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Mawmluh Cave in Meghalaya one of first 100 Geoheritage sites listed by UNESCO; all about the treasure of north-east India

First 100 IUGS Geological Sites: Mawmluh Cave, one of the prominent caves in Meghalaya, is located near Mawmluh, a small hamlet in the northeastern state.

Sarmeeli Mallick

Updated Oct 6, 2022, 22:34 IST

Mawmluh Cave in Meghalaya one of first 100 Geoheritage site listed by UNESCO (Conrad Sangma/Twitter)

Photo : Twitter

Panaji/Shillong: Mawmluh Cave in Sohra, located in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya, has been listed among the first 100 International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) geological heritage sites. IUGS is one of the largest scientific organisations of UNESCO.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma announced the news on his Twitter handle. “Mawmluh Cave in Sohra, Meghalaya known for the ‘Meghalayan Age’ has been selected by @theIUGS (@UNESCO) as one of the 'FIRST 100 IUGS GEOLOGICAL SITES' in the world,” he wrote sharing a picture of the Mawmluh Cave, locally known as Krem Mawmluh.

The full list of the ‘First 100 IUGS Geological Sites’ will be presented at the IUGS’s 60th anniversary event, which will take place in Zumaia, Spain.

“An IUGS Geological Heritage Site is a key place with geological elements and/or processes of scientific international relevance, used as a reference, and/or with a substantial contribution to the development of geological sciences through history,” said the IUGS.

The Society of Earth Scientists had submitted the proposal to recognise Mawmluh Cave for consideration under the first 100 Global Geoheritage sites.

More than 200 specialists from almost 40 nations and 10 international organisations representing different disciplines of Earth Sciences participated in identifying and shortlisting the sites, reported TOI.

All about the treasure of north-east India-- Mawmluh Cave

Mawmluh Cave, one of the prominent caves in Meghalaya, is located near Mawmluh, a small hamlet in the northeastern state.
The cave was first explored by a British official named Lieutenant Yule in the year 1844.
With a total length of 7 km of cave passages, Mawmluh Cave in Sohra is believed to be the fourth longest cave in the Indian subcontinent.
Mawmluh Cave is located at an altitude of 4503 m. It is known for its stalagmite formations and other rock formations that are found inside the cave.
The cave is a long maze with many openings and one can find stalactites, stalagmites, columns, drapes, and moon milk inside the cave.
The entrance of the cave is located at a height of 10 feet above sea level. Another prime feature of the cave is the pool inside the cave which is formed from five different rivers that pass through the cave.
The cave is too deep that contains passages, calcite formations of various kinds, massive caverns, waist-deep pools, a few meters of belly crawl, and few climbs. Also, only 1/4th of the cave receives sunlight while the rest of the cave remains shrouded in darkness, according to trawell.in.
Due to its geographical formation, the atmosphere inside the cave can make an individual feel dizzy, and thus, it is recommended that people suffering from acute respiratory disorders should avoid visiting Mawmluh Cave, as per trawell.in.
The stalagmites accumulated in the Mawmluh Cave have helped prove the existence of a 200-year-long drought that occurred after the Ice Age around 4,200 ago, destroying many civilisations around the world. The word ‘Meghalayan Age’ was coined to describe this period.

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