Lianpui menhirs declared ‘monument of national importance'

This is the second megalith site in Mizoram to receive national recognition after ‘Kawtchhuah Ropui’ or Great Entranceway in Vangchhia village, which hosts over 170 engraved menhirs and is located about 20 km south of Lianpui village

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Ancient carved memorial stones, also known as menhirs, found at a village in east Mizoram's Champhai district, have been officially declared a ‘monument of national importance’ by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), officials said Friday.

Lianpui village near the Myanmar border is home to the memorial stones, locally known as Lungphun Ropui. The village is situated 54 km southeast of Champhai town near the India-Myanmar border, and it is famous for its rich repository of ancient artefacts.

The formal notification declaring the Lianpui menhirs as a monument of national importance was issued by the Ministry of Culture July 14, following years of research and inspection, they said.

These antiquarian artefacts include 114 intricately carved memorial stones, anthropic holes, petroglyphs, Y-shaped wooden posts and ancient pathways.