Aizawl as seen from Tlangnuam viewpoint

JF Viewing Gallery, a viewpoint in Aizawl

Tlangnuam viewpoint is located on the southern most hilltop of  Aizawl, it is also known as Montfort Hill. From this beautiful designed viewing gallery you can have pleasant panoramic view of Aizawl city and its surroundings. As there is no direct motor road till the hilltop you have to leave your vehicle on the main road (the main road ended just below to the Tlangnuam Presbyterian church), from there you can proceed up to the peak by walk (If you want to save taxi/cab fare it can also be reached from Kulikawn Bus stop by walk, it may take more than 30 minutes to reach the view point). No entrance ticket nor gate pass needed, it is open for all. If you go in group or even alone don't forget to bring drinking water or eatable things, there is no shops on the hilltop. Lately i have heard about this viewpoint is known as  'JF Viewing Gallery'  from the article posted by well known writer Mafaa Hauhnar in Zoram Thlirtu group (Facebook), it is named to commemorate a famous late Mizo writer Mr.J.F Laldailova. I advise this viewpoint for the traveler or tourist in Aizawl as one of the must seeing places or not to be exclude in their places to visit (Places of interest).  Best time to visit will be June - October, but before you set out please check out weather forecast it may be falling under rainy season in Mizoram.

The below Aizawl landscape pictures are taken on last December (2012), you may also recognize few hovering haze while seeing these images (click the pics to enlarge size):

Aizawl city

Aizawl- Khatla, Bungkawn & Mission vengthlang Presbyterian churches and Contact Sports centre (SAI)

Aizawl - Mission Vengthlang, Khatla, Khatla South, Bungkawn & Shivaji Tillah, Synod Higher Secondary School etc

Aizawl - Mission Veng, Thakthing, Model veng, Tuikhuahtlang, Kulikawn

Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Mualpui and Zokhawthar (propose site for Assam Riffle) at the far

Aizawl

Aizawl city bus depot, Ngaizel

The viewpoint lacking proper whitewashing

From here you have Aizawl view

You may go in group but there is sufficient seats

Roman Catholic areas - St.Paul's Higher Secondary School, Montfort  Hill, Tlangnuam

St.Paul's Higher Secondary School & Mary Mount School, Good News Center, St.Joseph's Press, Aizawl 

The step that lead to Aizawl viewpoint

Aizawl city - Tlangnuam, Kulikawn, Thakthing veng, Mission Veng, Tuikhuahtlang, Model veng and Red rose  area at the far side

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
P.S- My real intention behind this post is it may feed a little help for travel guide in Aizawl City for the outsiders.

Collective memory of rural life in Mizoram

I am using "Collective memory" as a title of this post, it may not be sound corrected with the dictionary and academic definitions. The reason why i am using this title is the below pictures/images are having deep meanings and attached significance memories of our Village (Sialsuk) life and it's natural environment in Mizoram, India. Some of these pictures are taken beyond the graveyard of our village and some were clicked across the village streams and somewhere else. You may think these are merely an individual memories not by a group to call it as 'collective", but before you ask this I'd like to quote Joël Candau point of view 'collective memory can be seen as a regulative structure of individual memories.' Ah! leave aside this academic arguments and instead have a look below pics, i hope you will get a beautiful mind refreshing memories of rural life (In Mizo ~ Thingtlang nun) and different collection of natures in a hilly land.

Typical Mizo House constructed by Mizoram Upa Pawl at Sialsuk, Mizoram.

Maimawm ril (Spider web)

Tuikhur (water point), Sialsuk Village.

Ar tukhuan/Aratukkhuan par (Peru flower)

Aiawt bawm chhia (waste of crab trap)

Sunhlu rah (Amla fruit)

Saum bur (A gourd in which fat pork is kept ~Pu Buanga Dictionary)

Lumlerh kung (local fruit/species of plum)

Lunch Mizo style (Chhun chaw fak lai)

Perhpawng kua/Perhpawng lamtual (Burrow of field-cricket)

Athling rah (Thorny plant)

Sanghar vaibel / ram nuaithang par (wild plant)

Thingse mim kung (Chestnut tree), (Fallen chestnuts gather by village kids)

Kids enjoying village water point, Sialsuk

Time for bath,  stream at Sialsuk (bathing in stream is usually done on Saturday which means holiday!)

Natural stream flowing from mountain, Sialsuk

Buh hmun (rice / paddy site) Sialsuk, Mizoram

In the evening youth male play volley ball and winning team will get 1 packet of Zozial (local cigarette) :)

When winter come you need 'Sikri' to warm yourself:)

Bamboo can be fun for kids (A Mizo girl playing with Kalchhet)

Buh deng / Chhang deng lai (womenfolk and their male counterpart  pounding rice in traditional Mizo style on a fine winter morning)

Rural life are sometimes more pleasant, egalitarian and healthier than anywhere else. I still remember a friend of mine once told me (believe it or not!) that rural kids are not getting proper medicine and treatment but comparing to kids in urban areas who are having better treatments are unhealthier than rural kids. If you have any experience (s) or feedback about rural life kindly leave comments.

P.S: My translation of picture captions may be vague or too literal, better suggestions will be appreciated.