JYNNIAW CAVE 2a

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 29/03/2016

A relatively »small entrance« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 30) of unidentified size and an unidentified shape, which faces rather south-west than west, is characterised by a »detached pillar« (BROOKS & SMART 1995), and leads not only to the most important and meterialistically smallest of the Jynniaw caves, which is an active temple cave and has been interpreted as »something of a Hindu shrine« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 30), but also gives access also to the third Jynniaw Cave and thus to each and every of the accessible Jynniaw cave passages except those of the first Jynniaw Cave or –>Jynniaw Cave 1 adjacent north. SITUATION: The two second cave entrances to the Jynniaw caves lie »on the left hand (east) side of the gorge« and at an estimated distance of »some 50 m downstream« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 30-31) from the northernmost Krem –>Jynniaw 1. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1992: A relatively »small entrance« of unidentified size »leads to approximately 30 m of mainly low crawling joint controlled passage« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 30-31). CULTURAL HISTORY: »This cave appears to be used as something of a Hindu shrine« and the detached pillar (bedrock? calcite column?), which leans onto a relatively small »flowstone terrace« (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 30-31) of unidentified size and nature, is probably regard some Hindu devotees as a venerable lingam because it had been incensed and was sprinkled with red and thus beautiful colour. Unidentified local communicators (no names mentioned) are said to have referred to this cave as "Krem Mawjymbuin" (Christopher M Smart 1994 personal communication) or »Cave [of the] Breast [shaped] Stone« but the famous and -- in this area -- perhaps the only true Krem Mawjymbuiñ is that near Mawsynram. SPELEOMETRY 1992: Approximately 670 m comprised of an estimated 30 m for Jynniaw Cave 2 and some 670 m for Jynniaw Cave 3 (BROOKS & SMART 1995: 30-31). SPELEOMETRY 2012a: Pedro Silva Pinto and others are said to have measured a survey length of 1'596.01 m (anonymous Brooks, S J 2012.06.23 undated Meghalaya 2012 Survey Summary (Team 2).xls) in the combined Jynniaw caves passages accessible via the entrances 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d. SPELEOMETRY 2012b: Simon J. Brooks created a 1486 m long one by reporting to have »extended« (sic) not merely the surveys but the caves themselves: »Krem Jynnaiw 2 [sic! qua: Jynniaw] from 70 m to 116 m in length and connected to the Jynnaiw 3 [sic! qua: Jynniaw] that was extended from 670 m to 1,366 m« (Brooks, S J 2012 undated "Meghalaya 2012 - Overview (Descent) V3.doc" forwarded 2012.06.23).