CHALCHIMA (Cave of)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A wide cave (rock shelter?) is associated with the episode where the young Chalchima meets Tangi's elder sister, a 'Lasi' or female spirit of hunt in her exquisite beauty and her evernaked fairy jungle life. Perhaps identical with –>Far Puk or –>Lamsial Puk. SITUATION: Somewhere on the flanks of Tan Tlang (N23°08'45-: E93°18'45-: 1926 m asl = 6320 feet) which rises about 8 km from Vaphai (N23°08'50-: E93°19'50-). CULTURAL HISTORY - cave legend: According to CHATTERJI (1979: 1-3: Tan-Tlang), a young man named Chalchima [note 1] of Bualte village in course of one of his hunting pursuits around this mountain lost track of his friends and moved up on a cliff of this mountain. As he moved further in front of the wilderness he reached ultimately a sort of a horizontal ledge on the precipitous side of the cliff. As he scrambled on this cliff he was amazed to find himself in a wide cave. He was soon overpowered, however, when he discovered that a beautiful nymph with soft goldenhair hanging down her shoulders bedecked with lovely pink flowers was seated there in her enchanting beauty. GHOSH & GHOSH (1998a: 19-20: Hunting Party to Tan): A long time back now the Lushais were in occupation of the more eastern corner of the present Lushai Hills where there was a village known by the name of Bualte. Some young men of this village decided to go out together on a hunting expedition … One of their party, Chalchima, came to a very steep cliff, … [climbed to a ledge and saw] he was at the head of a wide cave, within which sat a most beautiful nymph, radiant and alluring, her hair in long strands down her shoulders and bedecked with lovely rose pink flowers. Chalchima at once fell in love with her… and made court to her, eliciting that her name was Thangi's elder sister.hair hanging down her shoulders bedecked with lovely pink flowers was seated there in her enchanting beauty. GHOSH & GHOSH (1998a: 19-20: Hunting Party to Tan): A long time back now the Lushais were in occupation of the more eastern corner of the present Lushai Hills where there was a village known by the name of Bualte. Some young men of this village decided to go out together on a hunting expedition … One of their party, Chalchima, came to a very steep cliff, … [climbed to a ledge and saw] he was at the head of a wide cave, within which sat a most beautiful nymph, radiant and alluring, her hair in long strands down her shoulders and bedecked with lovely rose pink flowers. Chalchima at once fell in love with her… and made court to her, eliciting that her name was Thangi's elder sister.