock shelter. Called Lieng U Blei (the Gods' Boat), it does indeed look like an upturned hull cut out of the sandstone cliff (Jarratt, Anthony 'Tony' R. 2000.03.05 Mss). CULTURAL HISTORY -- cave legend: The legend is that the gods were building a boat at night but it was left unfinished due to the crowing of a cock announcing daybreak -- hence it was left upside down (Jarratt, Anthony 'Tony' R. 2000.03.05 Mss). Inscription / epigraphy: The Intials M N D chiselled in rock some 20 m upstream (Jarratt, Anthony 'Tony' R. 2000.03.05 personal correspondence).