Of Nose Plugs and Tattoo of the Apatanis

Ami Nwdo Bwnyi was the most beautiful woman of her time. She was also the most virtuous and skillful. She excelled in the art of weaving and making intricate designs; she was expert in cultivation and other household works. So immersed was she in her daily works that she did not have time to enjoy life.

One fine morning, she suddenly realized that all her friends have been married off and she is getting past her age for marriage. She got worried and decided to consult the God for advice.

“I have lived a virtuous life and have been a good daughter to my parent and a good sister to my brothers. But alas! I have remained unmarried while all my friends are enjoying their conjugal life,” Ami Nwdo Bwnyi said. “I wish to get married too and lead a normal life of a woman. But I am getting old and my beauty is deserting me. Pray, my God, advise me.”

“Your life will not go in vain,” the God said. “You will get the best husband on earth.”

“I am getting old and no longer pretty,” Ami Nwdo Bwnyi asked sadly. “Who will marry me now?” 

“I will tell you the secret of remaining ever youthful,” God said. “Twpe on your face, hulo on your nose and huxo with rutiñ yarañ on your ear will keep your beauty and youth for ever.”

Ami Nwdo Bwnyi got her nose and ear lobes pierced and put on yapiñ hulo and yaru huxo. She further decorated her ears with rutiñ yarañ. She then tattooed her face, the design of which was copied from that found in the pine trees.

One day, a young man saw Ami Nwdo Bwnyi and fell in love with her. He was Mwdo Jiñdo Tajiñ. He asked the beautiful woman with twpe and yapiñ to marry him.

Ami Nwdo Bwnyi and Mwdo Jiñdo Tajiñ got married. They gave birth to various xalos – the races of the world. They were able to raise lots of livestock’s which are the birds and wild animals that we see today. Pine trees, which inspired the facial tattoo design is considered sacred by the Apatanis.

So, it was after the mother of all xalos that the Apatanis came to tattoo their faces and put on nose plugs to beautify themselves. In the olden days, more prominent the twpe (tattoo) and bigger the size of the yapiñ hulo (nose plug), more beautiful a woman looked. The more prominent the twpe and bigger the pwdiñ (hair knot), more handsome a man was considered.

Twpe and yapiñ are no longer practiced today and will become things of the past. However, they will remain the characteristic features of the Apatanis forever.

(Adapted from here)

Kalung Rañtw - best of the Sacred Groves at Ziro

We have talked about the mystery of Rañtw - sacred groves of Ziro in a previous posting. Among the rañtws, Hari Rañtw is the best known for its magnificent trees which are named after the women who are believed to have planted them. Less known, but no less grand, is the Kalung Rañtw.

A special feature about the Kalung Rañtw is the fact that a shed at the site of the traditional nyatu - resting place, had been inaugurated by Kuru Hassang in 1998. The rañtw, most probably, has the biggest area and best maintained of all the village sacred groves.

The boundary is well demarcated with iron or concrete posts to prevent any encroachment attempts. Apart from magnificent blue pine trees, sacred trees include a wide varieties of other trees as well. The look of the sacred forest reminds one of Frost's verse, "The woods are lovely, dark and deep...."

Placid views from the rañtw add charm to the place.

Welcome to Kalung Rañtw.

Apatani Settlement at Talle Valley

The migration story of the Apatanis unequivocally points to the fact that they had settled down in Talle Valley before shifting base to their present habitat at Ziro valley. A team of archaeologists, in fact, had an extensive survey of Talle valley looking for any evidence of human settlement with not much success. This is understandable as the tribe had not used any materials of metal or of stone that usually leave evidences. Since the archaeologists usually look for such remains, they could not find any. What they missed, however, was the most striking evidence of Apatani settlement any visitor to the valley can see even to this day. What is that evidence? We'll find out in a while.

I always thought that blue pine at Ziro is native to the place. I believed that till some years back when I was bringing a friend working with UNDP to Ziro and during the course of our discussion, I told him that blue pine is endemic to Ziro.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “Overall vegetation here and the geographical location of Ziro indicate that blue pine is exotic.” He explained that blue pine had been brought from somewhere else and planted here.

I tried to argue against it, but he was so sure about his theory that I had to revise my own belief. I recalled then that the migration story of the Apatanis also tells of the tribe coming to the valley with seeds of pine (pwsa), bamboo (bije) and mustard (giyañ). It was clear, then, that Ziro valley was once home to broad-leaved evergreen forests and that blue pine that dominate the landscape today, was planted by the Apatanis when they settled down here.

The visitors to Talle Valley are surprised at the vegetation pattern there – broad-leaved trees in the higher reaches while coniferous forests of pine and fir dominate the valley. This is the reverse of the expected pattern. The scientists find themselves at a loss to explain what they call a unique phenomenon. It is not unique, though: this pattern is found in at least one other place.

The same so-called reverse vegetation pattern is seen at Ziro valley which very few people may have noticed. Coniferous vegetation, mainly of blue pine, dominate the valley while the surrounding hills are covered with broad-leaved trees.  This pattern is because the Apatanis planted the blue pine in the valley while broad-leaved trees are native to the area and has remained in the hills.

It is not difficult to understand now that the reverse vegetation pattern at Talle Valley also is result of similar works. When the Apatanis settled down in Talle valley, they planted psuga pine and fir in the valley while the original broad-leaved vegetation in the hills around the valley has remained intact. This, then, is the most striking and strong evidence to scientifically support the Apatani migration story that they had lived in Talle valley for a very long time before they shifted to Ziro valley.

Ziro Putu and Apatani Settlement Story

Ziro Putu today occupies the center of the Ziro valley. This is sometimes called the Army Putu as it became the cantonment area of the Indian Army in the sixties. It is said that the whole troop was killed in the war for liberation of present Bangladesh in 1972. For a long time after the soldiers left, it remained an empty hill covered with gentle green grass and fetching ferns. Some government establishments are being set up these days on the hillock.

Ziro Putu was once the village of the Ziro clan of the Apatanis. The first batch of the Apatanis to have settled down in the present habitat were the clans of Ziro, Tabyu and Dusu. Ziro people established their village in the north-west of the valley at Ziro Putu. Likewise, Tabyu clan settled down in the north-east at Tabyu Putu and Dusu clan in the southern end of the valley at Hula Putu.

The next batch of the Apatanis to have come to the valley were the people of Hong, Hari, Kalung, Reru, Tajang and Hija. They initially settled down at Bwrw but dispersed to different directions at their present habitats. The last batch to have reached the valley were the people of Dutta, Mudang-Tage and Michi-Bamin.

It is one of the ironies of history that the first settlers – Ziro, Tabyu and Dusu, who remained most influential and powerful for a long time – are today being reduced to minorities. Ziro clan left the valley and their whereabouts is uncertain at present. Almost all the people of Dusu clan were killed in a conspiracy by the rest of the Apatanis, but the descendants of a few who escaped to other villages survive today. Tabyu clan is survived by few families and we hope that the numbers will increase in the coming days. These are the materials for more stories, though.

In the meantime, welcome to visit the Hula Putu by the Hong village, the Tabyu Putu in Tajang village and the iconic Ziro Putu to relive the history of Apatani settlement in the Ziro valley.

Peci Putu

Making a round of the seven original Apatani villages used to be tantamount to making a round of the world. That was the impression during Penw ceremony of Muruñ festival. When such arduous tasks were undertaken, there had to be resting places. One such place was the Peci Putu at Bwrw.

It was here that the participants in the Penw took rest for some minutes and young men organized high jump competition among themselves. The place is a part of the Supuñ Bwrw where all the Apatanis are said to have settled down upon migration before scattering to their respective villages. Today, the place remains one of the few open spaces owned by the communities. 

Except for litters of plastic bottles and wrappers at places discarded by irresponsible picnickers, Peci Putu still presents what one imagines of Ziro, the place. It serves as the grazing ground for cattles and flock of birds can be seen flying around. Colorful butterflies are in their playful best around the groves of trees and by the nearby yorlus.

Peci Putu is, truly the centre of the Apatani valley. At a short distance can be seen the Hong village (above) and the Hapoli town (below). A little more than a kilometer to the north will take you to Hari via the legendary Dobi where a school has come up.

The play of sun and shade can be enjoyed in all its glory in the paddy fields surrounding it in three sides. Look across towards the main road, and one can have the magnificent view of the Pequ.

This September, a festival of music is planned at Ziro. Appropriately, Peci Putu is the selected venue for the festival. There will be music, food, culture and many things more to enjoy. This, then, is an occasion to visit this beautiful place.

Establishment of Hapoli

Some years are more eventful than others. The year 1960 was such a year. The most important event of the year was shifting of the headquarters from present Old Ziro to Hapoli. We saw in a previous post that the headquarters of Subansiri Division was shifted from Kimin to Ziro eight years back when it was inaugurated by Shri R.G. Menzies on 24th March, 1952. It was B. S. Duggal, Political Officer, who established the Hapoli township which became the official headquarters. However, the name Ziro was retained. Hence, Ziro today is understood to comprise of Old Ziro and Hapoli.

The year also saw the most devastating fire accidents ever recorded in the Apatani villages – not one but three villages were almost completely burnt down. Three hundred houses and forty granaries in Hija village on May 1, 1960 were burnt down immediately followed by another one in Dutta village on May 12. A little more than two months later, fifty seven houses in Tajang village was burnt down on August 3, 1960. As an offshoot of such frequent accidents, a number of new villages sprung up – Lempia out of Tajang village, Diko Pwta (Swro) out of Hong, Swbe out of Bamin-Michi.

On a positive note, B. S. Duggal led team to Talley Valley for the first time in May, 1960. The team identified more than half a dozen species of rhododendron in the valley. They also noted that orchids and medicinal plants are plentiful. 

Hapoli Street - Now & Then

1978?

 2012

Nago Putu

Beyond the Bwrw leñba lies a vast expanse of land in a sylvan setting. Pine plantations line both sides of the fair-weather road leading right up to the jungle beyond. This, I am tempted to guess, must have been the Supuñ Bwrw, said to be the original settlement of the Apatanis.

As if to lend credence to my guess lies a beautiful open space in the midst of the pine forest. This space is called the Nago Putu. I wonder if this was the site of the Supuñ Nago, but am not able to establish the fact.

Whatever the significance of this place, it is the perfect getaway from the crowded town. In addition, this is a favorite spot for shooting video films and video song albums.

(This post can be read here in Apatani).

Hapoli Bazar - Then and Now

Hapoli - Then:

Hapoli - Now:

The Legendary Bwrw

February 15, 1897. A large group of people was gathered at Bwrw. Some unusual people had come from the plains. A white man was leading a big group of armed soldiers. Their intentions were not friendly. With caution, some prominent Apatanis had set up a negotiations with them at Bwrw.

In the winter of 1896, the District Commissioner of North Lakhimpur received a report that a group of Apatanis raided a house, killing two persons and taking away four others as hostages. The owner worked with a British tea planter named H. M. Crowe and so, the Apatanis had violated the laws of the British government. Therefore, the prestige of the colonial administration was at stake.

The Chief Commissioner of Assam, based in Shillong, ordered a punitive expedition to the Apatani country with a force of two hundred soldiers.  The army, however, decided to march with three hundred soldiers and four hundred porters. And so, the expedition started under the leadership of R.B. McCabe (ICS), Inspector-General of Police and Jails in Assam.

After trekking through thick forests and steep hills for eighteen days, the group reached Ziro on February 14, 1897 with only 120 soldiers. Several groups had stayed behind at different stages on the way.

The Apatanis tried to stop the team outside Hong village, but ultimately gave way. Negotiations took place between the the Apatanis and the British government at Bwrw the next day. It was only about ten years back in 1889 that the Apatanis had seen a white man when H. M. Crowe, the tea planter came to their country, for the first time. This was their second contact with any white person.

Bwrw, even more than a hundred years back, was a beautiful place. Lots have happened in a century, but mother nature has changed little. One can still see the outlines of the pine trees that could be seen a hundred years back. The mythical Dolo-Mañdo still stands as firm as it always used to.

The landscape of Bwrw has changed a lot, though. A lively village is springing up here. Tourist lodges and other commercial buildings are coming up.  It is only befitting, one could argue,  that Bwrw where once all the Apatanis celebrated Myoko together becomes a villages again.  


(To read this post in Apatani, click here).

Nyime Pembu

The name Nyime Pembu or Lali Gyochi has the status of a mythology among the Apatanis. It is rarely seen from Ziro, where they live and one rarely gets a chance to see it even in photography. This year, however, the weather has been kind and the mysterious mountain revealed itself in full glory (photo below by Hage Gumto).

This snow-covered mountain range is said to be a part of the Gorichen, the highest peak in Arunachal Pradesh and the headwaters of the great Kameng river. More about this peak can be seen here.

The name Nyime Pembu features in the migration story of the Apatanis. They are said to have crossed this range while coming from the Wui Supuñ and Wiipyo Supuñ to Anii Supuñ, their present habitat.

The mountain range is best seen from the Eastern Ring Road near Diib of Hari village. The view of the Ziro valley in the morning is similar to one from Dusu Katu - a lake. The surrounding higher hills get lit up by the rising sun, sparkling up the whites of the snow covering the Nyime Pembu. Welcome to another excellent view point at Ziro!

Hapoli - Then & Now

Ziro in mid-1980s (Source: posting in Facebook by Tadu Omo)

Ziro in mid-2000s

Custodian of Ranii Akhii

Dree this year has been celebrated all over the country in the most visible way, thanks to the internet and social networking sites.

Some of the most significant events, however, take place silently. Such an event has been the passing away of Tabyu Karlung, who inherited Ranii Akhii from his brother Tabyu Tabin and has been responsible for initiating the process of Dree ritual every year. He quietly passed away on June 25, 2011 just a week ahead of the Dree.

Ranii Akhii remains one of the most sacred and mysterious artefacts in Apatani culture. As per the oral history, the comb was brought from a mythological place called Wiipyo Ranii by a war expedition. "Wiipyo Ranii gañda ho nyibo pachala, Tanii Dree miinii naniipa, Ranii Akhii mi pagiitii," so goes the narration.

The tale of the akhii, which resembles some designs of Chinese hairpin, has always been baffling. During a major fire accident in Tajang village decades back, Tabyu Tabin, who was its custodian at the time, thought it has been burnt along with his house. To his amazement, however, the akhii returned unscathed a day after he re-constructed his house! Now, however, extra care has to be taken as one of its legs is broken and may not be able to run away in such crisis on its own.

Ranii Akhii has always been kept away from ordinary people, especially children, as it would harm them in various ways if disturbed. If its curse causes, for example, skin diseases, that could be cured by propitiating the akhii in appropriate ways. It was only during occasions like Dree that the sacred akhii could be freely seen by anybody. Did you see it this Dree?

Even as the custodian of the Ranii Akhii quietly passed away, Dree has been celebrated with pomp and gaiety, praying for the well being of humankind. The world goes on.

Ziro Landing Ground

1957: Kimin-Ziro road opened.
1952: Divisional Headquarter of Subansiri shifted from Kimin to Ziro.
1951: First aeroplane landed at Ziro landing ground.

This chronology of events looks upside down. It is one of the many intriguing facts about Ziro. Before the Kimin-Ziro road was opened in 1957, one had to trek through pestilential jungles for as long as a week from Kimin. Ziro was, in those days, an administrative outpost.

View of Landing Ground in 2011:

Construction of the landing ground was a major event in the otherwise sleepy valley at 5000 ft above sea level. RG Menzes, then Political Officer, who also opened the Ziro township on March 24, 1952 supervised the works. It is noteworthy that only local people - both Apatanis and Nyishis - were engaged in the construction project.

Landing Ground under construction in 1951:

The first aeroplane to land was an Otter in 1951 and next year in 1952, a Dakota landed after lengthening the landing ground. Since then, supply of essential items to the whole Subansiri division has been much easier. Till this day, this is the base for air-dropping of such items to strategic places like Damin, Sarli, Chambang, Limeking and Taksing.

In the seventies, the first commercial operation - that of Vayudoot - was started with much fanfare. The services never took off as expected as the flights became too unreliable due to unpredictable weather.

A serious attempt was made in the late nineties to extend the length of the present ground so as to make it viable for landing of commercial airplanes. As vast areas of priceless wet-rice cultivation areas were at stake, the project got a major setback. The government still has said to have an ongoing project to ungrade it into an airport. Even at the present status, the landing ground remains the most prominent landmark of Ziro.

Yapuñ Yaper

It is always a pleasure to walk the road between Hija and Dutta villages. The road is flanked by magnificent bamboo gardens. What one often miss, while enjoying the walk, is the Yapuñ Yaper – the famous stone that we have grown up hearing about.

The spot where this unique stone was originally located used to be an important landmark in the days when the present road was a footpath connecting the two villages. It got displaced when the road was widened. However, some concerned people took interest and fixed the stone over the roadside drain with concrete mix.

I tried to get the history behind the stone with not much success. Do you have any?

Dutta Papii

Dutta Papii must have been the most remarkable landmark after Kure in the pre-independent Ziro. It was the site where temporary tents were thrown up and later a proper camp established by the administrators like Christoph von Furer-Haimendorf and Ursula Graham Bower.

Valuable anthropological notes, which later became famous books must have been scribbled here. Many disputes must have been settled here.

The site today lay neglected but retains the charm which must have attracted the British administrators. Today, this is one of the very few open spaces where green grass grow which once used to be the hallmark of Ziro.

Tayiñ Lañpii - Leprosy Isolation Settlement

Leprosy has always tormented humans and has been feared and misunderstood. The disease has been considered a curse and a punishment from God. Leprosy patients, therefore, have been stigmatized and shunned. Leprosy isolation settlements had, thus, sprouted throughout the world.

Tayiñ Lañpii in the grazing grounds of Reru village was such an isolation settlement catering to leprosy patients in the area.

The name Tayiñ Lañpii itself inspired awe and mystery in the past. It still do to some extent. A pile of huge rocks, forming innumerable interconnecting caves. It was scary exploring the caves when I visited the place some thirty years back. This is a view from inside the main lañpii.

The Tayiñ Lañpii area now forms the vague boundary of two bamboo gardens. The stones and the caves still retain the feeling of grandeur they give to the explorers.

Apart from its historical significance as the only known isolation settlement for leprosy patients in the area, Tayiñ Lañpii is unique in itself. Welcome and explore it!

Old Glory

I came across these old photographs taken during 1971.
This is that of a group of Adi girls in the Higher Secondary School. The building looks much better than it is now.

The other one is also some Adi girls and other artists from other parts of the country in some village. It is difficult to make out just from a few houses.

After 64 Years

1945 (a still from Haimendorf's film). An agricultural field and an irrigation channel.


2009. The same agricultural field and the irrigation channel.

Women Pioneers

Pumiñ, Pubyañ, Yalyo, Yabo, Soki and Soli stand tall and proud overseeing the welfare of the village.

They are are the sacred trees - rantii piisas - in Hari Rantii. Hari rantii is one of the best sacred groves in whole of Ziro. The trees, some of the tallest trees today are said to have been named after the women who planted them when they migrated to the present habitat.

It is significant that the trees are named after women. The magnificent trees are testimony to the roles women must have played in the society from the time immemorial. One feels humbled to walk amidst these magestic trees now. It is sheer pleasure, though.