After Archeological Survey of India declared menhirs and megaliths of Vanchhia village in northeastern Mizoram as archeological site, INTACH Mizoram Chapter said that the historial site is under UNESCOs radar.
“It is already determined that the menhirs and megaliths at Vangchhia village are 2400 years old, the historical place is now under the scanner of UNESCO, we hope that it will be declared World Heritage site in the near future,” P Rohmingthanga, Convener of Indian Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage, Mizoram Chapter said.
P Rohmingthanga, a retired IAS officer first saw this site from a helicopter back in the 1970s and visited the place as soon as the village could be reached by road.
Located close to the Myanmar border, the lush forested village of Vangchhia lies nestled in the Champhai-Farkawn mountain range of Mizoram’s Champhai district. For years, hundreds of megalithic stone sentinels or menhirs have been guarding this little village.
After several excavations as many as 20 cobbled stone structures, reminiscent of ancient graves, fragments of ancient charcoal and several organic remains were found and sent to specialized laboratories for radio carbon dating.
A 200-meter long water pavilion, a stone structure similar to those found in Mughal cities that was probably used as an entertainment arena has been recently unearthed at Vangchhia.
Locals believe that a historic migration across the Chin Hills of Myanamar was documented for perpetuity in the mysterious engravings on these menhirs. There is even a local folk legend that Kawtchhuah Ropui is the entrance to a secret pathway that runs all the way to the Tiau river on the Indo-Myanmar border.
Vangchhia is a small Mizo village with 153 houses, unknowing the historical values of what the local called as ‘lungphun’ (memorial stone erect) many menhirs and megaliths were destroyed during 1980s and 1990s.
Carbon 14 dating has found that the site was built way back in 600 BC, ASI archeologists belives that this ancient settlement could well be over 40 kilometre radius town.