Thenzawl Diaries: Views, Waterfalls and Local Stories

Waterfall at ecopark- Tuirihiau Falls (Photo ©Jalini Mehta All rights reserved)

During the drive, Memphis, her brother in law Lavya, and I started talking. Memphis works in Noida. She comes from a modest Mizo family with a stepmother, brothers, and a sister. She shared that she works very hard because she does not want to be deprived of things she desires. In her childhood, she and her siblings could not always afford what they wanted. I truly respect her spirit. Her view on marriage is very clear. She wants to marry only when she is capable of providing a comfortable and decent life to her future children. She does not want to depend on her husband. She uses an iPhone 12 and is very keen to learn new things. She asked me many questions, and I felt happy to share my experiences. I feel lucky to have met such a wonderful person and her family. Her brother in law Lavya does not speak or understand English well, so Memphis acted as an interpreter between us. I also noticed that she respects him a lot.

Before reaching Thenzawl, we stopped at a viewpoint on the way. From there, we could see vast ranges of hills and valleys. The wind was extremely strong and cold. It was blowing so fast that I found it difficult to maintain my balance. We clicked photos and selfies and enjoyed the view. After spending some time there, we continued our journey.

(Photo ©Jalini Mehta All rights reserved)

We reached Thenzawl around noon and stopped for tea and breakfast. We were lucky that two or three shops were open, as most places were closed. During this halt, I got a chance to interact with Memphis’s friends. They were very courteous and treated me with great respect. They believed it was their duty to host a guest from outside Mizoram. One of her friends worked in the DC office in Aizawl. He knew a little English and tried to communicate with me. He shared some useful information about Aizawl. Thenzawl is known as the weavers’ town, but unfortunately all the weaving shops were closed because it was Sunday. Everything shuts down on Sundays as people go to church for prayers.

Around ten kilometres from Thenzawl, there is a waterfall called Vantawng Falls. We visited the place. There is a viewpoint from where you can see the valley and hills along with the waterfall. The waterfall did not have much water at that time, but it falls from a great height, which makes it visually striking. Once again, the natural beauty was mesmerizing. I felt like spending the entire day there, but since I was with the group, I could not stay longer.

Vantawng Falls. Left- (Picture from https://mizoramtourism.com/top-destination/23) right: Picture clicked by me

The same friend from the DC office narrated the story behind the name Wangthon. Three friends were once roaming in the hills and got caught in the dark. They decided to spend the night on a flat surface on the hill. They could hear the sound of water nearby but could not see it. They all went to sleep. In the morning, one of them was missing. The other two searched for him and finally looked down, where they saw his body in the water below. It is believed that Wangthon fell during the night. The waterfall is named in his memory.

Eco Park (Photo ©Jalini Mehta All rights reserved)

Our next stop was a nature and eco park with a small bamboo forest. There is a narrow path through the bamboo grove that leads down to another waterfall. After about fifteen minutes of walking and carefully climbing down rocks, we reached the spot. The waterfall looked like a transparent curtain of water, almost like strings of pearls. The water flowed gently over the rocks below. There was also a large tree nearby with roots spreading almost twenty meters wide, adding to the beauty of the place.