Mayoon
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Mayoon or Maiun is a village and a region of modern farms along the alpine Hunza-Nagar river in the high mountains of northern Pakistan. Mayoon is 218 km southwest of China by the Karakoram Highway, 150 km north of India, and less than 100 km southeast of Afghanistan. Most of Mayoon's 1,000 residents are descendants of Shinaki Hunza migrants from the town of Nasirabad. The Shinaki group settled the area in the early 19th century. This region of the Hunza Valley is known for its high quality water and its advanced agriculture. Major crops include corn, wheat, mulberries, peas and assorted vegetables. The mountainous region also produces fruits including grapes, apricots, plums, and cherries.
Language
The dominant local language is Shina, an Indo-Aryan language. The Shina spoken at Mayoon is a regional dialect which diverges somewhat from the Shina spoken in nearby Gilgit and Nager. Brushuski, Wakhi, and Domki are also spoken within the region. Urdu, Pakistan's national language, functions as the lingua franca while English is spoken among the educated and those involved in the tourism industry.
History
Maiun is located 36°14'25"N, 74°25'28"E in Pakistan. It is a small community in the Hunza Nagar river valley, Pakistan. People living in the lower Hunza are called Shinaki. Mayoon or Myoo is the former name of a river which flows through Arracan in southwest Burma, now called Myanmar, to the Bay of Bengal. [1] Also, Mayoon is a Pakistani pre-wedding custom, during which the bride often goes into a 7 to 15 day seclusion before the wedding.[2] The seclusion is from the groom until the wedding. In other cases, a party of her close friends is held, during which she dresses in yellow.[3]
The culture of the Shinaki tribe derives from social custom and religious practice. The main celebrations are Nowruz, Ginani and Saalgirah. On such occasions, traditional delicacies are made, especially in Sharbat and Harissa.
Both private and government educational institutions operate in the region. The Aga Khan Diamond Jubilee schools participate actively in civil society.
The Hunza Valley has three main parts, namely "Lower Hunza", "Centre Hunza" and "Upper Hunza". The lower part is composed mainly of four villages: Hussainabad, Mayon, Khanabad, and Nasirabad (formerly called Hini- in Shina and Hindi- in Brushiski). Mayon is an active volcano in the Philippines.[4]
The Hunza Shinaki live in five villages: Nasirabad, Mayoon, Khanabad, Hussainabad, and Khizerabad. Nasirabad and Mayoon are old settlements which used to be the first bastions of defense for Hunza. People from Nasirabad and Mayoon bore the brunt of the wars and battles of the Hunza with Sikhs, British and other forces in the late 19th century. ‘Sikh Mara Jung’ is a deep, narrow valley where the people of Mayoon wiped out an army of 500 Sikhs in a single night. Colonel Durand was wounded by a gunshot, reportedly fired from Mayoon Fort.
The modern stereotyping of Shinakis as straightforward and aggressive people stems from the centuries of incessant fighting. Besides warfare, the region of Hunza Shinaki was also famous for its simplicity. The King of Hunza had a special respect for lower Hunza. In the modern era, people of these areas are typically well educated, simple and financially strong. They contribute their knowledge, wisdom and skills not only in Hunza but also in Gilgit-Baltistan (the fifth newly established province of Pakistan).
Transport
Popularly known as the Silk Road, the Karakoram Highway (KKH) runs about 100 km from Gilgit to Hunza. Most people travel by road; it takes between two and three hours to reach Hunza from Gilgit. The journey from Islamabad to Hunza can take as long as 24 hours. The main bus stand is on the KKH in Aliabad. Along the KKH, there are booking agents in towns for long-distance buses and jeeps.
From Kashgar (China), a regular international bus service to Hunza via Sost crosses the Khunjerab Pass (about 5000 meters high). Across the river in Hunza, at Sost, there is a village called Khuda Abad. People usually do not stop at Khunjerab Pass on their way to Sost by bus. In Sost, one may trek in the valleys or continue to Hunza-Karimabad (two hours), to the Baltit Fort. The Khunjerab Pass is open from 1st May to 30th December and closed in winter.
The international bus waits until enough people have gathered, which can take days (as of 2012). An alternate option is to take a first bus to Tashkurgan, stay one night, go to immigration for departure approval and then take a second bus to Sost and another to Hunza.
Airport
Mayoon is served by Gilgit Airport (IATA: GIL), a small domestic terminal approximately 65 km to the south. It offers 45-minute flights to Islamabad, substantially reducing the transit from 15 hours by car or 24 hours by bus. The service is provided by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), which offers regular flights on 42-seat planes between Gilgit and Islamabad. Connections, however, are often subject to weather cancellations, particularly in winter when flights may be delayed several days.
Transport links
- To China: The bus service (NATCO & PTDC) is scheduled to begin crossing the border from Sost, Gilgit-Baltistan, to Tashkurgan, China, every day at nine o'clock in the summer. In autumn, the bus runs only when full. If passengers are lacking, it can take days to get into China.
- To Islamabad via the Karakoram Highway, many buses leave every day from Aliabad, Hunza and Gilgit.
- To Gilgit via the Karakoram Highway, mini-buses leave for Gilgit every 30 minutes from Aliabad.
Demographics
The fair-skinned and light-eyed Hunzakuts claim to be descendants of soldiers lost from Alexander's army when Alexander invaded India in 326 BC, although genetic studies have disproved the claim. The Burushaski language provides linguists an enigma; it is unrelated to any other language known to man.
Most of the people of Hunza are Isma'ili Muslims, followers of the Aga Khan.
Geography
Mayoon is in a mountainous region and includes the Rakaposhi (7788 m.), the recently climbed Ultar Peak (7388 m.) and Bublimoting Peak.
Lake disaster
Attabad Lake, also known as Gojal Lake,[5] was formed in the Gojal Valley of northern Pakistan in January 2010 by a landslide dam.
References
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=KCZUAAAAYAAJ&dq=Mayoon&pg=PA19#v=onepage&q=Mayoon&f=false
- ^ http://pakistanibridaldesigns.blogspot.com/2009/09/what-is-pakistani-mayoon-ceremony.html
- ^ http://nidalm.com/blog/photoshoots/pakistani-weddings-the-dholki-and-mayoon-2/
- ^ http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Mayon
- ^ http://pamirtimes.net/tag/gojal-lake/