Memorial Stone of Lalpuithanga, a Sailo chief
Lalpuithanga Lungdawh: Lalpuithanga Lungdawh is a single upright stone along with a stone
platform located at Bawngchawm in Serchhip district. It measures about 7inches in thickness, 8.7ft in height and 6.8ft in
breadth. The platform measures about 16.3ft long and 8.2ft in breadth. The
stone was erected by Lalpuithanga, a great Sailo chief. A number of pictures
are engraved on all sides of the stone and a large human figure in the middle
was apparently the picture of Lalpuithanga himself, shown smoking a pipe (Vaibel ) and wearing a head dress (Chhawn) depicting him as a warrior. He
is also shown wearing a highly valued amber bead (Thihna) which is supposed to be worn only by the chief and rich
persons[1], and
spearing a man on the head with a metal spiked spear held in his right hand. Further,
a number of Mithun or gayal heads and a set of gongs (Darbu) and a bigger gong
(Darkhuang) were also depicted. In
another corner is the figure of a large species of lizard (tangkawng or tuipuisatang)
and the body of a slain man hanging downwards on the edge. A number of birds,
pigs, elephants, tigers, the horns of a mithun were also carved on it. Also
interesting are the engravings of two horses on other side of the stone which suggests
that Lalpuithanga may have owned horses which he might have bought from the
British. According to K. Laldinpuii , the stone platform was erected in his
later days probably in and around 1886 AD[2] after the first military expedition towards
the Lushai hills (Vailian vawi 1-na) during 1871-1872. Nevertheless the picture
of horse is noteworthy since it rarely seen in other megalithic monuments of
the Mizo.
Source : Megalithic Monuments of Mizoram : A Descriptive Study' Ph D Thesis of Malsawmliana
No comments:
Post a Comment