Story by Raksha Bhattacharjee
Assam is a popular tourist destination that is well-known throughout the world for its historical significance and rich tradition, dating back to the Ahom dynasty’s 17 successful conquests of the Mughals. From the renowned Kamrup Kamakhya temple and the famous one-horned rhinoceros. With its many ethereal legends, Assam is a region that will amaze you in many ways.
Assam Every year during the late monsoon season, Jatinga is one of the locations where mysteries and unexplainable phenomena take place. Situated in the Dima Hasao district approximately 330 kilometers south of Guwahati and 9 kilometers from Halflong town, Jatinga is well-known for the unusual event that takes place every year from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
The migratory bird’s unexplained suicide is the unsettling event at Jatinga
The migratory bird’s unexplained suicide is the unsettling event at Jatinga. This unknown phenomenon affects a variety of birds, including tiger bittern, kingfishers, and small egrets, during the designated months when the air is foggy, misty, or cloudy. Notably, a number of species migrate to Jatinga, including the black drone, green pigeon, hill partridge emerald dove, and necklace laughing thrush, only to mysteriously perish.
When the late naturalist EP GEE traveled to Jatinga in the 1960s with a well-known ornithologist, this phenomenon attracted international attention. Because of the widespread fog quality at the time, the results indicated uncertain situations at high altitudes and high speed winds.
Bird deaths from September to November is caused by Assamese water bodies flooding
According to numerous research, the increase in bird deaths from September to November is caused by Assamese water bodies flooding, which disturbs the birds’ natural habitat as their nests collapse, necessitates migration, and causes Jatinga to fall along their migratory route.
According to theories, fog and high altitude winds cause birds to get disoriented, with the lights of neighboring communities acting as a stabilizing force. According to a different explanation, the climate of the location alters the magnetic properties of subterranean water, which causes the bird to become confused.
Gift of Gods
The employment of high-power searchlights on hilltops, which draw birds flying at that time, is one explanation for this enigmatic phenomena. Attracted by the lights, birds land on bamboo poles, which leads to event. Ornithologists and conservationists have been successful in eliminating local traditions that traditionally linked the unexplained bird suicides to malevolent spirits.
The entrance of the birds is now recognized as a natural phenomenon influenced by floodlights and lights from neighboring buildings under particular meteorological circumstances on nights without the moon.
This change has made it possible for the people to see the birds’ presence as a “gift of Gods” rather than as the product of bad spirits. In their ongoing attempts to educate the villagers, ornithologists and conservationists have had considerable success in debunking myths and enlightening them about this amazing phenomena.