The Sacred Grove
-Mawphlang Village, Meghalaya
The village Mawphlang, which translates to ‘moss covered stone’, secures an ancient hideous yet a remarkable forest, well preserved for its ethnical and medicinal values by the Lyngdoh clan. The forest is believed to be a home of Labasa, a deity who protects the clan and the Mawphlang Village. Historically, the forest has observed ritualistic sacrifices, made by the villagers as an offer to their deity.
The forest, around 80 hectare in total spread, stands in a domain of ritualistic stones and monoliths. The monoliths, back in the day, served as a gateway for the villagers to carry out prayers to the deity, essential before entering the Sacred Grove. For the structures, the standing stones resemble a male figure, while the sleeping stone is symbolic to feminine embodiment.
The forest’s doorway is formed naturally; by branches and trees. A canopy which resembles the image of a green cave, leads into the depth of greenery.
The grove serves home to a sight of lush green and dense woods. Tending over 400 species of plants and around 25 kinds of orchids, some trees age up to around 500 years.
The Rudraksha, a prime tree considered holy by The Hindus are found in great numbers, some of which are believed to be over the age of nearly 700 years.
The forest provides ideal conditions for poisonous and non-poisonous plants to survive. Some trees and plants are said to serve medicinal purpose also.
The forest floor contains unique mushrooms and fungi, appealing enough to make anyone feel like touching them. While a few mushrooms are edible, some could prove to be deadly if ingested.
The sounds one could hear being inside the forest are full of songbirds and wind sweeping forest leaves. The sunlight breaking through the trees makes a magical sight.
The forest trail features a discrete set of standing stones leading to a stone table. The place used to be a site of necessary preparations which were done before conducting the sacrificial practice.
The ritual took place in an altar formed by a cluster of small moss covered stones, distanced shortly from the preparation block. This included the killing of a brown ox as a final act, for the offering to the deity.
As a concluding belief, if a leopard appeared after the ritual and was spotted by the villagers, the service was known to be accepted by the deity. Whereas, if a snake appeared, the ritual stood to be unaccepted, and had to be conducted again following a prudent approach.
Though the forest stands at heart for its divine approaches, assessing the threat occurred to animal life, sacrificial practices have been eliminated and don't occur anymore in present times. Cutting down trees, or even branches are forbidden here. One strict rule everyone has to abide by is: nothing can be taken out of the forest, not even a dead leaf. It is believed, if the rule is broken, the deity would punish one with severe illness, which could even lead to death.
The grove stands unharmed, away from the distress of human scavenging. The Sacred Grove however, welcomes everyone for ordinary prayers. Tourists often visit the place for short trails and walkthroughs, but it is necessary to follow the rule of the forest while exploring.
