PhawngPui Tlang - Blue Mountain National Park

Once a upon a time there lived a King of the  ghosts called Sangau close to  Phawngpui Tlang (Blue Mountain). Across a few hills, in Cheriang lived another king. The King of Ghosts  had a worthy son and the King of Cherian a lovely daughter and they were soon married to each other. The marriage witnessed the exchange of some splendid gifts and the most prided among them were - the gift of a Pine Tree from the bride's home  and a pair of Hollock Gibbons from the King of Ghosts to the forests of Cherian.The area where the lone pine stood is called Farpak (single Pine) and today it has multiplied to a plenty while the Hollocks that roam the forests of Cheriang are the original gift of Sangau - they sadly did not breed. Thats one of the stories associated with the highest peak in Mizoram- Blue Mountain.

Today , Blue Mountain is a National Park , Sangau  a 1000 household strong village close to it, Cheriang is the name of a hill in Burma.

The story provided for a fascinating beginning to this long awaited visit to Blue Mountain. Finally, we were at the Sangau tourist lodge , splendidly located on a hilltop towards one end of the massive Sangau. Cheural right behind and the hills of Burma ahead. The lodge offers an almost clear unobstructed view of the hills around. The place is magical on clear nights , with a generous display of stars at night  and the mornings sureal with a bed of clouds stretching between the hills. Nimesh is often tempted to attempt a walk through these!

Happy with the Sangau experience I didn't dwell much on what  Phawngpui would bring with it. At 2100mts it is double the height of Saiha and the wind was already freezing the marrow in my bones! The bounty that Blue Mountain revealed itself to be was not something I had anticipated.

Sample this- A Grassland , Cliffs and a densely wooded forest with a zealous bamboo, rhododendron and orchid sprinkling. All this when we didn't even get to the peak!  

We were generously accompanied to Farpak by the DFO and his team. We drove down to Thaltlang from Sangau and further some distance  into the National Park and walked from there on to Farpak, around it and back.

On our return , we were with the president of the Blue Mountain Guides Association. Quite the expert hunter in his earlier days , he gave up following an injury and joined the forest departments initiatives towards conservation and tourism. He assisted many a researcher on their studies here and seemed to enjoy speaking of his experiences and we were a keen audience.

Walking through Farpak my timid heart skipped a beat when a noisy Bamboo Partridge took of on a panic flight about 3 feet from where we were. And uniquely , while tossing my head around to catch sight of the avian plentitude , i realized that the birds here were a lot less weary of our presence. In most other forests I walked with Nimesh and colleagues , the birds would take to a panic filled flight at the slightest indication of our presence. Were we so inclined we probably could have brought back some decent images of them too. But the designated photographer for the trip (yours truly) kept busy in reminding herself to close her gaping jaw , to even think of attempting this feat. Talk of Gorals, Serrows and the many pheasants was interesting , but we were out at the wrong time in the day to be able to see them.We spent some leisurely hours walking and watching the birds that were around. Infact ,we were leisurely enough to get our companion worried about getting back to Thaltlang in time to get a ride back to Sangau. All the worry of getting back on time was worth it as we watched a Chestnut Bellied Rock Thrush respond to another one (we couldn't see this) from its perch! Also worth mention was a swooping flight of a Black Eagle. We could identify  close to 17 different kinds of birds and had we some more time , there would have been many more.We spent the latter part of our downhill walk in a scrambling frenzy to get to Thaltlang before sunset. 

During our drive back from Thaltlang , the headlights of our pick up revealed a Grey Night Jar sitting on the road! That was the first time i'd seen one a perfect closure to the visit.  

The forest rest house at  Farpak is currently closed , but plans for building a new one along with developing home-stay facilities at Thaltlang are underway. That would definitely help in making the most of a trip to Phawngpui. When its done , hopefully we'll come back for a visit and this time get to the alluring peak itself.

P.S - The highlight of my trip was when we were looking at the valley below from a viewpoint and someone exclaimed- hornbills - did you see them?  I instinctively looked up (!!) and on realizing my folly trained my gaze to the valley- two wreathed hornbills ,  pale white spots, gliding across the valley  . An aerial view of Hornbills- thats something I'll remember for years to come!
For more details wait for Nimesh to update his blog 

A Mara Chief's legacy

A friend took us to her home last month . Her Grandfather and his brother were chiefs of some villages in Saiha. Their home to me was like a mini museum full of musical instruments, baskets , and urns and jars passed through generations. Just putting up some images from there. Thanks to Jeniffer and her family for having us over.  For more information on the significance of these pieces read The Lakher's N.E Perry , thats what uncle (Jeniffer's father) recommends too!

New Life , Vijay Dan Detha - Review

I first read Vijay Dan Detha’s work earlier this year. While looking up some information on Charandas Chor I came across The Crafty Thief. Habib Tanvir’s Play- Charandas Chor is based on a folk tale from Rajasthan. The story was originally  narrated to him by Vijay Dan Detha. More on this in a previous post.

New Life is a compilation of some of his work, translated and edited by Mridul Bhasin, Kailash Kabeer and Vandana R Singh.  I understand that the skeleton for each story is drawn from folktales and the characters and experiences have been fleshed out and provided added dimensions by the author.

What has made this a compelling read for me is the depiction of  inner reflections of the women in the narrative. Their overriding themes are relationships and patriarchy in its various forms. All female protagonists are shown to have a strong inner voice that leads them to view their relationships with spouses and lovers with critical depth. They arrive at almost a feminist vantage point in viewing social life. The reflections woven through the narrative lead the reader to the conflict at the core of the protagonist. However reflections of male characters are absent and their decisions and actions seemed to be all similar to each others i.e revolving around retaining control and establishing superiority.

Some stories

Slough has a particularly unpredictable ending. A Gujjar husband expects his wife to humour the overtures of a Thakur.  Laachi (the wife) is dejected and hopes to restore her lost adoring faith in her husband by presenting him with ample opportunities to doubt intentions of a fellow villager towards her. The Gujjar fails to pass any of these tests and trials and Laachi’s disillusionment increases. Bottling this frustration Laachi finds her answers when she accidentally chances upon a Cobra shedding its skin. 

In many of these stories you run through multiple characters and sequences before being able to fathom who really the centre of the story telling is. The Crow’s Way is one such lengthy (but very readable) story. Starting with the lives and diet preferences of crows in Rajasthan and the swans in Mansarovar , the story leads to a rich Seths son and eventually his wife. Some tragic events follow and finally the wife is thrown out of the house and after some more tragedy ends up with a courtesan. The courtesans wisdom of the worlds ways sounds palpable to the woman and eventually she stays on. The woman's initial confusions on taking up this trade , her ambivalence towards the gentle and wise courtesan and eventual choice is portrayed through some interesting discussions and thoughts.

The story to watch out for however in New Life. Women’s sexuality is a beautifully discussed and though I‘ve heard that many oral traditions bear the evidence of acceptance of same sex love the story New Life is the first I‘ve read. However this love is found only in the midst of some trickery and malpractice which seems to be a pre cursor to acceptance of same sex love among many people to date. The text provides jubilant descriptions of the companionship and sexuality of two girls who were married to each other, their carefree union and the acceptance they find with the chieftain of ghosts. One of them does seek to be a man and convinces the other into asking for this boon off the ghost. The joy however vanishes from their union as with the male body comes the struggle for establishing ownership and superiority, which she realizes and decides to discard. And yes the girls live happily ever after. I loved this story- It was long winding but worth the time.

Very pointed discussions on a woman’s sexuality finds space in To each his own morality. The queen and the royal bards wife find themselves putting up with philandering  husbands, who seem to believe along with the rest of the court that staying monogamous is exceptionally difficult for men and natural for women. The women in question wonder in private about this and their angst is further heightened when they find themselves attracted to other men. Questions on whether this is acceptable rock the individual and the royal court and eventually with some drama the queen installs her lover as king and the bards wives lover as minister. What adds a punch to the ending is the fact that on coronation the new king finds himself thinking like the old. He loses trust in the queen who was not faithfull to her husband and the husband who is now a throneless and kingdom less king starts seeing the wisdom in his wife. Power as an ally to patriarchy? In the story the stable’s groom was loving and tender with the queen while he was just an untouchable while the King once debased finds that he can see the queens wisdom. In New Life ,  Beeja a girl child is brought up as boy and on his marriage he/she realizes the deceit. Beeja accepts her womanhood and Beeja and Teeja live in love and are happy. However , when she is granted the boon of becoming a man -  things change. In The crows way – The woman finds love and understanding from a courtesan (again someone living on the fringe). It made me think volumes on the times that these tales might have belonged to , Vijay Dan Detha's interpretation and reading of them and of course , the resonance in todays life.

However I will not try to cut up and dissect the stories any further. Many might find the book out-datedly feminist ( I hear feminism is outdated now? less fashionable?) , don't pay heed. Read it and figure out for yourself.  Ending this post with something from the book

–One of  Beeja’s thoughts when she wakes up to realize that she’s been granted her boon and is now a man.

It would not do if one is afraid of one’s own facial hair. The pride and pleasure of having a mustache lies in intimidating others!

Ngengpui in a Dug Out II- Some Images

For a post on the trip itself- Visit the previous post

The road in the campus of  Lawngtlai Wildlife Division - A baby flying squirrel seems to have tumbled from one of these trees, much to the delight of the people on campus. The mother was around and the two were united soon , hearing the delightful descriptions itself was a treat. 

Ngengpui Guest House - A great place to stay at - apart from the treasure that the campus itself is a highlight is  the forest and a small  bazaar being just a hop skip and jump away. 

Ngengpui River- Surreal on a winter misty morning- just enough water for our trip

Sanga- Leading the Dugout , Niam is rowing at the rear end . Enthusiastic and informative guides on our trip 

Sambar the Dugout- Brunch Break

Ngengpui in a Dug Out I

Massive , Large , Generous , Awe-Inspiring , Humbling, Wise , Ageing, Giving , Secure , at Peace

The trees were too large for me to hug and so much in awe of them i was that I didn't even contemplate trying as I will not attempt either to string a passage together of the words that come to mind when I recall what I felt. I decide to just give you some  words and this image instead of forcibly trying to compose a psalm.
   

At the edge of Khawmawi (Dist Lawngtlai) on the banks of the river Ngengpui, snuggled and comfortable between these mammoth trees is  the Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary's Rest House. Multiple calls of birds reach out as you enter its gates and i squinted  against the golden sun to catch a glimpse of the plenty frolicking around. Like these trees, the birdlife around seems to know that its safe within these boundaries , for while the village settlement offered only few well hidden treasures, trees in the campus I understand played host to a large flock of oriental pied hornbills! These trees were unfortunately not in fruit currently and the Hornbills had moved on to some other haunt.  I’m left constructing for myself the feel of what would have been the case had I actually seen them. Of course, I’m sure I’m not in even close.

Left largely un tampered, the space lends the feel of being well within the sanctuary,  while you aren't even half a kilometer away from the Khawmawi bazaar.An office building and a few staff quarters is all that is concrete apart from the rest house itself.  The highlight of the space is of course the balcony of sorts , just the kind of place you'd want to return to after a walk in the sanctuary or a dug out ride like us.

We seem to be pre -destined to see Ngengpui from the river itself. On our last trip to the Bungtlang beat , we found ourselves camping on the river bed and walking on it through the day.  We got caught up in a storm of sorts last time and couldn't explore at leisure but this trip seemed to have the blessings of the rain gods! A long monsoon spell ensured that there was just enough water left in Ngengpui for us to venture out with the dugout.

But first things first, we needed to have tea and make some sort of brunch arrangement and this seemed to be no problem as the forest guard had predicted. Hotel Din Din was more than happy to do it. So , at five in the morning  after some refreshing morning tea and a packed brunch from the hotel we were ready to be on the move. A word about Hotel Din Din – its possibly the cleanest and one of the more enterprising hotels/teas stalls we’ve visited. The woman who runs its is a powerhouse of energy with a chubby baby sleeping soundlessly on her back while she cooks , instructs and spares more than a minute to converse with the customers. As discussed on the previous eve, she was ready for us with 5 in the morning with tea and puris and a lunch waiting to packed. The rest of Khawmawi including the roosters seemed to be still asleep.

Sanga , Niam  and the two of us , set out quited excitedly for the dugout ride , the first mist covered sight of the river made me feel we might be a bit too early for the birds but I was wrong and thrilled to be so. Anticipation was high with our companions too , they kept speculating on what we might come across and what they had previously seen while on a dug out patrol. Like on the road, wagtails seemed to know the bends of the river and ....well, were hell bent on leading us through with their dippy flight!

Through the trip , this convoy duty was taken over by a Great Bittern, a Black Crowned Night Heron , a Spotted Forktail and some more. What startled us out of our silence was the noisy scramble and flight of Jungle Fowls. So startled were we as they raised alarm and flew across the river , i feared that we would manage to topple the dugout!
Watching quite peacefully  from the sidelines were White Throated Kingfishers and we did catch sight of the Brown Winged Kingfisher too. On the sidelines again was the activity of a lone Malayan Giant Squirrel , guided by Niam  i could spot it scuttle around its tree. For more on what we saw ,  wait for Nimesh to update his blog.

We got off for a bit and walked along a smaller river meeting Ngengpui inside the forest.  Wild banana growing along the banks and most of us bent over looking for tracks. We didn't venture out too far in as our  growling stomachs were scaring of much of the life around. But the Greater Racket Tail Drongo would not have us leave till we had seen it. It called till we were able to spot it, danced around on the pretext on grabbing insects and having got our attention and its ego satiated it left just as we were pleading for more! Tease.I found my self muttering.
Lunch was lavish- some resourcefully wrapped beans, eggs, rice and chicken. We ate silently against the sounds of the river. Post lunch we crouched around the field guides to confirm what we had seen. A bit thrilled about this part  cause I seemed to be getting a little better with my observations. That just means that I'm able tell the difference between a woodpecker and a Kingfisher, well maybe a little better than that :)

Talking to Sanga and Niam was quite a treat. They were disappointed that we weren't able to see any mammals apart from the Malayan Giant Squirrel and a the shadow of a Palm Civet.They repeatedly pointed out some tracks and suggested that we move further downstream in the hope of sighting something bada! Speaking of which it seems that while ago a new elephant has made its presence felt in Ngengpui , coming in from the neighbouring Mara district , they were of the opinion that it had given quite a fright to the resident four and that these four had changed their hang out for the time being! I don't have a clue about how elephants behave , but I quite enjoyed how this bit was narrated to us. Also , the honest fear with which Sanga told us of how he had fled from his path when he realized an elephant was somewhere ahead made me  happy not to have encountered them.

We returned to Hotel Din Din ( I love this name- we have a kid in the neighbourhood who is called the same and we adore him too) around noon. Sanga and Niam  should have been dog tired with all the rowing , pushing and pulling they were required to do. The water became a lil too shallow in places and the dug out needed to be dragged off those patches. Nimesh jumped off to help whenever he was quick enough but I wasn't quick enough most of the time. That left me sitting in the middle of the dugout feeling every inch ganpati like, wondering if i tick them off they might chose visarjan as an option!! Jokes aside... they did have to put in quite an effort and I'm embaressed and grateful. I enjoyed thumbing the fieldguides with them looking for a particular 3foot long animal which seems to have made the logs in th campus its home. We didn't find it , maybe next time. I sure do hope there is one.

Thanks Pu Tlana for helping us do this!

Listing what Nimesh and I saw on this trip
Black Crowned Night Heron , Black Drongo, Blue Bearded Bea Eater, Brown Winged Kingfisher, Emrald Dove , Great Bittern , Greater Racket Tailed Drongo , Red Jungle Fowl , Rose Ringed Parakeet, Shikra ,Spotted Forktail, White Throated Kingfisher , White Wagtail , Yellow Wagtail
Common Palm Civet and Malayan Giant Squirrel 


P.S  Kestrels we've seen gliding above our home in Saiha and finally we got some time to see them perched in Peace. our drives through this trip were filled with such sightings of these and we Finally saw the Lesser Kestrel nice and proper instead of just hearing its calls!! I'm more than content. For more on Kestrel Sightings visit Nimesh's Post http://mizoram-samrakshan.blogspot.com/2010/11/kestrels.html

Its Bazaar Day in Saiha

I keep telling myself , I'll put up this post when I click better images. Unfortunately time's running out and i decided to just put up what I have and keep updating as an when. Saturday Bazaar finally graces my blog!

I have no clue what these are, I'm warned of how sour they are but am drawn to them by virtue of their warm color

Garlic from Lunglei

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Tomatoes from Silchar, Assam and Shantawk (excuse my spelling ) from Saiha.

Cabbage and Yam-

Local Sugarcane

Ginger- Local and with a skin so soft that it peels when you wash the mud of it!  

Beans- local again and sold in pre measured bundles like pretty much all other vegetables here.

Bananna Flower- Local and available quite regularly. 

The plentiful greens! Tasted many and clueless about the rest 

The smaller catch is from the Kaladan which flows through Kawlchaw about 35 Km from Saiha.

The larger ones have traveled over 3000 km all the way from Andhra Pradesh

If you cannot make it to the market. The veggies come to you! Often women go door to door with a basket full of greens

And in case it is the basket that your heart desires, well that too you might find on a Bazaar day (Saturdays)!

Wrap up the trip with some ice cream, or better still watch the toddlers wolf them down!

Nono , The Snow Leopard -Pranav Trivedi and Maya Ramaswamy

I was helping Nimesh organize his cupboard yesterday when I came across this book and my curiosity was piqued. I've been reading books that could have children in mind as the readers and found myself enjoying them thoroughly, while my neighbour on his way to work throws suspicious glances at this 30 year old engrossed in an illustrated book!  

Nono, the snow leopard follows a language and style that departs from my last read of a book for children , The Myna from The Peacock Garden. And of course it would, and one among the many reasons would be the fact that  there is a very clear intent behind the book apart from trying to be an entertaining read or a demonstration of story telling .  The Snow Leopard Trust , speaks of the book as the A touching and educational story about a biologist's struggle to conserve the endangered snow leopard in a human-dominated environment.  However, my reading of it has lead me to see it differently. The charecter of the biologist rightly occupies the sidelines. On the fore along with the snow leopard is the journey of individuals in the landscape. A few who are part of the initiative to conserve the snow leopard and other's who are grappling with the growing currency of conservation and the changes in lifestyle it calls for.

Through Dorje, who follows and studies the radio collared snow leopards, one meets a variety of characters. Namgyal  , Lama and Lobsang to name a few. His journeys also introduces to the reader the snow covered landscape and the life thriving in it. His reservations about Namgyal , their confrontations and subsequent discussions remind me of the trips  within Mizoram that I’ve been part of. How does someone local speak against a long standing practice such as hunting? What are his conflicts and roadblocks? How do his peers see him?

The very arduous treks that Dorje has to undertake, also introduces the readers to the life around, wild and otherwise. Names of some animals , birds  and plants along with some others are explained crisply in the glossary. I get a feel that some terms like foraging instead of plain looking for food is used intentionally. Probably to serve as an initiation for the 8 year olds and above (the stated audience for the book) to some of the terminology around. I'm not an eight year old or anywhere close , but I'd say the sprinkling of such terms is tender and non threatening.  Additionally, and if I might add essentially , what also gains prominence in the book are conversations between Dorje and Lobsang , a 12 year old boy. The kid moves around with Dorje for a few days in the tracking process. But the occasions where Dorje launches of into sermons on conservation are thankfully absent. The tendency for nutty adults seems to be preaching and where such interactions lead is usually to a resounding snore from the audience. But , the interactions as traced in this charming little book are in the form of discussions and observations, questions and answers shared during a journey. Infact, i'm reminded of a favorite line often thrown by a Lecturer in my college days All that is taught is not caught and all thats caught is not taught. 

I'm just a little better off than ignorant on  landscapes like these, and have just about read a bit here and there about the snow leopard in particular. However, its surprising to see how easily the illustrations transform this cat as the ghostly presence it is often described as. Pleasantly enough , through the narration and illustrations other birds and animals get their space. 

There are many more facets to this book that i found interesting but this post has gained quite a length already. The  labour put into this book  is evident and without being familiar with the people involved or the work  one can almost hear some of the  discussions that might have preceded the inclusion of certain events in the narrative and thankfully nothing I read in the book seems to have crept in by accident or without a conscious thought and that makes my experience of reading this worthwhile.

As usual, I'd think books like this one would make for a good read for children and adults.