CHORDTALLA

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A cave in Palkot named Chordtalla (desidirectory.com accessed 2007.11.24) is said to be a relatively big cave [note 1] with a seating capacity of 300 persons (about 60 to 75 square metre?). SITUATION: Somewhere in Palkot [note 2] … 25 km from Gumla (N23°03': E084°33'). IDENTITY: Internet websites report not only the cave called –>Chordtalla (sacred to Bajrang Bali / Bajrangbali) from Palkot (N22°53': E084°39') but also the –>Malmalpur Cave and the –>Shitalpur Cave, which all may represent one and the same item. coilnet.bitmesra.net (accessed 2007.11.24), however, seems to distinguish three distinct caves (note 3) CAVE DESCRIPTION 2007a: There is a cave in Palkot named Chordtalla that has space of 300 people to sit. There is an attractive statue of God Bajrangbali (coilnet.bitmesra.net accessed 2007.11.24) CAVE DESCRIPTION 2007b: A big cave with a seating capacity of 300 persons exists here [at Palkot]. The statues of Bajrang Bali are made on the walls. Very cool air blows insie it. The statues of Ma Durga and Mahadeo are also worth seeing (desidirectory.com/events/Indian_Travel_Details.asp… dated -January 02, 2007- accessed 2007.11.24). CULTURAL HISTORY: Neil Sootinck (2007.11.21 personal correspondence) tells me The statues of Bajrang Bali are made on the walls --if they are not flowstone formations (speleothems) interpreted as idols. coilnet.bitmesra.net (accessed 2007.11.24) advertises from a cave in Palkot named Chordtalla … an attractive statue of God Bajrangbali and either from Chordtalla, –>Malmalpur Cave or –>Shitalpur Cave a statue of Goddess Durga. GEOGRAPHY: The Southern Ranchi plateau is a dissected region forming a rugged hill country with typical scenery of turbulent streams, steep hill sides and cliffs, and narrow valleys. The main streams flow north-south while the subsequent streams have latitudinal arrangement. Thus the area is cut into small rectangular blocks forming miniature plateaus. Spurs and re-entrants have resulted fom the active erosion of longitudinal master streams. The ridges are mainly monoclinal. The population is very sparse and the settlements are scattered unevenly. The region is quite inaccessible. Dense forests could be good source of timber but remain largely unexploited. Small service centres like Khunti, Gumla and Simdega are located on its periphery (SINGH, R L 1971 edited 1995: 674). CAVE CLIMATE: Neil Sootinck (2007.11.21 personal correspondence) had learned about Palkot Cave that very cool air blows inside it.om the active erosion of longitudinal master streams. The ridges are mainly monoclinal. The population is very sparse and the settlements are scattered unevenly. The region is quite inaccessible. Dense forests could be good source of timber but remain largely unexploited. Small service centres like Khunti, Gumla and Simdega are located on its periphery (SINGH, R L 1971 edited 1995: 674). CAVE CLIMATE: Neil Sootinck (2007.11.21 personal correspondence) had learned about Palkot Cave that very cool air blows inside it.