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Mawphlang Sacred Forest
The close relationship between nature and humans creates a distinct cultural landscape in Meghalaya. Amidst the eye-catching mountains and splendid waterfalls, Meghalaya hosts a rich repository of cultural traditions developed over nature-culture interaction. The East Khasi Hills and the Jaintia Hills districts of this state are filled with some sacred forests, believed to be closely linked with indigenous faith and wisdom. The East Khasi Hills district is recorded to have over 50 such forests, Mawphlang Sacred Forest being the oldest and largest amongst all.
Mawphlang Sacred Forest
Inside view of Mawphlang Sacred Forest
Covering around 192 acres, Mawphlang Sacred Forest is located in the village of Mawphlang, 25 kilometres away from the capital city of Shillong. It finds a deep connection with age-old cultural beliefs. The Khasi word ‘Mawphlang’ is a combination of two terms, ‘Maw’ meaning stone and ‘Phlang’ meaning grass or the land of endless grassy stones. Mawphlang, thus, literally means ‘moss covered stone’. The local Khasi people, who have been reportedly preserving this forest for the last 800 years, consider it to be the abode of their local deity, Labasa. The Khasis strongly believe that Labasa protects this forest and their community from misfortune. The deity takes on the form of a leopard to protect the village. The Mawphlang Forest has a variety of angiosperm and medicinal plants, trees, mushrooms, birds and insects. Some of these trees are reported to be over 1000 years old. Mawphlang is home to about 400 species of plants and 25 types of orchids. Rudraksha trees along with pines, rhododendrons and ka phal (Myrica esculenta) are prominent here. The forest is said to have a huge collection of medicinal plants with the ability to cure some deadly diseases.
One of the distinct aspects of Mawphlang Sacred Forest are the monoliths, considered to be the spots for animal sacrifices. The local Khasi people sacrifice animals here to make their wishes come true. The first group of monoliths exist at the entrance of the forest. This is said to be the point where the village elders seek permission from the deity, Labasa, to carry out the sacrificial ritual inside the forest. It is believed that if a leopard appears, it is considered an auspicious sign to conduct the ritual, while if a snake appears, the ritual is cancelled considering it infelicitous. According to the traditional Khasi society, a village is believed to have no identity without its sacred forest.
Inside view of Mawphlang Sacred Forest
A set of Monoliths
The Mawphlang Forest has a legend saying that it used to be the home of the Blah community. When a war between the clans took place resulting in the victory of Hima Mawphlang, the clan members started looking for a leader. Eventually, the search led them to a woman leader, who was known to possess supernatural powers. The woman refused to become the leader. Instead of that she promised to make her son the leader if God gave her a sign. She planted some saplings inside the forest. She believed if the saplings would survive for three years, her son was meant to be the leader. The saplings survived, and consequently her son became the leader.
The most unique aspect of Mawphlang Sacred Forest is the continued rule that one cannot take anything out of the forest, be it a stone, leaf, dead flower or a dead log. Otherwise, the deity gets upset. Taking off or destroying the tiniest thing of this forest reflects one’s disrespect towards Labasa, and eventually the person is believed to get punished with illness.
The Khasi people worship nature and share a close relationship with it. Mawphlang Sacred Forest continues to be a landmark in the cultural map of Meghalaya.
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