LUNGLEI, Mizoram

Main Attraction: LUNGRANG BAK PUK

LungrangBakpuk (Lungrang Cave) is situated at the western side of Lunglei District at about 2 kms. fromLungrang center. There are two large caves in the place, which are 200 metres apart. The bigger one is called “Bakpuk” and its depth is 250 metres, width 16 metres having a height of 20 metres.

The cave is surrounded by thick forest, and there is lake at the end of the cave. The lake is 8 metres long and 4 metres wide cave can be entered from the western side.

The second cave is situated at the west of the main cave and is called “SakuhPuk” and is 28 metres deep and 10 metres wide and 14 metres high. There is water at the end of the cave also.

Brief History

Before the annexation of the whole area constituting the present day of Mizoram during 1889-90 after the successful LUSHAI EXPEDITION OF 1889- 90, no recorded history of the area including the present Lunglei District area is available. Hence for all practical purpose the history of Lunglei District began from that period only although long before than the area was populated by various clans and subclans of Lushai Tribes and various areas were controlled by Chiefs of each such clan/subclan, mainly belonging to the Lushai Tribes.

Based on the recorded versions of the happenings of those days the cause and effects of the aforementioned expedition can be summerised as below : Prior to the expedition of 1889-90, another expedition was conducted by the British during 1871-72 (The Lushai Expedition of 1871-72) which constituted of two columns, one originating from Cachar in the North and the other from Chittagong in the South West of the then Lushai controlled areas. The first column proceeded uptoChamphai in the eastern border adjacent to the Burma and the other reached Lunglei and then proceeded northward vanquishing all the offending Chiefs enroute. 

The objectives of this expedition was also to force the Lushais Chiefs to surrender and recognise the superiority of the British power and once these were achieved the forces returned back to their respective places of origin. The situation however, didnot remain quiet for long. In 1885 Lushais killed one British Officer and two British soldiers at a place near Rangamati of Chittagong division without any provocation and while they were busy in survey works. This incident was followed by a series of devasting raids during which many innocent people including one powerful local ruler of neighbouring Chittagong area were killed by the raiders. 

These incidents enraged the British and compelled them to take punitive action against offenders. The Lushai Expedition of 1889-90 was, therefore, conducted by the British rulers of neighbouring areas. This expedition was arranged at a much bigger scale and consisted of columns from Cachar (North), Burma (East) and Chittagong (West). While Cacahr column reached on the 4th February 1890 and established a permanent garrison at Aizawl and an outpost at Chengsil, Chittagong column entered the area via Demagiri and reached Lunglei. 

A permanent post was established at Lunglei and another at Darzo east Lunglei. Although as in other expeditions main obejctives of the expedition were more or less similar to earlier punitive expeditions conducted by the British viz., to punish the tribe wichcommited depredation in the British Territory, to subjugate them and make them loyal and to expplore and open out hither to only vaquely known country lying between Chittagong Division and Burma.

This expedition, in fact became the landmark and a turning piont in the histoty of the LushaiHIlls in general and the Lunglei District of today in particular since immediately afetr the expedition the whole area was brought under the British rule administration - a unit of administration was established under Assam province comprising of the northern half of the area and named North Lushai Hills with headquarters at Aizawl and South Lushai Hills for southern area with headquarters at Lunglei but was placed under Chittagong Division of Bengal. Political Officers were posted for these two newly created district administrations - in 1990 for North Lushai Hills and in 1991 for South Lushai Hills.

In the year 1898 North and South Lushai Hills were merged into one district and was placed under the administrative control of Assam. Thus although Lushai area was created as a separate district as back as 1890, it was demoted to the status of Sub- Division (Sub-district) in the year 1898 and it continued to remain as such upto 1972, when the then Mizo District was elevated to the status of Union Territory of Mizoram comprising of Aizawl, Lunglei and Chhimtuipui districts - the later two having been newly created as districts. 

It may be mentioned here that during the last decade (1991-2001), due to creation/reorganisation of the districts in Mizoram both Aizawl and Chhimtuipui districts were divided into 5 (five) and 2 (two) districts respectively but Lunglei District remained the same as no new district was created in that area. Apart from the Sadar Sub-Division with headquarters at Lunglei. two more Sub-Divisions with headquarters at Tlabung and Hnahthial have been functioning at present. In addition to that there are 4 Rural Development Blocks in the district namely, W. Bunghmun, (headquarters at Bunghmun), Lungsen (headquarters at Lungsen), Lunglei (headquarters at Lunglei) and Hnahthial (headquarters at Hnahthial). The jurisdiction of these RD Blocks remained unchanged during last decade.

As mentioned earlier, the southern part of Mizoram was earlier under the jurisdiction of Lunglei District for a very short time (7 years) after which it became a subdistrict, then elevated to a district (1972 onwards). Thus the present boundary of Lunglei District can be briefly described as below : It is flanked by Myanmar in the east, by Bangladesh in the west. In the north it has Mamit and Serchhip Districts and a very small length of Aizawl District. The southern part of the boundary is shared by Lawngtlai and Saiha Districts.

Major social and cultural events

Apart from celebration of Christmas and New Year, following traditional festivals (KUT) are also widely enjoyed by the people of the district :

a) MIMKUT :Minkut is celebrated in the month of July/August after harvesting the Maize crop. It is celebrated with a spirit of thanks giving and singing and dancing.

(b) CHAPCHARKUT :It is celebrated after the completion of the Jhum cutting and before the Jhums are burnt. It is celebrated with much fanfare during March which is also the time for the advent of the spring season.

(c) PAWLKUT : This rice/paddy harvest festival is celebrated during the month of December and January even every year. Community gathering, feasting, singing and dancing are main attractions of the festival.

Brief description of places of religious, historical or archaeological importance and places of tourist interest in the district

Although tourists from other countries and various other parts of India donot travel to this district regularly, Serkawr the original place of missionary activities and Sethlun where earliest Church was built in the district are worth mentioning as places of religious as well as tourist attraction. The district Park, Lal In and Khawiva Mini Hydel Project are also regularly visited by visitors and tourists.

(a) Chawngvungi :Mizo folk-lore is inclomplete without the story of Chawngvungi. She was born in the village of Pangzawl (now under Hnahthial RD Block). Chawngvungi was an extraordinarily beautiful woman. She was courted by many, but all her suitors were discouraged by the high bridal price demanded by her mother.

Sawngkhara, the ugly son of a chief finally won her by using a magical love potion. Chawngvungi became his wife, but she died soon after. The remainder of Sawngkhara’s life was devoted to grieving and mourning for her. Today, locations associated with this tragic tale can be visited in Pangzawl village.

(b) KhawnglungRun : During the years of 1856 and 1859 A.D. there was a great conflict berween the North and the South of Mizoram. That conflict was one of the greatest events in the history of Mizo. At that time, the Northern part of Mizoram was under the two famous cheiftains namely, Vuta and Vanhnuailiana whereas the Southern part of Mizoram was dominated by the decendant of Rolura.

At that time, there was a very famous armed raid taking place in the village of Khawnglung. Khawnglung village was situated about 145 kms. fromAizawl in the Northern part of Lunglei District. Historically, it was remembered as “Khawnglung Run”. ‘Khawnglung’, means ‘the name of village’ and ‘Run’ means ‘raid’. So, Khawnglung run means “Khawnglung raid”. The village of Khawnglung was situated on top of the hill with only one entrance on the side of the hill. It was under the chieftainship of Lalpuithanga, son of Thuama. The Khawnglung village had a good fence as it was located on the hill top. It was very difficult for the enemies to attack them easily, and the villagers considered themselves to be most secure and thus lived happily.

The Khawnglung village raid was one of the most famous and the greatest messacre in Mizo history. It was said that the Khawnglung expedition resulted in the cessation of the enmity between the North and the South of Mizoram. It was said that the Northern cheiftains of Mizoram surprise attacked the Khawnglung village at the dead of night when the villagers were fast asleep. The raiders could enter the village because the guards at the entry were sleeping soundly due to the great feast they had earlier enjoyed in the village.

The attackers first went to the Zawlbuk (Zawlbuk means the Bachelors’ Dormitories). At the time, it was custom for every village to have a Zawlbuk, a big hall where the bachelors of the village would sleep at night. When the raiders entered the Zawlbuk, they proudly announced that the Khawnglung people did not know the time to awake up and simultaneously threw on them bundles of twigs. Those who wake up first were shot down and all the Bachelors were thus eliminated. The invaders also went from house to house killing the inmates and also burnt down their houses. Blood flowed literally along the street. Practically almost all the inhabitants of the village were killed. The invaders then returned to their villages carrying with them immense body. Even this day the village is still known as Khawnglung.

Major characteristics of the district, contribution of the district in the form of any historical figure associated with the district

As already mentioned earlier, Lunglei is one of the two oldest places (the other being Aizawl) in Mizoram where British rulers established their first garrison administrative units. While all other districts (except Aizawl) have been elevated from RD Block or Sub-Divisional levels to the status of a district, Lunglei has the distinction of being the oldest district for a short period (7 years) then demoted to the Sub-District level from 1898 to 1971 and then again retrieve its lost glory of being a full-fledged district in 1972. 

Although it remained as a part of the then Lushai Hills District (1898 to 1971), for all practical purposes the district was far closer to the neighbouring Chittagong Division during British Raj. After partition of India, this closeness has suddenly vanished although people living in the bordering areas have been continuing petty commercial transaction. As mentioned earlier, the district is second in terms of population and size, 5th in literacy, 5th in sex ratio, 6th in density in the State.

Although inhabited by a large section of Chakma and other communities mostly in the western belt of the district, Mizo is the principal language and it is the mother tongue of the vast majority of the inhabitants. Christianity and Buddhism are the two most important religions of the people of the district. The staple food of the inhabitants, irrespective of tribe or clan continues to be rice, supplemented by maize, sweet potato and various types of vegetables, Meat however is the most popular among all food products. Fish is also eaten in moderately large quantity. Christmas and New Year festivals are the most popular and important functions of the Christian community whereas Buddha Purnima is also observed by Chakma population of the district.