ASI declares Mizoram's Lianpui menhirs monument of national importance
Lianpui village near the Myanmar border is home to the memorial stones, locally known as Lungphun Ropui. The village is situated 54 km southeast of Champhai town near the India-Myanmar border, and it is famous for its rich repository of ancient artefacts.
This is the second megalith site in Mizoram to receive national recognition after 'Kawtchhuah Ropui' or Great Entranceway in Vangchhia village, which hosts over 170 engraved menhirs and is located about 20 km south of Lianpui village, they said.
The formal notification declaring the Lianpui menhirs as a monument of national importance was issued by the Ministry of Culture on July 14, following years of research and inspection, they said.
These antiquarian artefacts include 114 intricately carved memorial stones, anthropic holes, petroglyphs, Y-shaped wooden posts and ancient pathways.
Also read: Decoding Vangchhia's ancient art of holding water in rock amid Mizoram's hills
The upright memorial stones at Lianpui bear detailed carvings of human figures, birds, animals, mithun heads, gongs, lizards, and other cultural motifs reflecting the cultural practices of the Mizos before the advent of Christianity, according to officials.
The largest of such memorial stones measures 1.87 metres in height and 1.37 metres in width, they said.
These menhirs are arranged into eight alignments, with four oriented north-south and the other four east-west, they said. Lianpui village was named after Lusei chief Lianpuia, who reportedly established the village in the 18th century CE.
Mizoram's lone Rajya Sabha member, K. Vanlalvena, had informed the Parliament in March that the ASI, after a thorough inspection by experts, had found Lianpui village to possess significant archaeological heritage worthy of national importance.
According to officials, the process of declaring the site of national importance began in February 2021 with the publication of a preliminary notification in the Gazette of India, marking the commencement of a statutory procedure required under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, for declaring protected monuments.
On July 7 this year, ASI Director (Monuments) A.M.V. Subramanyam visited Lianpui village and confirmed that final steps were underway to declare the megalith site of national importance.
With no objections filed, the Centre finalised the notification declaring Lungphun Ropui a monument of national importance and brought the site under national protection.
Meanwhile, residents of Lianpui village expressed happiness and thanked the Art and Culture minister C Lalsawivunga and K. Vanlalvena for their efforts towards receiving the ASI's tag.
Art and culture department director Carol VLMS Dawngkimi also expressed happiness due to the national recognition and dedicated the achievement to the hard work of many individuals, particularly former convener of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Mizoram chapter P. Rohmingthanga.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
2 days ago
- News18
School run from centuries old Nanta Mahal in Kota crying for urgent repair work
Kota (Rajasthan) Jul 26 (PTI) Class-11 student Alfi couldn't stop sobbing as she narrated the hazardous conditions of her school being run by the state government from the 18th century Nanta Mahal in Rajasthan's Kota. Alfi's tears reflected the fear among thousands of students in this coaching hub who are forced to study under risky and hazardous conditions. As many 14 school buildings here need immediate repair work to avoid any untoward incident, while around 700 classrooms in at least 1,057 government schools in the district are in 'damaged or ruined" state, officials said. Moreover, only 26 out of 200 schools in Kota which demanded funds for maintenance have been allotted Rs 2 lakh each under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), the officials said. The worrying facts came to the fore a day after a portion of the Piplodi Government School in Rajasthan's Jhalawar district collapsed, killing seven children and injuring 27 others. The Government Senior Secondary School accommodating primary and upper primary sections with around 600 students is being run for decades from the centuries old Nanta Mahal. Following the tragedy in Jhalawar, officials from the PWD, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SMSA) and the education department on Saturday reached the school and surveyed the building. 'We study here under constant fear as any portion of the school building may fall and cause injury anytime," Alfi said. The balconies and the stone slabs covering them are very old and can cause fatal injuries, she said, expressing fear that an incident like Jhalawar can occur anytime at her school. 'Who will be responsible then? The government," she asked. Narpat Singh Hada, assistant engineer, SMSA, who reached Nanta Mahal on Saturday, said, 'The school is not technically safe at all and can face structural failure anytime." Since Nanta Mahal is presently under the Archeological Survey of India (ASI), repair and maintenance work cannot be carried out without its authorisation. However, the district education department has now directed to shift the school, the process for which is underway," Hada said. Mohammed Sharif, principal of the school, also admitted that the structure is more than 300 years old and is ruined from both outside and inside. Despite sending proposals for funds, maintenance and repair work cannot be carried out as the school management does not have any ownership paper for the structure which is under the ASI at present, Sharif said. Moreover, it is difficult to shift 600 students to another place immediately, he added. Lakhanlal Meena, executive engineer, PWD, said that in compliance with the collector's direction, a team on Saturday visited the school and will submit a report accordingly. The Government Senior Secondary School at Tirath in Bundi district is facing similar risks, posing serious threats to student safety. The school has around 460 students who study in classrooms where water leaks through the roof during the rainy season. A drain passes through the school ground, which has been covered with stone slabs having large gaps. School principal Mamta Bagdoliya said that water seeps through the walls every rainy season, but the funds sanctioned for repair work fail to meet the requirements. PTI COR ARI view comments First Published: July 26, 2025, 23:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Is the fear of number 13 real or just a myth? Here's what we know
AI is writing code, spacecraft are exploring beyond the moon, and technology is pushing every boundary. Yet, many buildings skip the 13th floor. Airlines quietly leave out row 13. Important plans are sometimes avoided on the 13th of the month. This quiet discomfort isn't just a coincidence. It's tied to triskaidekaphobia– the long-standing superstition around the number 13. For some, it's just a harmless quirk. For others, it triggers real unease. Despite scientific progress, the fear still lingers in unexpected places. But where did it begin– and why does it still hold power in the modern world? Is it a real phobia or just an old habit? Fear of the number 13– also known as triskaidekaphobia– doesn't always count as a serious psychological phobia, according to a report by Medical News Today. Most people who avoid the number aren't panicking or deeply distressed. It's more of a mild discomfort, like feeling weird about staying in room 13 or sitting in row 13 on a flight. That's why mental health professionals usually don't see it as a medical condition, as per online sources. It's generally considered a cultural superstition, not a disorder– unless it starts to seriously affect someone's daily life or cause unusual levels of anxiety. Ancient roots, global presence The fear of the number 13 isn't something new, and it's not limited to one culture either. Over time, different traditions and stories have added to its reputation. According to a report by Very Well Mind, one of the most well-known examples comes from Christianity– the Last Supper, where Jesus had dinner with his 12 apostles. Some reports suggest that the betrayer Judas was the 13th to join the table. In Norse mythology, there's a similar story where Loki, the trickster god, showed up uninvited as the 13th guest at a feast and caused trouble. Still visible in everyday life Even in today's tech-driven, logical world, the fear of the number 13 still quietly lingers. In many modern buildings, you won't find a 13th floor. Some airplanes skip row 13 entirely, and even cities avoid using the number when naming streets or plots. As per online reports, pop culture has played a role in keeping the superstition alive– especially with the popularity of the Friday the 13th horror films. In many Western countries, Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day. While no one knows exactly why, one theory traces it back to the year 1307, when a group called the Knights Templar was arrested on a Friday the 13th. Not just 13– other numbers carry meaning too According to Very Well Mind, this uneasiness with certain numbers isn't just about 13 or limited to Western cultures. In China, for example, the number 4 is often avoided, especially in hospitals or real estate, because it sounds similar to the word for 'death.' The same goes for Japan and South Korea, where some numbers are skipped in elevators or hospital rooms for similar reasons. These examples show how language and culture can shape what people believe, even if there's no real logic or scientific reason behind it. When should it be taken seriously? In most cases, the fear of the number 13 isn't something that needs treatment. But if someone starts going out of their way to avoid it– like changing travel plans, skipping buildings, or feeling anxious just seeing the number– it could point to a deeper fear or obsessive pattern. When that happens, doctors often recommend cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), according to Very Well Mind. It helps people face their fears slowly and with support. In more serious cases, medication might be used along with therapy, though that's pretty rare for this kind of fear. A fear that's more cultural than clinical In the end, triskaidekaphobia isn't really about the number 13– it's more about how culture, stories, and old beliefs still shape the way we think and act. For some people, it's just an interesting quirk. For others, it brings a bit of unease. Either way, it shows that even in today's logical world, certain superstitions still stick around– quietly affecting our choices without us even realising it.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
ASI to carry out restoration of Shish Gumbad next month
Shish Gumbad, one of the eighthistoric structures which stands against the serene landscape of the popular Lodhi Garden complex, is set to undergo restoration from next month, to be carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Walls of Shish Gumbad have started to peel off. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo) The Lodi-era tomb houses eight unknown graves. It has been lying in a dilapidated state with layers of wall peeling off and the graves cracking at several spots. The menace that scribbling has also taken over the structure, officials said. During HT's visit earlier this week (July 23), ASI had already started cleaning the area around the Shish Gumbad, uprooting grass and plants from the base of the structure. The core restoration work will see the agency plastering the graves and laying concrete on the floor, said officials. This work, according to an ASI official familiar with the matter, is expected to span from first half of August to October. 'We have sourced most of the materials required. Work is expected to start sometime in the first half of August. The graves will be plastered to prevent them from disintegrating and the floor of the structure will be made concrete,' the official associated with the restoration work said. The inside walls will also be plastered, followed by a layer of lime. 'From the outside, one can see that at the entrance of the structure, a slab of red sandstone had been used to beautify the door but parts of it have broken. We will replace the broken parts with red sandstone. The structure consists of mostly ashlar stone and at places required, we will do pointing work as well,' the official added. 'A layer of lime concrete will also be laid around the base of the structure, to give it preliminary protection. It will be one to one and a half metres thick.' The Shish Gumbad stands 50 metres north of the Bara-Gumbad masjid. According to historians as well as ASI's book, 'Delhi and its Neighbourhood', 'it is not known who lies buried in this tomb, although there exist several graves inside it.' The western wall of the monument contains a mihrab (a niche in the wall), which served as a mosque, according to the book. The other sides have a central entrance set in a projecting frame. The book also refers to decorations on the ceiling and says, 'Inside, the ceiling is decorated with incised plaster-work containing floral patterns and Quranic inscriptions.' Much of these decorations are barely visible due to damage and discolouration. The ASI official said that the ceiling might be cleaned at a later stage. Another significant part of the Shish Gumbad which finds reference in the book is the line of blue tiles, present in two horizontal lines along the outside of the structure. 'This decoration, now surviving in traces, gave it its Persian name meaning a 'glazed dome',' the book mentions. These tiles are now non-existent in certain places and fairly damaged in others. 'We do not want to disturb the original work of the structure. But we will see if anything can be done at a later stage,' the official added. According to ASI's book, the structure was built during the Lodi period, 'perhaps during Sikandar Lodi's reign (1489-1517)'. The protected monuments and structures inside the Lodhi Garden include Muhammad Shah's tomb, Bara Gumbad masjid, Shish Gumbad, Sikandar Lodi's tomb and an athpula (eight piers), which refers to a bridge with seven arches and eight piers.
