KAWTCHHUAH ROPUI ~ The Lost Village of Mizoram

What if I told you India once had a civilization, which accounted for multi - terraced architecture, retaining walls, watchtowers and man-made caves and is one of the largest necropolises of the world? Hmmm, fascinating?

We shall be exploring 'The Lost Village of Mizoram - Kawtchhuah Ropui'. Nestled amidst lush green hills in the Indo - Myanmar borders and roughly 250 kms. away from Aizawl, Kawtchhuah Ropui is not only the doorway to ancient secrects but also a timeline to prosperity. The name literally means 'The Great Entranceway'. It finds its origin back from 2400 years ago during the Megalithic Period. The site was familiar to the locals for centuries, but it gained wider attention in the early 1973, when P. Rohmingthanga, a young IAS officer from Mizoram first reported its engravings from a hilltop bereft while travelling in hia helicopter. The site was scientifically documented by the Archaeological Survey of India in 2015 and in fact is first of its kind from Mizoram to be documented.

What makes the civilisation unique is the essence of tall - upright stones called 'Menhirs'. They are considered as memorial stones for brave warriors who were either killed by enemies or huge animals. They even included intricate motifs of Mithun heads, gongs, weapons, deer and floral designs.

Another striking feature of the civilisation is the water pavillion. Mizo folklores confirm that structures such as these were built to avoid having a single storage tank that could be easily poisoned by the enemy.

The excavations at the site also offer a passage into relations between Mizoram and former Hindu kingdoms. The forests of the present - day Mizo hills were the tribes' killing ground. Both sides respected boundaries and even Hindu kings would sought refuge when their kingdoms were indulged in conflicts.

#amrapalimagazine #thebellawamielshow #mizoram