By: Ankita Sarmah Bordoloi
Mayong or Mayang also known as the Land Of Black magic is a village in Morigaon district Assam, India. It lies on the bank of river Brahmaputra, approximately 40 km from the city of Guwahati. Once considered the cradle of black magic in India, Mayong is a tourist attraction because of its history.
During the time when all the northeastern states were believed that Manipuri’s from the Maibong clan used to inhabit this area. Therefore; the name Maibong became Mayhong with time. Mayong is a hilly area that was full of elephants and in Manipuri language an elephant is called
Related Posts:
Miyong. Hence, a few believe that Miyong became mayong with time. There is also a legend associated with the name, it is said that the sacred parts of Goddess Shakti, hence the older generation called it Mao-R-Ongo, and later on it became Mayong.
The cultural significance of the place stems from the fact that it is the capital of magic and witchcraft in India. Upon a visit to Mayong, one can witness some rare tricks which may look like unnatural practice to moderately but are enough to shake one from within. The most common tricks include tricks such as fortune telling via sea shells, palmistry, and future projection through a piece of broken glass which seems unbelievable. The magic in Mayong is believed to have been used for social welfare. One of the magic tricks leads to curing an illness from a distance by cutting only a handful of plants while chanting some secret words. Perhaps one of the most outstanding acts of magic is the act of curing back pain. The witch-doctor ‘puts’ the cure trapped inside a magic chant in a copper disk to track the pain.
When the pain originates, the plate gets stuck with the body. Locals believe that this dish eats away the pain. Another trick includes finding a stolen item. The witch doctor puts a flower in a metal bowl, which starts moving by itself and moves directly to the place the stolen item is kept.
There are several mantras too, which are used for different reasons. For e.g. to create attraction between individuals they have “Mohimi mantra”, “Bokhikaran mantra”. Reportedly, in the older times, people could actually move to wherever they wanted in minutes by the use of “Uran mantra”, or the chant to fly.
As untrue as they sound, these tricks have been proven. According to history, Narabali or human sacrifices were carried out in connection with the worship of Shakti till the early modern period. Excavators had recently dug up tools and other sharp weapons that the resembled the tools used for human sacrifices in other parts of the country. The swords resemble ones used or human sacrifices, that human sacrifice may have occurred in the Ahom Era at Mayong. Mayong along with Pragjyotishpura (the ancient name of Assam) find place in many mythological epics, including the Mahabharata. Chief Ghatotkacha of Kachari Kingdom took part in the Great Battle of Mahabharata with his magical powers. It was also said about Mayong that the saints of black magic and the witches taking shelter in Mayong forest till now. Many tales of man disappearing into thin air, people being converted into animals, or beasts being magically tamed, have been associated with Mayong. Sorcery and magic were traditionally practiced and passed down over generations.
Mayong is also a tourist and archaeological location because of its rich wildlife, archaeology, pilgrimage, eco-tourism, adventure tourism, cultural tourism and river tourism. There are numerous archaeological relics and artifacts, including books on black magic and Ayurveda at the Mayong Central Museum and Emporium which was opened in 2002. Very close to Mayong is the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary. The Sanctuary has the highest density of one-horned rhinoceros in the world. As untrue the tales of Mayong’s black magic seems, but the magic has been proven. Mayong is really the land of black magic. (The author is a student of Cotton University, Guwahati & can be reached at ankitasarma6976@gmail.com)
