POIGNANT LOVE STORY OF MIZO – LIANCHHIARI

Mizoram is a picturesque mountainous state in northeastern India, Aizawl is its capital and largest city in the state. The state is bordered by Assam, Manipur, and Tripura domestically, and shares 722 km of international borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar. Over 84% of the state is covered in dense forests and rolling green hills. The area sprawls across 21,081 square kilometers with a population of about 1.26 million. Most of the inhabitants are Mizo decending from Chin Hills. The story of Lianchhiari is one of the most famous and heartbreaking romantic folktales from Mizo culture, immortalized at the landmark known as Lianchhiari Lunglen Tlang (Lianchhiari’s Hill of Longing) in Dungtlang village near Champhai, Mizoram. Lianchhiari was the beautiful daughter of Vanhnuaithanga, a powerful and respected chief of Dungtlang village. She fell deeply in love with Chawngfianga (sometimes referred to in variations as Chalthianga), a young man from a humble, common background. In the olden days a Chief’s offspring may not court anyone from a lower clan. Despite social barriers and differences in status, their affection for each other grew strong and became the talk of the village. Chawngfianga, however, could not reciprocate her love for him because he was a simple commoner. Lianchhiari was an attractive and beautiful girl, but eligible young men of their village did not have the courage to woo her because she was the daughter of the village chief; so she did not have many young men paying court to her.