By H H. Mohrmen
In the last article, I wrote about the megalithic bridges in Jaintia Hills, which were part of the ancient royal paths. This time, we will discuss the other stone structures in the area, which include microliths, sculptures, and carvings. Let us start with a carving on the river banks. On the banks of the Lukha River near Shymplong village, there is an image of a palanquin sculpted on a stone, believed to have been commissioned by the Jañtia king during the heydays of the Jañtiapur kingdom.
The Microlith
We no longer have evidence of weapons made of stone, but there are stone tools that are being used today. The many stone implements that people use today can be classified as microliths. One such stone tool still popular are the two pieces of stones, maw jingshoh or moo tyndang, used for grinding paste and spices. The stones were selected from very unique hard rocks that do not produce sand even if the pieces hit against each other. These are also used for grinding herbs and roots used in traditional medicine. Traditionally, at every fireplace, there are three stones that are used to place pots for cooking. The three pieces of stones used for supporting pots over the fire are known as mookhuri or mawbyrsiew in Khasi.
In places where millet cultivation is still popular, one will find two round stones used for grinding millet (moo tylliat kre). It is made of granite stones, and there are two holes on the stone on the top — one for placing a stick to move the cover, and the other, a bigger hole, is for putting the millet for grinding. At Umlatkhur old village, there is a huge rock in the middle of the settlement, which has a hole in it. Millet was put inside the hole in the rock, and then a stick was used to grind the millet into powder. The stone was used by the entire community, and its location in the middle of the village was very convenient.
People also use stones collected from riverbeds for rubbing dirt from one’s body during a bath, called moo kyrchut doh. There are also moo choh kba (stones used to separate the rice from the hay) and moo-chut-weit (special stones used for sharpening knives). These are some examples of microliths still used by the Pnar and the War people of Jaintia Hills district.
People’s skill with stones is evident in the retaining walls (kynroh moo) built without using cement or any adhesive. These walls showcase excellent stone masonry. Such walls, built using only stones and soil, can still be seen in villages of the district. Their height varies between ten to fifteen feet. These walls are made using nicely cut flat stones placed on top of one another without any cement.
Stones Used in the Games People Play
Stones are also used by children for playing games, such as moo kyndok, a game involving five small pebbles, where kids compete against each other. The game includes throwing one pebble up and, at the same time, collecting the four stones from the ground. The next round involves throwing the stones up in the air and then collecting the same on the back of one’s palm. The game is popular among girls.
Another popular game for both boys and girls is the moo ïaleh seitjaiñ, a traditional game similar to hop, skip, and jump. The only difference is that the competitors have to throw the flat stone in the box drawn on the ground and kick it out while hopping on only one leg. Another popular traditional game is called dat-moo-poiñ. The players are divided into two groups, and while one group tries to stack the flat stones on top of one another, the opposite team tries to get the players out by hitting them with a ball.
Mookhrah are round, finely shaped stones used in a traditional game known as kyntiñ or rah mookhrah. The stones vary in size and weight, and the competition is to carry the stone the to the farthest point.
In Nartiang, there is also a pattern carved on a stone used for playing the Korkatia game. The carving of the game can be seen on the monolith in the garden at the back of the Jayantee Devi Temple. The Khasi-Pnar also use small stones (moo-siatsim) as pellets for their catapults. These stones have smooth surfaces and are the size of marbles.
Sculpture and Carving
Carvings on stones and sculptures on rocks can also be found along the stone path from Jañtiapur to Nartiang. The most important carvings are those found on the stone bridge on the river Umiaknieh near Krangshuri waterfall.
Other significant megalithic structures
Other significant megalithic structures in the region are the two thaw sum syiem or bathing ghats or pools carved out of a single rock near two stone bridges. These two pools are ka Rupasor and ka thaw sum Mahadei (the queen’s pool). In the pool, one can see many images of elephant heads sculpted on the stones. Near Rupasor, there are images of the sun and the moon. The limbless baby elephant can be found on the river Ampubon. These are some of the prominent stone images in the Syndai area.
Late D.R. Michael Buam (2017), a writer and filmmaker from Jañtia Hills, in his blog entry about the stone monuments in the region, made an important observation about the numerous sculptures and engravings in the southern part of Jañtia Hills. Most of these engravings are related to Hindu culture and faith, such as the Trishul engraved on rocks on the banks of Tisang (as locals call the downstream Myntdu River) near Psadwar village.
The region is earthquake-prone, and people must have experienced major earthquakes in the past, which led to the weaving of stories about this natural phenomenon. One such image, associated with a popular Jañtia folk story, is about u khmi (the earthquake). The image, engraved on a huge rock on the banks of the Tisang River, depicts the folk belief that u khmi was a giant whose movements underground caused tremors.
Legend has it that his mother, realizing his destructive power, cut off all the fingers on both his hands to prevent further damage. She left only his forefinger finger so he could use it to rub lime when chewing areca nut and betel leaf. It is believed that this act rendered him powerless, ensuring no major earthquakes would occur in the area. That is the reason that the locals believe that the region will not experience major earthquakes anymore.
Michael Buam also noted other engravings in the region, such as representations of Lord Rama and Lakshman, and another carving of a woman and a tiger in the same area, adjacent to each other. In Khanduli, on the northern border of Jañtia Hills adjoining Karbi Anglong, Assam, engravings on rocks depict a soldier or a king. Unfortunately, in the name of development, some of these engravings were destroyed during road construction.
Buam (2017), in his blog, referred to the book in Khasi by late Shining Star Laloo titled Ka Syiem Latympang (Queen Latympang), a famous queen of the Pnar. The story mentions some stone engravings and sculptures that can be found in Latuba near Thangraiñ village in West Jañtia Hills. The images include the elephant of u Syiem Slieng, a neighboring king who fought against ka Latympang, the bullocks of u Miat Rynsut (Latympang’s beloved), and his plough. Oral tradition has it that u Miat Rynsut, while ploughing his field, left his two bullocks to help Queen Latympang. The bullocks and his plough turned to stone while waiting for his return, which never happened.
On the way from Barato to Mukroh, there is another collection of rocks that resemble a herd of animals. The images are believed to be of animals belonging to ka Syiem Latympang, which turned to stone.
Some engravings have also been found on a monolith at Tamu, another village near Khanduli, and another rock carving has also been reported from the same region at Saitsama village. An engraving of a rooster and an elephant on one of the monoliths in Ïawmusiang at Nangbah village has been highlighted later (using black paint) by someone yet unknown. At Tihwieh near the river Myntang is an image of u Thlen, which looks like a serpent.
At Shangpung village near the road, there is another stone the locals call moosyiem, and the locality is also known by the same name. There is also a monolith at the market and the remnants of the sacred grove in the village.
On the way to Khanduli from Nartiang, Buam noted that there is another sculpture located at a place known as Ksehrynchang, which is believed to be an image of a man and a woman. The image can still be seen today, and the story has it that the wife of the man cursed the two when she found that her husband betrayed her with another woman. As a result the couple turned to stone.
In Nongtalang, a few houses still have hujoi, which are square basins carved out of stone. The hujoi are used for collecting water during the rainy season, and the water is used for washing the feet before entering the house. Sometimes, hujoi are also used for feeding pigs in the pig shed.
The most intriguing rock sculpture in Jañtia Hills is an image of the female genitalia near Lum Lakhiat village, resembling the carvings at the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati, Assam.
Conclusion: This article is a small effort to document the monoliths, megalithic structures, sculptures, and engravings in Jañtia Hills. The area is blessed with such man-made stone structures, and while mapping and documenting them all would be a herculean task, it is certainly not impossible.