PATALE CHHANGO

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Five known entrances gives access to a perennially active river cave, which, at a passage lenth of 2960 m, represents the largest known cave of Nepal and, for that matter, of the entire Himalaya: Entrance 1a: Patale Chhango (active sinkhole, N28°11'25”: E083°57'55”) Entrance 1b: Patale Chhango (abandoned valley sinkhole) Entrance 2: Phusre Cave (N28°11'00”: E083°57'41” WGS84) Entrance 3: Jungle Entrance Entrance 4: Gupteswor Gufa, formerly Doline Entrance Entrance 5: Abandoned Valley Sinkhole 2. Patale Chhango proper is pair of insurgence entrances (roughly 8 by 10 m and 8 by 20 m wide), conveniently located adjacent to a much travelled road and exploited as a sight-seeing spot attracting tourists, are two 36 m deep pothole cave entrances (note 1), of which the downstream hole is abandoned. The perennially active upstream sink drains the Mardi Khola, the downstream section of the Harpan (note 2), to –>Phusre Cave, the seasonal resurgence in the Phusre Khola. ETYMOLOGY: The Sankrit (Hindi, etc.) -Patal- is the Underworld and the Gorkhali (Nepali, Eastern Pahari) -chhango- is not only a word for a waterfall but also for a throat or, if you prefer, a swallow-hole. Thus, one may translate -patale chhango- into something along the lines of an underground throat (note 3). For the convenience of foreigners, however, the sight-seeing spot is alternatively named Devi's Fall and Davi's Fall and sold along with a back-story according to which an unlucky Misses Devi (perhaps one David's girl friend) took bath in one of the whirlpools of the Mardi Khola, when the sluice gates damming Phewa Tal, the lake (note 4), were opened and the subsequent flash flood flushed her into the abyss. An entrance fee is collected from tourists (note 5) and the story told that SITUATION: Mardi Khola, the overflow of Phewa Tal (Pokhara Lake), has eroded a meandering -Kastental- (a flat-flored valley with near vertical walls) into the caprock (Ghachok Formation) covering the Pokhara Trrace. On the border between Mardi and Chhorepatan, the sinkhole is situated 4.5 km on foot or bicycle south of Mahendra Pool (Pokhara City) or within 20 minutes walking distance from the tourist area Mardi called Dam-Side. Some 50 m north of the Siddharta Highway (Pokhara - Nepalgunj road), the waters of Mardi Khola sink into an unexpectedly large, rift-like gap to the underlying calcarenite lake deposits. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1971-1: The entrance [of Patale Chhango, the insurgence] appeared to be about a 100 feet [30.5 m] deep but when we rigged the pitch, the 120 foot [36.6 m] ladder didn't touch the bottom. We descended about halfway down the pitch, however, and watched with horror the foot of the ladder being swept with almost the entire flow of the river, which was discharging about 15 cusecs (and this was the dry season). As the rest of our tackle was in town, we resolved to come back the next day, so meanwhile walked down to where the water resurged. Near the resurgence (which culd not be entered) our biologist had been working in two small caves [note 6] … only fifty feet [15.24 m] apart, so we entered one to the canal, traversed around it and soon exited out of the other cave. So, in fact, the two canals turned out to be the same. We set of up the canal (200 feet [61 m] of warm waist deep water) [note 7] and after two more similar canals in twenty by twenty foot [6 by 6 m] passage, we suddenly came out at the foot of the 140 foot [42.7 m] entrance pitch, which we had earlier tried to descend. The sinking water flowed down into a large deep pool [note 8]while the passage we had followed was clearly a flood bypass route. …The next day the leads were followed and surveyed, both fairly small and both leading to new entrances. So now this virgin cave had five entrances … A few more short passages were found, explored and surveyed, and we ended up with a respectable 4000 foot [1219.20 m] long cave. … The cave is very interesting geologically as it has been forme entirely in lightly consolidated boulder clay which in places has a high content of calcite and could be considered a crumbly, very dirty limestone. The walls are very soft, and bits could be broken off by hand. The cave is clearly very young, and will probably not exist for more than a few hundred years, as the roof will colapse to form a gorge. Several other gorges were seen near Pokhara which were probably a later state of karstic development (COWARD 1971a: 35-36; 1971c: 69-70).CAVE DESCRIPTION 1971-2: The other cave, near Pokhara, was 4,500 feet [1371.6 m] long and was also developed in conglomerate and very young limestone. This cave carried the entire flow of the Harpan River, with a discharge of about 100 ft3/sec (COWARD 1971b; 141) or 2'832 ltr/sec, almost 3 cubic metre. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1972: A mile below the lake [Phewa Tal] the river flows into a deep pit, which the locals had never descended (COWARD 1972: 69-70). CAVE DESCRIPTION 177: The 150 feet [45.7 m] waterfall whee the Harpan River sinks into nearly a mile of cave system was an awe inspiring sight. The tremendous volume of water brings in a great deal of material: logs, many trogloxene invertebrates, frogs and some bryozoans … (WILSON 1977a: 15). WATER LEVEL: 1971: At an unspecified date in thedry season COWARD (1971b; 141) noticed a flow of about 15 cu.ft./ sec [425 ltr/sec] and COWARD (1972: 69) about 15 cusecs [425 ltr/sec] but COWARD (1971b; 141) about 100 ft3/sec [2'832 ltr/sec or almost 3 cubic metre every second]. In early October 1976, WILSON (1977a: 15) and friends found Harpan River Cave flooded and WILSON (1977b: 68) expands: … Harpan River Cave (Waltham et al. 1971) … appeared to be thoroughly flushed out when the Harpan River, which sinks into the cave as a spectacular 50 m waterfall, is flooded with monsoon waters. 1978 His Majesty King Birhendra issued one of his deeply concerned speeches. In his great wisdom, His Majesty made a point by saying that Development and prosperity re like water closets: It is not enough to install a toilet. One also has to flush it. In the early hours of the very next day, the dam of Phewa lake broke and flushed the largest cave of Nepal. The subterranean river cave below the sinkhole was explored during the driest seasons (February/March) of 1979 and 1982 when the dam was still under reconstruction and therefore the entire capacity of Mardi Khola was deviated by pumping. In the subterranean river course logs of timber were found wedged in heights of 50 metre above the riverbed. During rainy season (April to August) and sometimes even still in November about 80% (or so) of the cave might be flooded to the brim. Since 1982 Phewa dam is used again to regulate the level of Phewa lake and the output for the hydro electric powerstation. The cave might flooded anytime due to unpredictable opening of the sluice gates. CAVE LIFE: PATOUREL (1971) noticed in autumn 1970 the bat colonies (Chiroptera) in Bat Chamber (Megachiroptera: Fulvou Fruit bat Rousettus leschenaultii Desmarest 1820) and Road Chamber (Indian Horseshoe bat, Microchiroptera: Hipposideros armiger armiger). WILSON 1977a: 15): … many trogloxene invertebrates, frogs and some bryozoans that seemed to be thriving in a passage that is normally about 40 feet [12.2 m] above the level of the underground river. The roof of one section of the cave, was covered with lichen (probably Physica sp., det. P.W. James), which, although stunted, was managing to grow in absolute darkness: something of a biological impossibility for this photosynthetic plant! WILSON (1977b: 68-69): Accidental fauna was anticipated here but it turned out that the Harpan River Cave sheltered some of the mot interesting finds of the expedition. On the roof of one section of the cave we found a lichen (identified by the British Museum's P.W. James as Physica sp.) growing in absolute darkness. This is something of a biological impossibility for a plant association that contains a photosyntheic element, so Guy Cox of the University of Sydney examined some under a scanning electron microscope; this revealed the 'lichen' to be a -colony of gram-poitive bacteria identical to 'wall fungus-. A few blue green algae similar to Chroococcus (Cox 1977 and Cox & Marchant 1977) were found between the bacteria and the rock –probably the first time that a photosynthetic alga has been found growing in the dark zone of a cave and difficult to explain. Also in the Harpan River Cave we found what seems to be the first record of bryozoa from caves. Proliferating not only in the darkness of the underground river but also 12 m above the water level as 'lawns' of Plumatella. These colonial animals, which survive by filtering plankton from the water which they should be living in, used to cause considerable trouble by clogging water systems in Britain. Robin Sheen (2002.04.27 personal correspondence): … my son asked if we had seen the fish? I looked hard but could see nothing as I waslooking for fish! Suddenly I got a mighty shock. What seemed at first to be enormous Dolphins turned out to be on closer examination what I think were two giant Carp [fish / Pisces; possibly masheer / Barbus tor or rohu / Labeo rohita] about one and a half metres long. They were incredible … I have not seen them since, I might add! Literary sources: Descriptions are given by WALTHAM (1971g: 67-74 in: WALTHAM 1971a; fold-out cave plan facing page 100); GEBAUER (1983d: 87-120); MARSHALL (1993: 24-27). Listed by KNAB (1990: 14-15, no. N19). Keywords: Speleothems. PATALE CHHANGO REVISITED (1994): Patale Chhango has undergone considerable changes since it was last surveyed in 1980 and 1983 (Gebauer 1993d). While the neighbouring –>Phorke Cave A above the resurgence of Patale Chhango has completely disappeared, the Entrance 1 (waterfall inlet) suffered from a major rockfall. In the course of a catastrophic event the previously tight Entrance 4 (Doline Entrance) opened to a spacious entranceDoline Entrance, now: Gupteshwar Cave / Gupteswor Gufa was previously an inconspicuous, funnel shaped subsidence doline lined with nettles, artemisia, human faeces and a cluster of subsoil-born karren-pillars. Thus the sinkhole used to reveal part of the cryptokarst which probably covers most of the Pokhara terrace but usually is buried by decomposed conglomerate. At the flank of the doline a vertical tube of less than a metre in diameter used to give access to a wide chamber in the upper level of Patale Chhango. During the rainy season of 1993 the chamber collapsed, the doline subsided and the cave hidden below became public as yet another Gupteswor Gufa (= 'hidden god cave'). Formerly the doline was spiced with numerous decaying turds (degradable), but now it is polluted with a series of exceptionally ugly concrete monsters (non-degradable) apparently portraying some hybrids of fish-faced slugs with cobra-necks in aggressive posture. Anyhow, the tourism industry of Pokhara can bast a new record: The most taste-less maltreatment of mother nature's beauty found anywhere in the whole Himalaya!According to personal observations, newspaper clippings and local informants, the catastrophe began in the late monsoon of July 1993, when the obscure doline at Entrance 4 of Patale Chhango broke into the chamber below to leave a large subsidence sinkhole behind, measuring up to 23 metre in diameter and 9 metre in depth. At the bottom of the suddenly enlarged collapse an 8 m wide and up to 3 m high, crescent shaped entrance now gives easy-going horizontal access to abandoned (relic) high-level passages developed in the caprock (conglomerate of the Ghachok Formation). Subsequent to the natural catastrophe the nature-conservational disaster was triggered by advertising the supposedly 'discovered' underground sanctuary in the daily newspapers. The previously pristine cave passages, known to a few careful cave-friends only, once were renowned for countless sparkling micr gours, but now are trampled, smeared and destroyed by sense-less crowds. The heinous crime however, was declaring the both solitary and unique stalagmite boss 'Hidden God'. The erstwhile quite beautiful and possible the largest calcite formation found in the numerous caves of the Pokhara Terrace, used to be covered with a sparkling cover of miniature calcite crystals. Now it is defaced by screaming red dust of synthetic chemical. The lingam 'Hidden God' has lost even the most minute trace of heavenly glory. To complete the destruction of beauty, even the access of dripping water to the lingam, vital for active stalagmites, has been interrupted by a sheltering structure in the shape of a concrete monster, which is obviously symbolising the power of restricted common sense in combination with unlimited ignorance.Waterfall Entrance (entrance no. 1) also underwent a major reformation in the late 1980'ies when part of the 36 metre deep entrance shaft collapsed. Now the twin whirpools (formerly 10 metre deep and 8 metre in diameter) at the base of the waterfall were covered with giant chunks of fallen boulders. Phorke Cave A. The most dramatic change of feature however happened to the nameless 'Cave A' at Phorke, representing a relic (abandoned) tributary to the underground river below Patale Chhango. The entire cave disappeared when part of the cliff-face at Tashi Ling, which is overlooking Phorke valley, had failed to leave behind only a non-penetrable lead of 5 metre in width and 5 centimetre in height.During the geologically extremely short time span of 12 years between 1982 and 1994 Patale Chhango was monitored. As has been previously suggested (WALTHAM 1971, GEBAUER 1983, CÍLEK et al. 1989, WALTHAM 1994), the cave development and cave decay in the calcareous conglomerate of the Pokhara Terrace is extremely fast and considerably influenced by catastrophic events. Minor improvements to guarantee the safety of roads and buildings (HANISCH, SHRESTA & SHKYA 1993: 129-130) are possibly not 100% safe. As has been noted by KOIRALA (1994) the buildings and roads on the terraces of Pokhara are endangered especially in the catchment zones of the caves, e.g. along Mardi Khola, in the vicinity of the sink of Patale Chhango, and between the foothills of Raniban and Phorke Khola. A further critical point is where the Pokhara - Narayanghat road crosses right across the Bat Chamber, the vaulted ceiling of which soars high up into the stabilising caprock of the Ghachok Formation.pools (formerly 10 metre deep and 8 metre in diameter) at the base of the waterfall were covered with giant chunks of fallen boulders. Phorke Cave A. The most dramatic change of feature however happened to the nameless 'Cave A' at Phorke, representing a relic (abandoned) tributary to the underground river below Patale Chhango. The entire cave disappeared when part of the cliff-face at Tashi Ling, which is overlooking Phorke valley, had failed to leave behind only a non-penetrable lead of 5 metre in width and 5 centimetre in height.During the geologically extremely short time span of 12 years between 1982 and 1994 Patale Chhango was monitored. As has been previously suggested (WALTHAM 1971, GEBAUER 1983, CÍLEK et al. 1989, WALTHAM 1994), the cave development and cave decay in the calcareous conglomerate of the Pokhara Terrace is extremely fast and considerably influenced by catastrophic events. Minor improvements to guarantee the safety of roads and buildings (HANISCH, SHRESTA & SHpools (formerly 10 metre deep and 8 metre in diameter) at the base of the waterfall were covered with giant chunks of fallen boulders. Phorke Cave A. The most dramatic change of feature however happened to the nameless 'Cave A' at Phorke, representing a relic (abandoned) tributary to the underground river below Patale Chhango. The entire cave disappeared when part of the cliff-face at Tashi Ling, which is overlooking Phorke valley, had failed to leave behind only a non-penetrable lead of 5 metre in width and 5 centimetre in height.During the geologically extremely short time span of 12 years between 1982 and 1994 Patale Chhango was monitored. As has been previously suggested (WALTHAM 1971, GEBAUER 1983, CÍLEK et al. 1989, WALTHAM 1994), the cave development and cave decay in the calcareous conglomerate of the Pokhara Terrace is extremely fast and considerably influenced by catastrophic events. Minor improvements to guarantee the safety of roads and buildings (HANISCH, SHRESTA & SHpools (formerly 10 metre deep and 8 metre in diameter) at the base of the waterfall were covered with giant chunks of fallen boulders. Phorke Cave A. The most dramatic change of feature however happened to the nameless 'Cave A' at Phorke, representing a relic (abandoned) tributary to the underground river below Patale Chhango. The entire cave disappeared when part of the cliff-face at Tashi Ling, which is overlooking Phorke valley, had failed to leave behind only a non-penetrable lead of 5 metre in width and 5 centimetre in height.During the geologically extremely short time span of 12 years between 1982 and 1994 Patale Chhango was monitored. As has been previously suggested (WALTHAM 1971, GEBAUER 1983, CÍLEK et al. 1989, WALTHAM 1994), the cave development and cave decay in the calcareous conglomerate of the Pokhara Terrace is extremely fast and considerably influenced by catastrophic events. Minor improvements to guarantee the safety of roads and buildings (HANISCH, SHRESTA & SHKYA 1993: 129-130) are possibly not 100% safe. As has been noted by KOIRALA (1994) the buildings and roads on the terraces of Pokhara are endangered especially in the catchment zones of the caves, e.g. along Mardi Khola, in the vicinity of the sink of Patale Chhango, and between the foothills of Raniban and Phorke Khola. A further critical point is where the Pokhara - Narayanghat road crosses right across the Bat Chamber, the vaulted ceiling of which soars high up into the stabilising caprock of the Ghachok Formation.