GUPTA GANGA, Salishwar Parvat

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

An about 20 m long cave passage leads to seasonal spring, which is a perennial source of drinking water and reliable even during dry spells (drought). The cave lies close to the summit and on the eastern side of the Salishwar Parvat or Selishwar Parbat (note 1), a mountain above a village reported as Manakhali, Maraknali and Manaklali (note 2). ETYMOLOGY: Gupta Ganga means secret / hidden river or stream. The hill's name Seleshwar Parvat (Scherzer 1991.08.18 Mss) or Selpharbat Hill (Scherzer 1991.11 Mss) and Salishwar (Breitenbach 2005.12.01 Mss) combine the Sanskrit -ishwar- (lord, god) and -parvat- (Sanskrit) or -parbat- (Hindi) with stunted versions of -shila- (Sanskrit, etc.; stone), -sila- on , which is often a short form of -shaligram- -- an ammonite fossil, identified as an aniconic Hindu representation of Vishnu, the preserver and restorer; hence the guardian saint of electronic storage device users. SITUATION 1991a: At a linear distance of 2 km or 3 km approximately south-wst of Gangolihat (N29°40': E080°03') and close to the summit of the Seleshwar Parvat (note 3) hill (Scherzer 1991.08.18 personal correspondence). SITUATION 1991b: About 7 km on foot south of Gangolihat (N29°40': E080°03'), on the eastern side of Selpharbat Hill and about 50 m below the top of the hill: From Gangolihat it is easy to walk to Manakhali village, where it is recommended to ask for a guide (Scherzer 1991.11 Mss: Caves of the Kumaoni Hills). SITUATION 1993: Local communicators (no names mentioned) recommended to reach the cave, which lies at a walking distance of assumed 10 km approximately south of Gangolihat, by contouring the mountain south of Gangolihat past the villages of Manaklali, Guntola and Bama (note 4) to a spot where the cave is said to be found in a jungle supposedly called, in French language, forêt de Gubta Ganga (DUCLUZAUX 1993d: 44). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1991: A couple of steps descend from the east facing, circular entrance (about a metre in diameter) own into the interior of the cave. Some 2 m from the entrance, the tubular cross-section of the passage turns rectangular (1 m wide, 05. m high) and wooden planks in the mud on the floor make it easier and much cleaner to crawl the next 7 m onwards till the cross-section is elliptical (1.5 m wide, 1 m high) and the solitary cave passage descends steadily for 10 m at an angle of 35° to the edge a small pool of water, about 2 m long and of unknown depth -- the beginning of a sump. Initially I was surprised to find here scooping equipment (laddle, dipper) but soon learned that the cave is used as a water supply in the dry season. So, in this case again, it makes sense that entering the cave is allowed only without wearing shoes [note 5]. Dark mud covering the entire surfaces exposed on the cave walls and ceiling indicate that the cave is a spring in the rainy season and my guide confirmed that a rivulet issues from the cave during monsoon (Scherzer 1991.11 Mss: Caves of the Kumaoni Hills. CAVE POTENTIAL - Prospects: Scherzer (1991.11 Mss: Caves of the Kumaoni Hills) found another cave called Seleshwar Parvat Gupha [i.e. –>Salishwar Cave] on the western slope of Selpharbat Hill (Salishwar Parvat, Seleshwar Parbat). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1993: In spite of disturbed approach to social interaction (note 6), DUCLUZAUX (1993d: 44) understood having been told about a cave giving access to underground water (note 7).own into the interior of the cave. Some 2 m from the entrance, the tubular cross-section of the passage turns rectangular (1 m wide, 05. m high) and wooden planks in the mud on the floor make it easier and much cleaner to crawl the next 7 m onwards till the cross-section is elliptical (1.5 m wide, 1 m high) and the solitary cave passage descends steadily for 10 m at an angle of 35° to the edge a small pool of water, about 2 m long and of unknown depth -- the beginning of a sump. Initially I was surprised to find here scooping equipment (laddle, dipper) but soon learned that the cave is used as a water supply in the dry season. So, in this case again, it makes sense that entering the cave is allowed only without wearing shoes [note 5]. Dark mud covering the entire surfaces exposed on the cave walls and ceiling indicate that the cave is a spring in the rainy season and my guide confirmed that a rivulet issues from the cave during monsoon (Scherzer 1991.11 Mss: Caves of the Kumaoni Hills. CAVE POTENTIAL - Prospects: Scherzer (1991.11 Mss: Caves of the Kumaoni Hills) found another cave called Seleshwar Parvat Gupha [i.e. –>Salishwar Cave] on the western slope of Selpharbat Hill (Salishwar Parvat, Seleshwar Parbat). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1993: In spite of disturbed approach to social interaction (note 6), DUCLUZAUX (1993d: 44) understood having been told about a cave giving access to underground water (note 7).