- Tanu Bulo, NET correspondent, Arunachal Pradesh
Locally revered place, popular in folk stories among Idu Mishmi tribe called ‘Athu Popu’ was successfully scaled by a team led by Everester Tine Mena.
The team had completed the 13-day long “ Athu Popu trekking expedition” and safely returned to Roing. Athu Popu is situated near the Indo-China border and is about 290 Km away from Roing town.
Tine Mena, the first woman Everester from North-East informed this news via her Facebook account. In her post, she has mentioned that the expedition was a Civil-Army joint religious trek and that it could be successfully executed because of the tremendous effort put in by the Indian Army, Outgoing DC Minga Sherpa and the rest of the team accompanying her in the trek.
She further informed that the trek to Athu Popu will be made a calendar event from next year onwards.
Athu Popu is a sacred place for the Idu-Mishmi tribe. According to the tribes’ popular mythology, it is believed that after death all the departed souls take rest at Athu Popu on their journey to eternity.
It is also believed that Popu is the place where Sineru ( First and most Popular Idu-Mishmi priest) smeared his tears after knowing that his mother expired in his absence while he was busy in his priestly work in far off villages. He later went on to attain enlightenment to give the highest order of reverence and respect to her ‘Nani’ (mother).
