Myths, Legends and Folklore of the ‘Seven Sisters’ of North East India: Tripura

Tripura is named after a tribe “Tipra”, that inhabited the state. Tripura is actually a Sanskritized form of early Bodo name, Tipra by which the aborigines were known.

There are legends and more legends about Tripura, seemingly shrouded in a time wrap. Read on for an intriguing tale of love!

Once upon a time, in a village next to a prattling brook, lived a man named Champarai, his wife Khulumati and their son Nugurai. One day Khulumati found a young girl floating on the water. She summoned Nugurai who plunged into the waters and rescued the girl. Khulumati, took a strong liking for the girl who was called Nakhapili.

As time went by, young Nugurai found himself drawn to Nakhapili. Very soon, even Nakhapili became attracted to her saviour. Nugurai’s parents who were looking for a bride for their son, soon agreed to accept Nakhapili as their daughter-in-law.

On the wedding day, the whole village joined the celebration. As the priest conducted the rituals, Champarai’s cousin reached the venue. He was accompanied by his wife and daughter. This girl identified Nakhapili as her step-sister who was believed to have committed suicide by jumping into the river. When told that the bride was related to them, Khulumati and Champarai decided to call off the wedding.

Thereafter, Nugurai and Nakhapili left the house and settled in a neighbouring village. One day Khulumati and Champarai came to visit them. The father pleaded with his son to return while Khulumati’s wrath fell upon the girl. She heaped abuses on Nakhapili who soon broke down. She fell at Khulumati’s feet and wept, saying, “You are my mother… and since you want me to die, die I shall. Bless me that in my next birth I get your son as husband again”

With these words, Nakhapili ran out of the house and jumped from the edge of a ravine. Nugurai followed her. Strangely, Nakhapili moved upwards instead of falling into the ravine. Soon she was up in the sky covered with dark clouds. Nugurai, too, headed upwards. Then there was a thunder and the couple disappeared after that.

Even today when there are dark clouds in the sky and there is thunder, Tripuri villagers fondly remember Nugurai and Nakhapili.

Hope you enjoyed this seven part series as much as I’ve enjoyed compiling it!

Myths, Legends and Folklore of the ‘Seven Sisters’ of North East India: Nagaland

Nagaland is the home of Indo-Mongoloid hill-tribe known as Nagas. The term “Naga” covers many tribes. They are a warrior race, tall, robust, hardworking, brave, self-reliant, artistic, freedom-loving and possess an inborn instinct for color and intricate designs.

Why the moon is so far away from the earth…

Once upon a time when the earth was still young, the Aos say that the moon lived very close to the earth. It even used to be a playmate to the children. Very often it stayed within reach, near the eaves of the roofs and watched the people of the village go about various activities.

When the women husked paddy, the long poles used for this purpose would accidentally hit the moon and when it cried out in pain, the women would burst out laughing as though it was a big joke. Even the children, taking the cue from the women, began pelting the moon with pebbles, ash from the hearth and even cow dung. And when the moon cried out in pain and tried to cover its face, the children found it very amusing and this became their favourite pastime.

When such infliction went on for some time and appeared to become regular, the moon decided to leave the earth and go far away from it where it would be safe from such cruel treatment. That is why; the Aos claim, the moon is so far away from the earth. And they explain that the dark spots on its face are the marks of ashes and cow dung spattered on it by the cruel children of the earth.

This irrevocable distancing of the moon from the earth has become the subject of many a folk song. One particular song is in the form of an imaginary conversation between earth children and the moon where the children plead with the moon to come down to the earth and be friends again.

Source: Adapted from The Book The Ao-Naga Oral Tradition, By Temsula Ao

Come back tomorrow for more Myths & Legends from Tripura.

Myths, Legends and Folklore of the ‘Seven Sisters’ of North East India: Mizoram

Mizoram lies in the southernmost outpost of North Eastern India, the land of the Blue Mountains. Evergreen ranges of Mizoram hills boasts of blooming exotic flora and dense bamboo jungles. Gushing rivers and sparkling waterfalls criss-cross these hills and its plunging gorges. The Phawngpui or ‘The Blue Mountain’ is one of the highest peaks.

Do you know why Mizo houses are built on stilts?

Once upon a time, a heavenly creature swallowed the moon and the whole earth was plunged into darkness. Chaos reigned. Goddess Khuazingnu was worried about the future of creation. To protect them, she put a couple from each human clan and representatives of each species of animals into a pit and sealed it with a huge rock called the Chhinlung.

Some generations later, the goddess opened the mouth of the pit. Droves of humans emerged and she closed the Chhinlung for she reasoned there were enough people on earth. Among the people who emerged was a powerful man named Thlanrawkpa. He was named king and to celebrate he planned to host a feast, later to be known as the Thlanrawkpa Khuangchawi.

He, however, forgot to invite his father-in-law, Sabereka, who was furious and caused thunderstorms that washed away all the earth of the village, leaving behind only rock. The legendary rain is said to be why a traditional Mizo house is built on stilts, to avoid such calamities.

Source: Paper titled Myth & The Mizo World View, presented by Lalnunziri Chhangte at the International Seminar on History of Religions.

Come back tomorrow for more Myths & Legends from Nagaland.

Myths, Legends and Folklore of the ‘Seven Sisters’ of North East India: Meghalaya

Meghalaya, a Sanskrit word meaning “the abode of clouds”, is endowed with a rich variety of flora and fauna. Of about 17,000 species of orchids in the world, around 3000 varieties are found in Meghalaya. A botanical wonder, the pitcher plant, an insect eating plant is found in the district of Jaintia hills, West Khasi hills and South Garo hills of the state.

Today I present to you a heart-rendering and emotional story of a mother’s love for her child.

A young woman called Ka Likai lived with her husband and baby in the village of Langjiriteh. When her husband died, Ka Likai’s entire attention was on her child.

She found it really tough to earn enough and married again to take care of her child. Her new husband, though, was selfish and brutal. He was jealous of his step-daughter because his wife paid her more attention. When he found out that Ka Likai had married him so that it would be easier for her to take care of the child, he was determined to harm her. He refused to go out to work, but forced his wife to go everyday. When she was not at home he bullied and ill-treated the child.

One day Ka Likai had to go on a long journey. This gave the step-father an opportunity and he killed his step-daughter. When Ka Likai returned, she was surprised to find her husband in a better mood. She noticed the child’s absence and asked about her. But the husband answered that she was playing and dispelled the mother’s misgivings. She sat down to eat without any suspicion of evil doing.

After Ka Likai had her supper, she took out the betel-nut basket to prepare betel to chew after the meal, as was the custom of the land. It so happened that the murdered child had been left in this basket which the mother saw. She wildly demanded to know the meaning of this awful discovery, whereupon the husband confessed his crime.

The terrible and overwhelming revelation came as an immense shock to the mother. She was stunned with grief and disbelief. She rose from the seat, ran to the edge of the precipice and threw herself into the abyss. Her fall caused a waterfall famously known as the Nohkalikai Falls, or “The Leap of Ka Likai” in the local language. The moans of the Falls are said to be the echoes of Ka Likai’s never-ending anguished cries that one can hear even today…

Come back tomorrow for more Myths & Legends from Mizoram.

Myths, Legends and Folklore of the ‘Seven Sisters’ of North East India: Manipur

Manipur is the land of rich valleys surrounded by beautiful hills and lakes, a land of gentle people full of laughter and joy. Manipur means the ‘land of gems’. This north-eastern state was described as the land of gold or ‘Suvarnabhu’.

Many legends tell us the origin of Manipur. One of the legends is that Krishna requested Shiva to keep a watch while he danced the Ras with Radha and Gopis. Parvati on seeing Shiva protecting a particular spot was curious to see what Shiva was protecting. On her insistence, Shiva permitted her to see the Ras. She was so enamored by Krishna’s dance that she decided to perform the Ras with Shiva. Shiva searched for high and low for a beautiful and secluded place for dancing the Ras with Parvati. He saw Manipur surrounded by mountains and its beautiful valleys covered by a sheet of water. With his trident, he stuck the mountain ranges making a path for the water to flow out. The valley of Manipur emerged and Shiva and Parvati danced on it.

Come back tomorrow for more Myths & Legends from Meghalaya.

Myths, Legends and Folklore of the ‘Seven Sisters’ of North East India: Assam

Lying at the foothills of the Himalaya, the abode of gods, Assam is linked to the rest of India by an isthmus winding its way between Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal. Assam is a land where clouds float at your feet, hills emerge from its bosom and soar high like a chorus, and the panorama changes with unbelievable frequency. It is here that one feels the freshness of the very first dawn of creation and has the ecstasy of almost touching the sweet dreams with his fingers. Far from the madding crowd, it is altogether another world, a walking reverie you are traveling through.

Today, I bring you a story about how a lonely, depressed wife became the queen of elephants!

A tale from the Pragjyotisha goes like this..

Long ago, in a hut at the edge of the dense forests of Goalpara, in Assam, there lived a couple, Joyanath and Joymala. Though poor, they were happy for they loved each other dearly. Joymala shared whatever food they had with the birds and the animals of the forest. In return for her kindness, these creatures also brought her fruits and greens.

One day, when Joyanath heard about the death of a very rich merchant in a neighbouring town, he decided to go there. This widow was performing the final ceremonies of death in a very grand manner and people from far and near, rich and poor were invited. They would be looked after well, and would be given enough money to carry back home. Joyanath’s good looks soon caught the eye of the rich widow who had an unattractive daughter-whose looks were a reflection of her cantankerous, cruel nature.

Sensing an opportunity, the merchant’s widow ensnared Joyanath for her daughter. When Joyanath demurred, saying he was already married, the cunning woman pointed out that with the dowry that her daughter would take with her, Joymala would be able to live like a queen.

Poor Joyanath fell into the trap. He took the girl home, and presented her to a shocked Joymala. The new wife, without loss of time, banished Joymala to her modest hut, while she herself lived in a newly erected three-storey mansion with Joyanath. An unhappy Joymala was made to fetch water from the river in a golden pitcher every day. Joymala, distressed with her lot, wept so bitterly that the river turned salty with her tears.

In another part of the forest dwelt the majestic King of Elephants. When he went to drink from the river, he found, to his surprise, that the water was salty. Investigations led him to Joymala, who sat weeping by its bank. On hearing her story, he proposed marriage to her. Joymala refused, for how could a human marry an elephant?

The river had in the meanwhile been listening to all this. Taking matters into its own hands, it rose up, and, bursting its banks, washed away both the hut and the mansion of Joymala’s husband and his new wife.

The King of Elephants gently placed Joymala on his back, and took her to his home in the deep forest. Here, they were welcomed by his joyous elephant subjects.

The King then took Joymala to a waterfall. He took water from it in seven pitchers, and poured it over Joymala, who turned into a beautiful female elephant. The King then took her for his queen, and said, “Henceforth, you will lead our herd whenever we move around the forest.”

And to this day, every herd of elephants in Goalpara is led by a female elephant.

Interesting, isn’t it!
Come back tomorrow for Myths & Legends from Manipur.

Myths, Legends and Folklore of the ‘Seven Sisters’ of North East India

North-east India, popularly known as the ‘Land of Seven Sisters’ (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura), is characterized by simple and exotic tribals, lofty mountains, lush valleys, dense forests teeming with varied flora and fauna, fascinating scenery and pastoral life amidst isolated splendor. But while travelers will be captivated by the natural beauty of these states, they will be equally mesmerized by the rich depth of folklore & legends that come out of this region.

Here I will present some of the legends that I came across, one ‘Sister’ at a time!

Arunachal Pradesh

Rich in varied flora and fauna, Arunachal is the home of a large number of tribes of different socio-economic and religious pattern. These are Buddhist tribes, Vaishnavite tribes and others with their own distinctive ways of life, living side by side in perfect communal harmony and peace. Studded with hills and valleys and comprising frontier divisions of Kemeng, Tirap, Subansiri, Lohit and Siang, Arunachal is predominantly rural and pastoral.
The state also has a rich cultural legacy abound with an interesting oral tradition of myths & legends.

One such legend is of the Himalayan Yeti, the giant abominable snowman. Commonly known as Grep-fut, the Arunachalis have attributed the Yeti with a human face, a long nose, glittering eyes and a conical forehead. It supposedly has short yellowish-brown hair all over the body, but the hair on its head stands erect; it can run with tremendous speed from hill to hill and has a shrill cry.

According to the tribal elders, the Yeti lives in a cave and eats kernels, usually of the Rachi and Ningohi trees. And it occasionally feasts on a human when it has managed to capture one. The female Yeti is believed to be distinctly different from the male, that its presence is supposedly marked by a strong odour, much like that of onion or garlic.

That’s it for the Yeti but there is another fascinating tale about the reason for earthquakes. As the ‘Old Wives’ tale goes, the earth rests on a giant fish or on the horns of the ox. When the fish or the ox moves, the earth trembles!

Come back tomorrow for more Myths & Legends from Assam.