Mizoram’s Lianpui Menhirs declared monument of national importance by ASI
The Archaeological Survey of India has declared Mizoram’s ancient Lianpui menhirs a monument of national importance, recognizing their cultural and historical value.;
Lianpui Menhirs in Mizoram (Photo: @MizoramChronicl / X)
Aizawl, July 18: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has officially declared the menhirs of Lianpui village in Champhai district a monument of national importance. The formal notification, issued by the Ministry of Culture on July 14, marks Lianpui as the second megalithic site in the state to receive this prestigious designation, after Vangchhia’s ‘Kawtchhuah Ropui’.
Located about 54 km southeast of Champhai town near the India-Myanmar border, Lianpui village is home to the ancient carved memorial stones known locally as Lungphun Ropui. These antiquarian relics include 114 intricately carved upright stones (menhirs), anthropic holes, petroglyphs, Y-shaped wooden posts, and traces of ancient pathways, all offering a window into the cultural and spiritual life of the Mizos before the arrival of Christianity.
According to officials, the largest of these menhirs stands 1.87 metres tall and 1.37 metres wide. The stones are arranged in eight alignments, four oriented north-south and the remaining four east-west, and feature elaborate carvings of human figures, birds, animals, mithun heads, lizards, gongs, and other symbolic motifs.
Lianpui village is believed to have been founded in the 18th century by Lusei chief Lianpuia, after whom it is named. The process of declaring the site of national importance began in February 2021, with a preliminary notification published in the Gazette of India under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. Following thorough inspections and no public objections, the declaration was finalised this July.
ASI Director (Monuments) A.M.V. Subramanyam had visited the site on July 7 to oversee final procedures before the official designation.
The recognition has been met with widespread appreciation from locals. Residents of Lianpui village thanked Mizoram’s Art and Culture Minister C. Lalsawivunga and Rajya Sabha MP K. Vanlalvena for their efforts in securing the national status. Carol VLMS Dawngkimi, Director of the Art and Culture Department, expressed pride in the achievement and credited the dedication of many individuals — notably, P. Rohmingthanga, former convener of INTACH Mizoram — for their relentless work in preserving the site.
- PTI