[The History of Sikkim (1908), compiled by Chogyal Thotob Namgyal and Gyamo Yeshay Dolma, records the meeting between Phuntsog Namgyal, the first Chogyal of Sikkim, and the Mangars and Limboos while en route to Yoksum for his coronation. Interestingly, despite oral documentation of a supposed palace at Mangsari Mangarzong, very little has been done to explore the prime time of the Mangars community in Sikkim.]
A couple of years ago, I
visited a place called Mangsari Mangarzong in West Sikkim, where I discovered
the legend of Mangarzong. While there, I had the opportunity to listen to
several fascinating stories, which were more like folk tales, from the elderly
villagers.
These oral traditions have now
become a part of history, passed down through generations. During those days,
the Mangars faced repeated attacks from their enemies, which led the Mangar
King to hide his royal treasure in the nearby hills. The opposing enemies could never find the treasure. Still, the story of the hidden wealth passed from
one generation to another, giving rise to the name 'Gardhaney Bhir,' meaning
'Valley of Hidden Treasure.' The people in this place still believe in the
existence of the Mangar King's hidden wealth.
The narration of the Mangar
Queen riding on a horse with her baby tied to her back during the battle is
still a popular and beloved fable story today. Although her story is similar to
that of Jhansi ki Rani, the Mangar Queen also shares her fame for bravery as
she died fighting her enemies. It is said that she was surrounded by enemies on
the battlefield with no means of escape, so she took her own life by jumping
into the nearby river. The story reflects strong emotions, and it captivated me when I first heard it.
In "The History of Sikkim
(1908)," compiled by Chogyal Thotob Namgyal and Gyamo Yeshay Dolma, there
is a record of the meeting between Phuntsog Namgyal, the first Chogyal of
Sikkim, and the Mangars and Limboos while en route to Yoksum for his
coronation. Interestingly, despite the oral documentation of a supposed palace
at Mangsari Mangarzong, very little has been done to uncover the prime time of
the Mangars community in Sikkim.
During my visit to the area
with Rajen Upadhaya, a history lecturer at Namchi Government College, and his
students, we noticed some hollowness on the land while trekking through the
area. Although we didn't learn more about it, locals claim to have heard
footsteps in the mud for a long time.
Another fascinating incident is attached to Gardhaney Bhir. Between Budang and Mangsari
Mangarzong, we were shown a small iron rod, a part of a Jhyampal (digging bar),
that was struck on the rock about 100 meters away from the roadside. Villagers
say that this particular digging bar was put into the rock by a man named Motay
Mangar, a laborer by profession, who was known more for his powerlifting ability.
In the 1960s, during the digging of the Jorethang-Soreng Road, Motay Mangar
wanted to make a name for himself and be remembered for a long time, so he
struck the Jhyampal into the rock to demonstrate his muscular strength.
According to an elderly villager, he was remembered as being like a Hercules. I think the digging bar must have been around 5 feet long, with more than 4 feet of it stuck inside the rock.
Certainly, he must have been quite famous back then. People have attempted
numerous times to remove it, but the iron rod could not be pulled out. The
elderly locals remember Motay Mangar to this day with pride and say, "The
water and weather of those days were different."
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