There were two brother Gods, Kyllang and Symper. Symper, the elder brother was fair, strong, calm and gentle, while the younger Kyllang was dark, mischievous and ruthless. One day, as Kyllang with his wife and daughter was walking through the mountains, a stone pierced the feet of the wife. Kyllang carried his wife and daughter on his shoulder but strangely, the stone started growing and engulfed the mother and daughter. The enraged Kyllang picked big stones from the ground and started smashing them against the ground, killing many Khasi people. The Khasi people begged the elder brother Symper to stop Kyllang. A huge battle ensued between Symper and Kyllang, where they threw rocks and mud at each other, till Kyllang’s shoulder was injured and he decided to calm and settle down near Khadsawpha (West Khasi Hills) and become the mount Lum Kyllang (Kyllang Rock). Symper returned to his village Weilei (East Khasi Hill) and became the mount Lum Symper (Symper Rock)
If you ride through upper Shillong, take the Nongstoin axis and after 10 odd km turn left towards the Mawphalong sacred forest, but instead of hitting the forest continue on the Mawsynram road, you reach Lum Symper at bang 54 km on the odo. Have some pork-rice in Weilei, and ride along to stand in front of the Symper massif, where true to the character of Symper, peace, tranquility, calm rules the air. Soak up; sit, do nothing and once you rejuvenate, turn back to the mundane.
Banjo, you rode 140 km to see a hill? All hills are the same man. Well, I don’t ride to see a hill. Identity, we all know is a Social Construct. Beyond being a son, father, husband, friend, soldier, clerk, lover… who exactly are we?? I travel to a place, to imbibe within me, who we have been and who we are since last six thousand years. What if I am not just me, but a monk walking with Buddha, a warrior in Ashoka’s army, a builder of Tajmahal, a Khasi fighter; we just don’t see, we BE. Bikers dont find places, we find stories and thus we find ourselves.
Khublei, till we ride again.
U Lum Sophetbenang; Portal between Heaven and Earth
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