Sometimes following your instinct can result in giving you some of the most fascinating and incredible memories in life. I am glad that for taking one of the best decisions of my life that day.
My experience with Mayong, also known as the land of black magic in India, was a consequence of a small conversation with a native of Assam while I was on a trip to Guwahati. He introduced me to this mystic land which I was imagining with a lot of interest, while he narrated me a couple of stories flying about that place.
Legend has it, that once Raja Ram Singh, a general of the Mughal Empire, was ordered by Aurangzeb to take an army to Assam and subdue the Ahoms in 1667. Singh followed the orders of his master only to get a horrific defeat as the whole army perished in that land of witchcraft and not a trace was left.
It is also believed that Assam was one of the last states to be colonized by the British, as they were petrified of the power of witchcraft prevailing in Mayong.
Witchcraft or the occult sciences is a phenomenon that fascinates many, it definitely did fascinate me. It was that point of time in my life when I felt that I was missing out on a lot that needed to be explored, and I was in the mood for complete adventure. Mayong is a two hours’ drive from Guwahati, so I cashed in the opportunity of going there.I, along with my friend, was about to experience the coveted trip to the land of black-magic.
We encountered a police post while entering the village. They stopped our car just to give us a warning to keep from talking to any of the pedestrians on the way as it could be dangerous. I was beginning to enjoy this.
My eyes felt blessed at the sight of this beautiful land. Mayong lies on the banks of the dynamic Brahmaputra, surrounded by flush green trees and a soothing scenic beauty. But there was much more to it than just that, which I was yet to explore.
I spoke to a few locals while strolling around and was captivated by what I heard. They told me that there have been incidents where humans have been transformed to tigers and some of them have even disappeared mysteriously through black-magic.
I couldn’t help smirking at that statement. One of the persons did not look very happy by my reaction and said with a coarse voice, “There must be a reason why people are scared to come here since ages.” It seemed, as if the characters from a horror book were beginning to come alive.
It was fascinating to know that some of the families had inherited their ancestral relics,which they had either preserved or destroyed out of fear of these falling into wrong hands. The spark in their eyes while talking reflected a strong belief in the art of magic.
It was getting dark and I had started to get an eerie feeling by now, after listening to the tales of the locals, all of which sounded completely absurd to me but were able to impact my mind at large.
After toiling for over five hours, we decided to grab a bite at a small, shanty dhaba. It was time to dig in some mouth-watering smoked pork curry, prepared in mittikihandi. As a hardcore Bengali, I can never resist the taste of shorshediyeilish. Even though, my stomach did not permit me but my taste buds can never give up the charm of ilishmaach. But the divine experience turned out to be a painful one, as a bone got stuck in my throat and I began to choke.
I was immediately taken to a small hut, which was two minutes from the dhaba. A petite, old woman, draped in a maekhla chador emerged out of the hut. I assumed her to be a local doctor but, little did I know who she actually was.
She turned out to be a bez or a witch doctor. I did not know how to react at that point of time. I was in no capacity to resist the treatment from the bez. Though, reluctant, I left it to my fate, to see, how the cookie crumbles. By now I was fretting. She held my clammy hands. She mumbled a few lines and what happened left me completely startled. The choking disappeared and everything was back to normal. I still do not know how something so incredible happened.All through my convalescence, my friend was beside me, but even she was caught unawares about the whole incident.
I wished I could have stayed there a little longer but as I was on a shoestring, I could not afford to do so.
The incident changed my perception about things forever. I do not know if what happened to me was an art of magic or an intelligent trick but it left a print on my find. It made me think that there might be some phenomenon in the world which existsbeyond the theories of science, which exist beyond our knowledge or imagination. It made me realize that he world is as mysterious and deep as an ocean, which carries within itself innumerable stories and aspects that are still unknown and unthinkable of, but do exist.
Amrita Ray
