HATHIPOL, Sarguja

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 28/03/2016

The »Elephant Gate« (note 1) is an estimated 130 m or 140 m long natural tunnel (on average 3 m to 4 m wide and 2.5 m high) and one of the caves on –>Ramgarh Pahar. The moderately wet tunnel cave features a floor covered (in parts?) with sand. It is formed in a Vindhyan sandstone (note 2) and drains a »nook« or »basin« (note 3) via an insurgence in the south-east and an aligned tunnel to the resurgence (9 m wide, 6 m high) in the north-west. SITUATION: On the northern end of a spur from the main mass of Ramgarh Pahar (compare: Caves on the –>Ramgarh Hill), about »a mile« (one or two kilometers) from the village of Udaypur (note 4) and below (note 5) the modified natural temple caves –>Sitabenga and –>Jogimara. To reach the tunnel cave from the sacred grove at –>Tura Pani, BALL (1873b, 1880 edited 1985: 326-327) retraced his steps for a »short distance« and then struck eastwards by a path running along a spur from the main mass of the hill till Hathipol was reached when having walked »about a mile« to the north-west. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1848: OUSELEY (1848: 66-67) is the first to describe »Hath Phore … proceeding along the eastern skirt of the hill —near the northern extremity, is a very singular tunnel of about 25 feet in width by 15 or 20 high, which runs for about 140 or 150 yards horizontally through the hill.« CAVE DESCRIPTION 1865: DALTON (1865: 26-27): »Hathphor … At its mouth it is about twenty feet in height by thirty in breadth, but at the inner extremity of its course of 150 yards, it is not more than eight feet by twelve. A man on horseback could ride through it. … In the face of the great rock opposite the entrance, two large caves have been excavated by human labour.« CAVE DESCRIPTION 1873: BALL (1873b: 244): Not seen --needs to be checked. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1880: BALL (1880 edited 1985: 327) has »a tunnel 160 paces long, and about 12 feet high and 8 feet broad.« CAVE DESCRIPTION 1905: BURGESS (1905: 197-199): »A natural tunnel through the rock about 150 yards long, known as the Hathphor, along which a stream of water flows from a fissure in the rock.« CAVE DESCRIPTION 1909: IMPERIAL GAZETTEER (1907-1909, 21: 176): »Ramgarh Hill in Surguja State … one of the most striking features is the singular tunnel in the northern face of the rock, known as Hathipol, which, as its name implies, is so large that an elephant can pass through it. Its formation is supposed to be due to the trickling of water through crevices in the sandstone, and it bears no trace of human workmanship. It is about 150 feet long and 20 feet in height by 32 in breadth. In the valley on which this tunnel opens are two caves with inscriptions dating back to the second century B.C.« CULTURAL HISTORY: »At the south-east end of the tunnel, on the south side, a face of rock appears to have been chiselled off for some purpose, possibly for the reception of some inscription which was never engraved. Close by there is a small cave, to which you ascend by a few steps. It has been partially enlarged artificially« (BALL 1880 edited 1985: 327). CAVE LIFE: OUSELEY (1848: 67) noted tigers (Felis tigris): »… wild animals now take up their abode in these caves; the impressions of tiger's feet were freshly made in the sand of the stream, in the tunnel.« DALTON (1865: 26-27) confirms that »the sand of the stream in the tunnel was impressed with old and recent footprints of a whole family of tigers, who had taken up their abode in this pleasant and secure retreat, but we did not find them at home.« BALL (1873b: 245) encountered, about half way through, »a young wood-owl, who clapped his bill in furious rage at the intruders and then made several abortive attempts at flight.«