Phandi is an expert on lassoing

Lasso

A lasso , also referred to as a lariat, riata, or reata , is a loop of rope that is designed to be thrown around a target and tighten when pulled. It is a well-known tool of the American cowboy. The word is also a verb; to lasso is to successfully throw the loop of rope around something...

 a wild elephant in Mela shikar

Mela shikar

Mela shikar is a traditional method of capturing wild elephants for captive use. The process involves lassoing a wild elephant from the back of a trained one, called a koonki. This practice is prevalent in the north eastern part of India, especially in Assam and is one of the methods seen in...

. A mahout

Mahout

A mahout is a person who drives an elephant. The word mahout comes from the Hindi words mahaut and mahavat. Usually, a mahout starts as a boy in the 'family business' when he is assigned an elephant early in its life and they would be attached to each other throughout the elephant's life.The most...

 becomes Phandi after passing a rigorous tests conducted by other phandis. Baro-phandi is equivalent to a master’s degree in elephant capturing. Only a few can aspire to become a Baro-phandi. They are men of highest caliber, great courage and well steeped in elephant lore who enjoy iconic status in the folklore of the North-East

Seven Sister States

The 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...

India.