The Legend of Seneru



Seneru is considered to be the first Igu priest of Idu Mishmi community. He was a famous, accomplished and powerful Igu and his fame had spread far and wide. Once an epidemic spread in Tibet. People were dying of dysentery. Almost half the population of Tibet was getting affected by it, so Seneru was called to cure the people there. Seneru left his old mother, young wife and children and went to Tibet. Before leaving, he made a hawk named Ishru his informer and gave him the responsibility of giving information about the family every moment. The epidemic had spread in such a terrible form in Tibet that Seneru had to stay there for years. Then one day his informer hawk Ishru came and told him the sad news. He told that his child is no more. On hearing this he became very sad, but realizing his responsibility was greater than his sorrow, he said to Ishru, My wife and I can have children again and I can also marry another wife, but it is more important for me to stay here. The people here need me. So you go and bring any new news if you have it. Ishru returned.

After a few years, Ishuru returned again. This time he brought the news of Senerus mothers death. Seneru went into a deep shock after getting the news of his mothers death. He remained in shock for a few days, then he told the people there, I will get my wife and children back, but I will not get my mother back, so I have to leave. Saying this, Seneru left for his home. While returning, at a place called Aatho Popu, Seneru sat on a stone and cried for hours. It is believed that even today, Senerus tears are present on that stone and his handprints can also be seen on that stone.

As soon as Seene entered his village, he sat at the gate and started meditating. While meditating, he went into a subconscious state and saw his mother in that state. After that, he asked Ishru to go home and try to catch a rooster or hen to see if there was any spirit there. After a while, Ishru returned and told that an old woman had chased him away while protecting the hen. On hearing this, Seeneru understood that his mothers spirit was wandering around. He immediately reached home and started performing ya a ritual performed on someones death. After performing ya continuously for five days, Seeneru succeeded in bringing his mother back from the world of death. Mother returned, but in a very horrific form. She was wearing a necklace of anjipombra earthworm around her neck and ears and earrings. Her whole body was stinking. She tried to enter the house through the asoka gate by hissing like a bird, but Seenerus wife was sitting there and weaving cloth. Seeing her mother-in-law dirty and in a horrible state, she screamed in panic and hit her with an aabripa weaving tool and drove her away. An owl sitting on a tree was watching all this. He proposed that he would take mother to such a spring and clean her.

After some time, the owl returned alone. His mother was not with him. When Seeneru asked, he told that his mother had died after falling from the hill near the waterfall. Pishu and Praavu names of birds must have eaten her.

To confirm this, Seeneru took the form of a fly and started looking for his mother near that waterfall. But he could not find his mother anywhere. On asking Pethro and Pali names of birds, they told that we fly here and there to drink water the whole day, we have not seen your mother anywhere. Yes, but the owls mouth was stinking. Hearing this, Seeneru understood everything. He understood that the owl had eaten his mother. Then to confirm this, he went to the owl, its mouth was stinking and flies were buzzing around its stinking mouth. In anger, Seeneru killed the owl and opened its beak, and saw his mothers hair in it.

After that Seeru started doing Ya by placing food in a plate. After doing Ya for five days continuously, mothers soul returned in the form of a fly. Seeing mother in the form of a fly, Seeru became very sad and said, My mother is no longer my mother. Her form has changed. She is now just a fly, who will just keep flying here and there. Death has separated us forever. Now our worlds have become different. Saying this, Seeru started doing Ya and started explaining to mothers soul that Your and our worlds are different. So now you should never return to the human world. From that day onwards, the Idu Mishmi community started doing Ya after anyones death.