Mayong (Assam)
Encyclopedia
Mayong also known as the Land of Black Magic, is situated in Marigaon district
of Assam, on the bank of the river Brahmaputra. Situated at 40 km from Guwahati
and once considered the cradle of black magic in the country, Mayong is today a place of tourist attraction because of its history. During the medieval period in ancient India, Mayong is said to remain the Indian Capital of Black Magic and Witchcraft.
took part in The Great Battle of Mahabharata with his magical powers.
s were carried out in connection with the worship of Shakti till the early modern period. Excavators had recently dug up swords and other sharp weapons that resembled tools used for human sacrifice in other parts of the country. “The swords are huge, similar to what were used in human sacrifice in some parts of the country. The villagers, too, told us that their forefathers used to talk about human sacrifice. We have reason to believe that human sacrifice might have taken place in the Ahom era in Mayong. At present, the ritual of animal sacrifice is prevalent in Mayong as it is in other Shakti shrines in the state. But we need to find out more evidence to arrive at a conclusion,” said Sanjay K. Manjul, the superintending archaeologist of the ASI (Guwahati circle).
, archaeology pilgrimage, eco-tourism, adventure tourism
, cultural tourism
and river tourism. It is full of archaeology relics and artefacts some discovered and some yet to be discovered. Mayong Central Museum and Emporium
in the village has preserved some of the ancient manuscript of Black Magic and Ayurveda.
Marigaon district
Marigaon district is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. The district headquarters are located at Marigaon. The district occupies an area of 1,550 km² and has a population of 957,853 of which males and females are 485,328 and 472,525 respectively.The ancient place of...
of Assam, on the bank of the river Brahmaputra. Situated at 40 km from Guwahati
Guwahati
Guwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
and once considered the cradle of black magic in the country, Mayong is today a place of tourist attraction because of its history. During the medieval period in ancient India, Mayong is said to remain the Indian Capital of Black Magic and Witchcraft.
The name
Several stories and legends are there pertaining to the name Mayong. Here are some of them.- Some people say the name Mayong comes from the word MayaMaya (illusion)Maya , in Indian religions, has multiple meanings, usually quoted as "illusion", centered on the fact that we do not experience the environment itself but rather a projection of it, created by us. Maya is the principal deity that manifests, perpetuates and governs the illusion and dream of duality...
since it is considered as the land of illusion. - When the entire Northeastern regionSeven Sister StatesThe Seven Sister States also called "Paradise Unexplored" is a name given to the contiguous states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland & Tripura in northeastern India. These states cover an area of about 250,000 sq. km. or about 7 percent of India's total area. They...
of India was under the common name Assam, Manipuri people from the maibong clan inhabited there. The area, being hilly place, was full of elephant and the Manipuri word for an elephant is Miyong, hence few believe that Mayong was a corruption of the word Miyong. - Legend is that Mayong refers to “part of goddess Shakti”. Maa for mother shakti, Ongo for part, hence the older generation calls goddess Maa.
Mayong and magic
Mayong is full of supernatural stories. It is said that people came from far off and abroad to learn magic here. Except a few, the spells were not written but passed from mouth to mouth from generation to generation.In mythology
Mayong along with Pragjyotishpura (the ancient name of Assam) find place in many mythological epics, including the Mahabharat. Chief Ghatotkacha of Kachari KingdomKachari Kingdom
The Kachari Kingdom was a powerful kingdom in medieval Assam. The rulers belonged to the Dimasa people, part of the greater Bodo-Kachari ethnic group...
took part in The Great Battle of Mahabharata with his magical powers.
Human sacrifice
According to history, Narabali or human sacrificeHuman sacrifice
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more human beings as part of a religious ritual . Its typology closely parallels the various practices of ritual slaughter of animals and of religious sacrifice in general. Human sacrifice has been practised in various cultures throughout history...
s were carried out in connection with the worship of Shakti till the early modern period. Excavators had recently dug up swords and other sharp weapons that resembled tools used for human sacrifice in other parts of the country. “The swords are huge, similar to what were used in human sacrifice in some parts of the country. The villagers, too, told us that their forefathers used to talk about human sacrifice. We have reason to believe that human sacrifice might have taken place in the Ahom era in Mayong. At present, the ritual of animal sacrifice is prevalent in Mayong as it is in other Shakti shrines in the state. But we need to find out more evidence to arrive at a conclusion,” said Sanjay K. Manjul, the superintending archaeologist of the ASI (Guwahati circle).
Tourism and Archaeology
Mayong is evolving as a hot-spot for tourism and archaeology because of its rich wildlifeWildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
, archaeology pilgrimage, eco-tourism, adventure tourism
Adventure tourism
Adventure travel is a type of tourism, involving exploration or travel to remote, exotic and possibly hostile areas. Adventure tourism is rapidly growing in popularity, as tourists seek different kinds of vacations. According to the U.S...
, cultural tourism
Cultural tourism
Cultural tourism is the subset of tourism concerned with a country or region's culture, specifically the lifestyle of the people in those geographical areas, the history of those peoples, their art, architecture, religion, and other elements that helped shape their way of life...
and river tourism. It is full of archaeology relics and artefacts some discovered and some yet to be discovered. Mayong Central Museum and Emporium
Mayong Central Museum and Emporium
The Mayong Central Museum and Emporium is located at Mayong, a place in the Marigaon district of Assam in India, 40 km from Guwahati. It was inaugurated at 1 pm on November 1, 2002. It has preserved some of the ancient manuscript of Black Magic and Ayurveda....
in the village has preserved some of the ancient manuscript of Black Magic and Ayurveda.