Hidden among the lush greenery of Assam’s Morigaon district, just a short drive from the mystical village of Mayong, lies one of the most intriguing and least understood archaeological sites of Northeast India – the rock-cut inscriptions of Burha Mayong.

The site is protected by the Directorate of Archaeology, Assam, yet it remains shrouded in mystery, history, and an irresistible sense of the unknown.

A Walk Through Nature into History

Approaching the site feels like stepping into an ancient sanctuary. A narrow forest path leads you toward a shaded clearing. Sunlight dances through the leaves, creating patterns on the ground. The environment is serene and untouched – the sort of place where the past whispers to you if you sit still long enough.

Amid this tranquil setting stands a massive rock shelter. Beneath its overhang, carved directly onto the stone surface, are several lines of inscriptions – faint, weathered, and resisting easy interpretation.

The Mysterious Inscriptions

A plaque at the site provides the little information that archaeologists currently agree upon. There are three sets of inscriptions carved into the rock surface. One set has six lines, another has fifteen lines, and the third has five lines, placed horizontally.

The largest inscription panel is almost 4 metres long and over a metre wide. The contents of all three inscriptions are yet to be deciphered. They are believed to date back to the medieval period. The inscriptions appear to belong to an early script – possibly a regional variant used in ancient Kamarupa – but centuries of erosion have softened the letters inscribed on the stone, making it very difficult to understand and decipher their meaning.

This makes the rocks an archaeological puzzle. Standing before the inscriptions, you immediately feel a sense of awe. The rock face is rough, the engravings shallow but deliberate. Every groove suggests the hand of a craftsman or scribe who stood here hundreds of years ago, carving messages intended for future generations – messages that we can no longer read. It is both beautiful and haunting.

Burha Mayong

The surrounding area deepens the atmosphere. Large trees arch over the site, forming a natural canopy. The filtered light creates an intimate enclosure around the ancient rock, as though nature itself protects the forgotten script.

The site is protected under the Assam Ancient Monuments and Records Act, 1959. Yet Burha Mayong remains relatively unknown to mainstream tourism. Its secluded location, lack of signages, and limited academic research keep it in the shadows – it is known mostly to locals and curious explorers, not to the wider world.

The atmosphere is photogenic, and there are large trees in the area with huge roots descending into the soil, which are a must-see. The carved words on rock are from a forgotten age, but the silence of this place invites respect and reflection. The inscriptions are still waiting to be deciphered and will continue to live in that delicate space between history and legend – a perfect fit for the mystical landscape of Mayong.