VYASA GUFA, Damauli

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A south-facing, vaulted cave entrance (some 3 m wide and high) in the coarse facies of the Pokhara conglomerate gives access to an estimated 7 m long, daylight-lit temple cave and small-scale religious industry outlet dedicated to the legendary Hindu sage Vyas (note 1). SITUATION: On the orographically left (locally northern) bank of Seti River and on what had been in 1982 the southern rim of the town of Damauli (note 2), where it was advertised as a tourist and pilgrim attraction on the road (Prithvi Highway) from Pokhara east towards Kathmandu. SETTING: Vyas Cave (27°58'13,91” N, 84°16'01.99” E) is located at the altitude of 322 m in Damauli municipality (headquarters of Tanahun district). The site is at the merge of Maadi and Seti river (dovan) [note 3]. Indian Rosewood Dalbergia sissoo (Sisso) is the main vegetation [note 4] (GHIMIRE, ACHARYA & THAPA 2011: 21).CAVE DESCRIPTION: The single chamber cave is tetrahedral in shape, contains what had been in the 1980ies plentiful andwhite coloured but in February dry secondary calcite formations (speleothems), and is formed in the coarse and polymict conglomerate occurring in the downvalley section of the cavernous Pokhara Terrace. CULTURAL HISTORY: The popular temple cave associated with the Hindu sage Vyas serves as a frequently visited and flourishing religious show cave. In February 1982, the sanctuary contained venerated stalagmites (linga), an occasional saddhu or two, and other religious paraphernalia of the Hindu faith. Vyas Cave … in Damauli municipality … is a religiously important place for Hindus (GHIMIRE, ACHARYA & THAPA 2011: 21). CAVE LIFE - bats (Chiroptera): Visual encounter encounter surveyes had been conducted and bat had been identified roosting in following caves respectively Byas Cave, Siddha Cave Bimalnagar, Parasar Cave, Millenium Cave, Siddha Cave Bhanumate (KARKI, L 2011: 32).A south-facing, vaulted cave entrance (some 3 m wide and high) in the coarse facies of the Pokhara conglomerate gives access to an estimated 7 m long, daylight-lit temple cave and small-scale religious industry outlet dedicated to the legendary Hindu sage Vyas (note 1). SITUATION: On the orographically left (locally northern) bank of Seti River and on what had been in 1982 the southern rim of the town of Damauli (note 2), where it was advertised as a tourist and pilgrim attraction on the road (Prithvi Highway) from Pokhara east towards Kathmandu. SETTING: Vyas Cave (27°58'13,91” N, 84°16'01.99” E) is located at the altitude of 322 m in Damauli municipality (headquarters of Tanahun district). The site is at the merge of Maadi and Seti river (dovan) [note 3]. Indian Rosewood Dalbergia sissoo (Sisso) is the main vegetation [note 4] (GHIMIRE, ACHARYA & THAPA 2011: 21).CAVE DESCRIPTION: The single chamber cave is tetrahedral in shape, contains what had been in the 1980ies plentiful andwhite coloured but in February dry secondary calcite formations (speleothems), and is formed in the coarse and polymict conglomerate occurring in the downvalley section of the cavernous Pokhara Terrace. CULTURAL HISTORY: The popular temple cave associated with the Hindu sage Vyas serves as a frequently visited and flourishing religious show cave. In February 1982, the sanctuary contained venerated stalagmites (linga), an occasional saddhu or two, and other religious paraphernalia of the Hindu faith. Vyas Cave … in Damauli municipality … is a religiously important place for Hindus (GHIMIRE, ACHARYA & THAPA 2011: 21). CAVE LIFE - bats (Chiroptera): Visual encounter encounter surveyes had been conducted and bat had been identified roosting in following caves respectively Byas Cave, Siddha Cave Bimalnagar, Parasar Cave, Millenium Cave, Siddha Cave Bhanumate (KARKI, L 2011: 32).