KHONSA, 18 Jan: DoTCL Minister Wangki Lowang hosted Padma Shri awardee and eminent Assamese historian, Prof Jogendra Nath Phukan,during the latter’s three-day ‘heritage tour’ of Tirap district from 15 to 18 January.
Professor Phukan (94) was accompanied by his research team members Dhiraj Phukan and Dipak Phukan.
On 16 January, the delegation visited Sumsi village to examine a site believed to be the burial place of the Rajmao (the king’s mother) of the 20th Ahom king, Jayadhwaj Singha. The visit coincided with the eve of 17 January, the date traditionally associated with the Rajmao’s death in 1662. As recorded in the translated Ahom buranjis by historian Surya Kumar Bhuyan (Rai Bahadur, MBE), Jayadhwaj Singha fled Garhgaon during the Mughal invasion of 1662 under Mir Jumla, taking refuge with his mother in the Namsang hills, where she later died of fever. The team observed a large isolated earthen mound at Sumsi, locally known as Chopha Mangrup, traditionally regarded as sacred and believed to be a royal maidam. Lowang assured that archaeological experts would be engaged to scientifically assess the site, in consultation with Professor Phukan, with the possibility of developing it as a heritage and tourism destination if confirmed.
The second day of the tour focused on Namsang and Subang villages. At Namsang, Professor Phukan and his team examined five ancient scripted earthen pots known as ngolo or kolo. Each pot is approximately two feet tall and weighs 14-15 kilograms. One inscription was deciphered as mohong, meaning ‘salt’in the Tai Ahom language, indicating their association with traditional salt storage or production. The pots were first documented in 2020 by Nocte Digest, but remained undeciphered until this visit. The delegation also visited the old namghar in Namsang.
At Subang village, the team inspected the historic salt well, Moran Sum, developed for tourism in 2019. In ancient times, Nocte salt was widely traded with the Ahoms and neighbouring tribes, and control over salt resources was a major cause of conflict. These conflicts ended between 1696 and 1714 during the reign of Ahom king Rudra Singha, when Hote (Latha Khunbao), chief of Namsang, Borduria, and Laptang, embraced Vaishnavism after initiation by Sri Ram Ata at Merbil Bareghar Satra in present-day Sasoni, Assam, and was renamed Narottam.
The tour concluded on 17 January, in the presence of the Deomali ADC, the Deomali AC, the ZPMs of Deomali and Soha blocks, the Power executive engineer, and other dignitaries. The guests departed on 18 January. (DIPR)
