Sangti is picturesque valley surrounded by the high mystic ranges of the Eastern Himalayas in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, India. It is adorned by its pristine forests on all sides with the Sangti river calmly flowing through the valley.
Amidst this valley, lies the mysterious mountain of ‘Ni Dhirshing’. It is considered sacred by the people of the Monpa community living in the area. Interestingly, owing to its steepness and the highly dense forest, no one from the valley has ever climbed up this mountain.
“This incident date back to the time of 1962 during the Chinese aggression”, Passang Tsering, Goan Bura (village headman) of Sangti starts the conversation.
“An Indian Army soldier got separated from his platoon and lost his way into the forests surrounding the valley. While he was undertaking the tiresome journey walking through the mountain, he came across a ‘gompa’ – where many Buddhist priests were engrossed in offering payers” explained Passang.
The soldier felt relieved on seeing the Buddhist Lamas offering prayers. With a hope that he would be helped with the correct route, he approached them. The lamas did help him. He was given a radish and asked to resume his journey. However, he was also cautioned not to finish eating the radish until he reached his destination. The soldier followed every word as instructed by the lamas. He reached his destination the next day and was reunited with his platoon. A few days later, he along with his troop started with their return journey.
On their way back, the soldier saw the gompa on the mountain again. He was excited to show it to his fellow men, only to realise that they could not see what he could.
On their way back, the soldier saw the gompa on the mountain again. He was excited to show it to his fellow men, only to realise that they could not see what he could.
“There is another similar story attached to Ni Dhirshing. Story of a hunter”, exclaimed Passang.
Once there lived a hunter in this region. During one of his hunts, he also lost his way only to come across the gompa of Ni Dhirshing. He reached the gompa at night. He was so awed by the beauty of the place that he decided to bring his family the next day. He hanged his bow and arrow on top of the gompa to be able to identify the place the next day. However, like the case of the soldier when the hunter came with the family the following day, even he couldn’t see the gompa. He could only find his bow and arrow lying on the ground in the forest.
“The soldier could see the gompa because he was pure at heart. Actually, no one has seen the gompa. But sometimes we do hear sound of bells ringing and the shankha – a conch shell from that mountain. None of us have seen anything yet but we have only heard”, said Passang.
Ni Dhirshing is one of the sacred forests of the Monpa community living in Sangti valley. Although they haven’t seen or climbed the said forest, its sheer mystery and legends associated with it have given it a sacred status for the locals. They believe that some supernatural positive power resides in the mountain who helps people in need and is visible only to people who are kind and pure at heart.
