Namphake

Namphake is a Tai village situated in Naharkatia, Dibrugarh district. It is 170 km from Jorhat. From Jorhat going towards Dibrugarh one has to take a road that lies to the right of the A T road in mid Moran town. The road is quite bad beyond a certain points but there is another way out which is better although not very wide. The village itself is situated in an isolated area away from the Naharkatia town.

There is a Tai community that had come directly from Thailand long before independence, who resides in the village. There are now only a few families in the village, yet they form a strong and vibrant community. I visited Namphake in July’09 and was kept wondering how a small group of non-local people could establish such an organized village.

Before entering the village we found the Buddhist monastery. It is a medium sized compound with a prayer hall. It was established in 1850. We were received by a monk with a well-built figure but very welcoming and courteous. He was the Vante, the leader of the community and who also gave advice to sick people. We sat on mats on the floor and were all ears while he spoke about their tradition and their relation with the Assamese people. He told us that the Tai community had to follow strict religious rules. As they belonged to Thailand they followed the Buddhism of Thailand rather than that of other parts of the world. In the verandah where we sat there were a number of colored strips of cloth hanging on the walls. These were 200 years old and moral codes of conduct are written on them. Besides these there were many other handicrafts which cannot be seen anywhere else in India. Just as we were looking at the various things kept in the hall a small boy came with a huge wooden hammer in hand. He hit a low hanging brass disc a few times. It indicated a particular time. The holy man took us into a strange library. Inside it there were many glass almirahs with strange piles of text books wrapped in cloth. He showed us one of the books. They were not like other books. The pages were big and long and looked yellow due to age. Vante told us that the book was about heaven and hell. There is a book completely of gold which is not shown to visitors.

We learnt that the village was self sufficient in every way. They cultivated their own food and weaved their own clothes. The Tai people have their own language and script also.

After about 2hrs we left the monastery surrounded by beautiful shrubs and trees. A few yards from the gate was the river Buri Dehing. A sandy lane leads to the village. We decided to visit the first hut and did not disturb the other families. The hut was raised on pillars. A small staircase led to a open verandah. There the family received us. An old lady gave two plates full of a kind of edible fern boiled with dry fish which gave it a repelling smell. We ate all as we were very hungry. Then they showed us their kitchen. They used an earthen fire-place. There the man of the family showed me a unique weighing instrument. It had one pan only to keep the object. The weight is fixed by the tapering bar on which the pan was hung. The hanger with the help of which the instrument is held can be sifted on the bar to fix 1kg or ½.

The old lady showed us a few hand woven cloth pieces. These clothes are not only rare and difficult to get but are the only ones available in the entire world. They are the muga silks, coloured with natural colours.

The hut’s floor is made of bamboo strips and the roof is of overlapped leaves of a certain kind palm. The leaves for the roof are submerged in water for a long time which make them long lasting.

Our ignorance about Namphake was coming to an end. We returned with vivid memories of a very civilized group of people different in belief, faith and way of life, whose forefathers hailed from a foreign country. It was an educative tour. It taught us how people unaffected by modernity can live such a good and standard life.

Besides seeing the monastery and the village, tourists can have the traditional Tai meal, which is available on prior request. A book and a CD with beautiful photos of Tai festivals can be purchased from the locals. There is nothing else. You will enjoy the village atmosphere.