Monoliths of the Mawphlang Sacred Forest, Meghalaya, India

There are many "sacred groves" in the Khasi and Jaintia hills of Meghalaya. The people believe that a forest deity called "Labasa" resides in these sacred groves and protects the village and community, and provides for their well-being. One should not take anything out from the grove - be it a fruit, flower or a twig - or leave anything behind (even spit). Else, the forest deity will get offended and unfortunate things will happen to the person.

We visited the Mawphlang sacred forest in the East Khasi Hills, roughly 25 kms from Shillong. The term Mawphlang means "moss-covered stones" - probably a reference to the large number of moss-covered monoliths in the forest. Our guide was very interactive, and explained to us the medicinal properties of many plants and trees growing in the forest. These sacred groves have rich biodiversity, and a large number of endemic and rare plant species can be found here. 

There are different types of monoliths in the forest. Our guide said that they are "memorial pillars for clan ancestors", without providing additional details. Monolith building is no longer a living tradition amongst the Khasi tribals, since most of them converted to Christianity over the past 100 years or so. The best sources of information about these ancient stones that dot the hillsides and groves of Mehgalaya are the exploratory surveys done in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when monolith building used to be a custom.

The Mawphlang sacred grove beyond the rolling meadow.

This is a typical monolith configuration of the Khasi hills.The vertical stones or Menhirs are called Moo Shynrang (Upright stones or male stones) while the horizontal stones or Dolmens are locally known as Moo Kynthai (Flat stones or female stones). Typically, one or more upright pillars were erected with a flat dolmen in front. The monoliths were raised in the memory of clan ancestors.

The English topographer and geologist Godwin-Austen who had surveyed the monoliths of the Khasi Hills in 1872 when monolith building was still a living tradition, mentions that the vertical pillars were raised for both male and female clan ancestors, particularly those who brought good fortune to a clan when called on for aid.

Why were multiple pillars raised for a clan ancestor? No-one knows for sure, but one of the suggestions is that it could represent the clan ancestor and his or her immediate family members - parents, siblings, children etc.

Why was a dolmen placed in front of the pillars? It has been ascertained that these dolmens did not preserve burial remains under them. I think that it could be an offering table for making ritual offerings to the revered clan ancestor.

The walking trail through the forest. Lots of plants and trees with medicinal properties are found here.

Very mysterious and inviting....not going in there to explore!

Moss covered monoliths inside the forest. The term Mawphlang literally means "moss covered stones"

Dolmen with standing stones - the typical monolith configuration of the Khasi hills

Standing next to one of the biggest upright stones in the forest

This is an interesting configuration. Our guide said that this was a sacrificial platform for making ritual sacrifices of bulls to the forest deity Labasa. But I highly doubt it. The platform looks unstable, being supported on a number of small stones, and an enraged bull would have easily kicked it over.

The plausible explanation is given by the English geologist and topographer Godwin-Austen (1872). Regarding the funerary practices of the Khasis, he wrote that: "In other cases, a number of rough stones are set up in a circle, crowned by a flat circular slab. I have also seen them of octagonal form, the sketch represents one in the south of Jawai, near the site of a deserted village, one of the side stones has fallen outwards, thus exposing the interior; in this I found several calcined bones and two bangles".

So, these dolmen-like structures, which stand by themselves inside the sacred grove, were funerary monuments where the cremated remains of the clan ancestors were kept.

Thus, within the sacred forests, memorial stones were raised to the clan ancestors, and their cremated remains were deposited under dolmen-like structures. The sacred groves, therefore, must have functioned as very important places of ancestor worship.

The circular slab covering the dolmen-like structure which stands alone, and is not surrounded by upright stones.

Another large circular configuration of stones. These were most likely funerary structures, as mentioned by the geologists and topographer Godwin-Austen in his accounts (1872)

Monoliths are scattered all over the hilltops outside the sacred forest. An atmosphere of mystery and untouched beauty pervades these hills that is rarely to be seen outside the state of Meghalaya.

 

That's it for this photo-journey. The Mawphlang sacred forest is a great place to spend a couple of hours, and it can be easily reached from Shillong. There are plenty of local guides, who will take you for a small walk through the forest. They have a short trek of 45 mins in which you see most of the monoliths and learn about the forest biodiversity. The longer trek of 90 mins takes you deeper into the forest, and you walk alongside a small forest stream for a while. We took the longer trek and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being "engulfed" in nature.

The Mawphlang sacred forest preserves a slice of life from the past, when humanity lived in simplicity, in tune with the rhythms of nature. This way of life is rapidly being eroded by the onslaught of modernity. I hope that the Khasi tribals will continue to make efforts preserve their biodiversity and their ancient stone monuments, for the benefit of future generations.