Assam's Magical Village, Mayong, Being Promoted As a Tourist Hotspot

Assam's Mayong village has peaceful surroundings, popular for its magic and sorcery, as one reaches it from the close by city of Guwahati.

The place has a history that scares the daylights out of believers and make others think in wonder. As to this reason the village seems quite mystical. 

 Mayong village is often referred as India’s magic capital and is located close to the Pobitora wildlife sanctuary, at a distance of around 40 km from Guwahati. Astonishing tales of a man disappearing into thin air, or being turned into an animal, or a fierce tiger being tamed and serious illnesses being cured lie are there to be told by almost every family of this place.

At present, the place’s mysterious stories are driving tourists, involving the government to promote this village as a tourist hotspot.

Naba Deka, who works in a resort in the wildlife sanctuary and origins from Mayong, states that several inquisitive visitors come to the village to enquire if people still practise magic.

"Magic and sorcery are not practised as much as before. People don't believe in magic or spells in the modern age as much as they used to earlier. Children go to school and avoid these things as superstitions," Deka said.

"For example, I have not learnt magic, whereas my ancestors have. During early times, magic spells were taught to children by the kobiraj (teacher) as soon as they attained a particular age. Only some of these spells were written down as most of them passed by word of mouth," he said.

When asked if he believed in magic, Deka replied with a smile, "There are spells to transform a leaf into a fish, or an evil man into an animal. But magic is useless before nature's fury; so there is no spell to protect from the annual floods (in the Brahmaputra River)."

Sketchy accounts and magical texts involves the mysterious history of Mayong, with legends like that of Chura Bez who could vanish into thin air just by muttering the 'Luki Mantra' and calm an angry tiger with his 'Baagh Bandha Mantra'.

Septuagenarian Basanta Nath, one of the magic practitioners of the village, strongly believes in magic.

"Now days, people dismiss magic as a part of superstition. But you have to believe it, when you see things for yourself. Now, when people fall ill, they generally prefer to attend a doctor instead of us. But still, there are ones who come to us with their troubles," Nath said.

He added, "People from distant states like Punjab, Haryana and West Bengal, other than from Assam and the neighbouring places, come to Mayong to learn magic."

Believe it or not, but all these legends about the place adds up to a fascinating history of the place, along with its attractive surroundings. 

Mayong is beautifully situated near the Brahmaputra River, including rich wildlife. The government is also taking essential steps to promote it as a tourist destination for its culture, flora and fauna, along with the Pobitora wildlife sanctuary, which is highly inhabited with the one-horned rhino.