Senapati: Giant Himalayan Lily that are found in the Heudu range of Liyai Khullen village under Paomata block, Senapati district attracts lots of visitors from various places including from outside state, turning the place a hot tourist spot during this season.
The giant Himalayan Lily (Locally known as Beivoli) with a lovely fragrance is about 8 feet tall in diameter blooms for a short period of around two weeks time during the last part of May till early June. Outsiders and visitors from various places, including outside states have reportedly started to visit the hill range since 4-5 years ago. Villagers, this year, mentioned that visitors started to visit the place from May 27 last till June 4. More than 500 visitors were stated to have visited the site to see the flower as well as the lovely fragrance emitted from the flower. One could smell the fragrance of the flower as one gets nearer to the spot. When the plant is fully grown, it is cut and preserved to be dried and used as traditional trumpet.
Villagers said blowing of the traditional trumpet from Beivoli is permitted only after harvest and with the coming of seed sowing season, they are hidden off until the next season arrival.
Liyai Khullen village is also known as the biggest village in Poumai Naga community under Senapati district. The villagers have 5,445 voters with over 13,000 populations. Apart from the giant Himalayan Lily, Beivoli, the village also has different important historical places in the village. There are two very old Banyan trees which the villagers call “The soul of the villagers.” Some researchers who visited the place reported of the Banyan tree to be 2,000 years old. The village is also known as the origin place of the great Barak River. Till date, there are four major ponds (spring water) in the village which are very old and one of the major ponds in the village is the “Tiger Pond.” The villagers in the past had seen tiger drinking from the pond and had given the said name. A sacred stone commonly known as weather forecast still exist in the village where the villagers can forecast a day’s weather.
The common occupation of the villagers are handicrafts–making barns and baskets and farming. The villagers are famous for making barns where people of the region only look for barns made from the village. Cabbage and potato are the two major vegetables grown in the village. Some 4-5 truckloads of cabbage are exported from the village per day during its season. Majority of the village farmers harvest around 150 tins of rice. Having felt the need to restrict any use of chemical in the village, the villagers have stated to ban any use of chemical since 20 years back, adding that the villagers produce only organic food from the village. A fine of Rs. 50,000/- is stated to fine from anyone who use any chemical in the village.
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With no availability of source, the villagers have stated their inability to promote such important places in the village so far. The village is found to have much potentials of turning to hot tourist spot but found lack of proper road communication to the village.
Village chairman stated that apart from the giant Himalayan Lily and other important places in the village, there are still many important unexplored places being a historical village. The village chairman also pointed out that the villagers have been preserving the Barak Spring by planting more trees at its basement and restricted any kind of cutting down trees in the village.
As part of conserving the environment, the villagers are restricted from all kinds of cutting trees up to 2030 where no one is permitted to cut down trees from the common land. The villagers also stated to preserve the wild habitats since the past where no one is permitted to kill any wild animal or bird in the village forest.
