Magical world of Mayong “ India's black magic capital

For those of you who have grown up reading J K Rowling's Harry Potter, Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry will definitely be the school you'd want to study in. The spell binding environment woven by Rowling deports agog readers into the far away magical land in Europe (Sorry! cannot be located on Google map).For some curious souls who wish to fathom the mystery of ‘magic', here is a destination that would give you real time experience of thrill, anxiety, bravado and soothe your craving for adventure.Mayong, also known as India's magic capital wears a heavy cloak of mystery. Located in the Land of red rivers and blue hill – Assam, Mayong lies approximately 40 kms from the Guwahati.The people of Mayong are infamous for practicing black magic and sorcery. There is something in the air of Mayong that would make you forget that you belong to the 21st century. The eerie silence that envelope Mayong village gives goosebumps to tourists and even local residents of Assam.Mayong has a baffling history. Mayong is derived from the word – ‘maya' which means illusion. Mayong comprises of a bunch of villages in Marigaon district. Mayong was once a small kingdom. No enemy dared to invade it and even if they did they were no longer heard of. According to historians, in 1337 Muhammad Shah sent 100,000 horsemen well-equipped to Assam but all perished in the land of witchcraft with no trace of them left there.Mayong still has a traditional king, who is 40th in the line of descendants of the Kachari tribe rulers. People obey him even though his role has now become almost insignificant.It is believed that sorcerers had control over Mayong for thousands of years. Black Magic is apparently rarely heard as of now but visitors yet feel it in the air. Spells and potions that were once conjured to fight battles (including the mythological battle of Mahabharata) instill fear amongst rivals, inflict harm on enemies, heal wounds and cure diseases.Science has traveled past the zones of atmosphere and planet hence diseases are more easily curable than they were a couple of centuries back. But previously, fearsome as it were even then, people looked up to the magicians to whisper cure to ailments.Family members would rush up to them to revive a dying soul. Kings and soldiers would approach them to have their wounds healed after wars.But all this was not given for free. Help seekers had to pay a heavy price for favors sought from the sorcerers. Fee was in the form of gold, gems, animal sacrifice and even human sacrifice – which was considered most sublime.Mayong yet practices therapy for snake bite and magic to cure back pain. Necromancy was another practice common in Mayong.Elders who do have some knowledge on the witchcraft yearn for scientific research on it so that word can spread and people can benefit through them.Relics and conspicuous signs of Mayong's magical history are all over the place. Archeologists have discovered wall engravings, rock inscriptions, idols, voodoos and chants written on parchments. These have been passed on generation after generation as legacy. Almost every household in the village owns manuscripts.But unfortunately most of Mayong's treasure has been lost. Time and negligence has eroded Assam's legacy. Many of the parchments were stolen, while some were destroyed by the people themselves because they feared that this treasure could be misused. Due to developmental activities, several places in the world have lost their originality and legacy, but Mayong remains untouched. Locals of Marigaon District and people from Assam fear to tread on this land.Tamal Nandi, a resident of Nangaon district which is approximately 100 kms from Mayong says that it's so risky to wander into Mayong. He believes in the magical tales like all other people of Assam. “I'd never go there” he adds.Over the years as Mayong's story flew past continents and oceans, tourists started pouring in from every corner of the globe. Filmmakers, authors, archeologists, researchers, photographers and casual sight-seers visit Mayong.Finally even the government of India has recognized it as a crucial tourist hub. Attempts are being made to revive its former glory and bring it back into limelight. Marigaon District is famous for Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary home to the one-horned Rhino. Hence it is an unmissable tourist destination.The National Mission for Manuscripts, a division of the Union Ministry of Culture, has now undertaken a project with the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra, Guwahati, to preserve the Mayong manuscripts. The government of Assam has realized the financial benefits that could be reaped by bringing it into the limelight. Strange tales of men disappearing into the dark or taking form of tiger feed people's fascination and wild imagination. Hence if one is looking for the feel of the magical world, plan a trip to Mayong and you won't be disappointed, that's a guarantee.