USHAKOTHI
22.183300,83.733300
Description
A partly collapsed, about 18 m wide and 3 m horizontally deep rock shelter with an uneven floor, which possibly faces east, understood MOHAPATRA (1982 plate 2 between pages 110-110) to contain »engraved rock art« or »not deciphered inscriptions« which, however, may actually represent script karren resulting from dissolution of the limestone surface. Compare –>Vikramkhol Shelter. ETYMOLOGY: The Sanskrit (etc.) "ushakothi" (literally: rising sun's residence, house or mansion) is, perhaps, nicely translated as Abode of the Dawn. ETYMOLOGY: »Kothi. A large house« (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 25: xvi).ROCK ART or KARREN: According to MOHAPATRA (1982 plate 2 between pages 110-110) the face of a ledge running across the wall »… has been very thoughfully utilised as a panel for inscribing the symbols or scripts« --as if the head of a karstified limestone band, which protrudes from adjoining layers, is fluted with more or less vertical microkarren (small parallel or random runnels), kluftkarren (dissolutionally opened joints) or rillenkarren (small runnels between sharp ridges, cut by subaerial dissolution). CULTURAL HISTORY: On occasion of the festival Shivaratri (note 1), neighbouring tribals conduct at Ushakothi a religious ritual, which MOHAPATRA (1982) suspects to reflect an ancient tradition only because the area was notorious till the early 1930ies (or 1830ies?) for both secret and public human sacrifices performed in the turmeric fields. SITUATION: MOHAPATRA (1982) places Ushakothi Shelter at an unspecified location somewhere in a remote tribal location reached by travelling from Sundergarh (note 2) for about 40 km in an unidentified direction (perhaps west) up to Sarapgarh (note 3) from where the rock shelter is reached by a 10 km walk in an unspecified direction. The India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006: 75 F5) indicates a possibly independent »Ushakothi Wildlife Sanctuary« somewhere else: In Sambalpur district (Orissa State), and south of the National Highway NH6 at approximate travelling distances of 50 km east from Sambalpur town (note 4) or 30 km west from Deogarh (note 5), on the northern flank of the Bamra Hills and on the road south from Jamankira (note 6) via Kisinda (note 7) to Meghapal (note 8). This area lies about 80 km in a direct line SSE from Sundergarh (N22°07': E084°02'). SITUATION 3: AMS (American Military Service) sheet NF45-09 Deogarh (U502 series, 1962 edition) shows one area called »USHAKOTHI 594« (181 m asl) near N21°17': E084°27' where the streams Kalasagar Nadi and Sankha Nadi flow upstream of one Tikra Nadi. This area lies about 100 km in a direct line SSE from Sundergarh (N22°07': E084°02').
NOTE 1: Shivaratri, on occasion of the first full moon after the spring equinox in the lunar month of Phalgun (February / March), is when Shiva dances the tandava (cosmic victory dance). NOTE 2: Sundargarh / Sundergarh N22°07': E084°02' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) on AMS sheet NF45-05 and on the India Road Atlas, Eicher Goodearth 2006: 75 F3). NOTE 3: There is one Sarapgarh N22°11': E083°44' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) about 30 km in a direct line a little north by west from Sundargarh / Sundergarh. NOTE 4: Sambalpur, town N21°27': E083°58' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) on AMS sheet NF44-12 Raigarh (U502 series, 1955 edition). NOTE 5: Deogarh N21°32': E084°44' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) on AMS sheet NF45-09 Deogarh (U502 series, 1962 edition). NOTE 6: »Jamankira« (India Road Atlas 2006: 75 G5) is indicated as »Jamunkira 916« (279.2 m asl) on AMS sheet NF45-09 Deogarh (U502 series, 1962 edition) and positioned »Jamunkira« at N21°32': E084°23' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003). NOTE 7: »Kisinda« (India Road Atlas 2006: 75 F5) is indicated as »Kisinda 769« (234.4 m asl) on AMS sheet NF45-09 Deogarh (U502 series, 1962 edition) and positioned as Kisinda and Kochinda at N21°32': E084°23' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003). NOTE 8: »Meghapal« (India Road Atlas 2006: 75 F5) or »Meghpal« N21°22': E084°15' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) is not shown on AMS sheet NF45-09 Deogarh (U502 series, 1962 edition).
Documents
Bibliography 03/07/2016- Mohapatra, G C 1982.
Cavités proche
| Distance (km) | Nom | Longueur (m) | Profondeur (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31.5 | SINGHANPUR ROCK SHELTERS | ||
| 90.5 | KAILASH GUPHA, Jashpur | ||
| 95.3 | KHURIA RANI (Felsenhöhle der) | ||
| 105.7 | BIRAMITRAPUR HILL TOP CAVE | ||
| 122.2 | CHORDTALLA | ||
| 122.2 | Malmalpur Cave | ||
| 122.2 | SHITALPUR CAVE | ||
| 130.7 | ANJANA DEVI GUFA, Anjan, Anjana | ||
| 156.0 | SUKANDAR DEEP WATER-HOLE |