India has been the leader in beauty, mysticism and mystery for several centuries. Moreover, both old mysteries with a thousand-year history and secrets that appeared not so long ago peacefully coexist in it - but no less inexplicable for this. One of them is Jatinga - Valley of Falling Birds.

Fantastic observations

Perhaps during the time of English expansion in India, many Europeans observed a strange phenomenon, but no one bothered to leave written evidence about it. The first was a tea specialist who was looking for new varieties, E.P. Ji, and this happened when India was already a free and independent country - in 1957. The venerable tea grower wrote a book called “The Virgin Nature of India,” in which he described what he saw with his own eyes: how huge flocks of birds flock, how they circle over a small village, after which they rain down at the feet of joyful local residents.

This message was met with skepticism by the enlightened world. In principle, the respected Mr. Ji had nothing to do with biology and ornithology, so his story was perceived by scientists as another Indian tale in the style of “a mysterious country and unusual phenomena in it.” However, not everyone turned out to be so distrustful. Zoologist Sengupta became interested in the strange phenomenon of his native country, three years after the publication of the book, he was not too lazy to go to Jatinga and see with his own eyes that the birds falling from the sky, pardon the pun, were not “ducks”. He notified more than fifty of his scientific colleagues about this, and only after that they believed in the phenomenon and even began to study it.

Paradise

Throughout the year, with the exception of a few days, the small Indian valley in the state of Assam (renamed Asom in recent years) leads a normal rural life. Geologists, by the way, would argue with the definition: they would not call the area a valley. It would be more accurate to say that Jatinga is a small depression between overgrown forests and not too high mountains.

The population here is small and does the usual daily work, does not live richly, but does not beg. There are no special attractions in the area, so local residents were not spoiled by tourist attention until the landmark seventies. Now for a couple of months a year they are happily fed by tourists who come in advance to look at the wonder.

"Nights of Falling Birds"

The quiet life of a provincial village becomes very lively at the very end of summer. Peasants living within walking distance gather there in anticipation of a miracle. And in recent decades, even those who can, leaving in the morning, get here in the evening (fortunately, due to tourism, transport runs regularly).

When night falls on the mountains, Indians light many fires. And the stunned Europeans, who had planned their arrival at this moment, watch as a cloud of birds gathers over the village. Interestingly, outside the small valley (only 200 meters in width and one and a half kilometers in length) not a single bird is observed. Around midnight, a real birdfall begins from the sky. After circling for a long time over the fires, the flocks rise quite high into the sky and dive into the ground, crashing to death. Falls last no longer than five minutes, and often end earlier. Locals pick up the broken “catch” and, with songs and thanks to the gods, immediately roast it on fires built in advance. The phenomenon repeats for two or three nights, after which the birds lose all interest in the Jatinga Valley.

It is worth noting that not all winged creatures fall lifelessly to the ground. There are frequent cases of birds flying into houses where the windows are open and the lights are on. In this case, they are given into the hands without resistance; it seems that the birds are drugged by something. While with temporary owners, they sit almost motionless, do not eat, drink or react to anything, and after a few days the birds return to vivacity. Once released, they cheerfully fly away and return to normal life. Local residents do not try to classify such flyers as prey and unquestioningly release them a few days after the “Nights of the Fall.” Only broken “gifts from heaven” are used for food.

Mythological background

Ornithologists believe that the August fall of birds has been familiar to Indians from the Jatinga Valley for many centuries. They just didn’t advertise this event, quite possibly fearing some measures from the British. But now they are happy with their fate - the birdfall has provided them with an increase in personal well-being.

The Indians explain the phenomenon extremely simply: it is a gift from the gods for a righteous life (remember the biblical manna from heaven?). There is nothing special to object to here: during the time that some kind of documentation has been carried out in the village, not a single case has been registered here, let alone murder, or even theft. Locals claim that adultery, like other crimes, has not occurred in the valley for several centuries.

Theoretical background

Rain from various kinds of animals is, in principle, a rare phenomenon, but not unique. Most often, the role of “sediment” is fish or frogs. Let us leave aside the fact that this, too, has not yet found an explanation. The hypothesis that speaks of the wind “gathering” its population from the surface of the Earth does not stand up to criticism, since then the species diversity would be much wider. Indeed, the wind doesn’t care whether it’s frogs, snakes or hedgehogs, but such rains always affect a narrower contingent.

The Indian phenomenon is even more confusing. The birds are not brought by any outside force. They fly in on their own, and for some time they act quite intelligently, although unjustifiably. We are not talking about any bad weather. In any case, over 60 years of third-party observations, not even light rain has been noticed during a bird fall.

On the other hand, there is actual evidence of no less strange cases. For example, for Valencia, a Spanish region, 1880 was marked by a rain of quails. Moreover, there were no other birds in the “precipitation”. No less mysterious is the case of 1969, which occurred this time in Maryland, where the “rain” consisted exclusively of canaries. However, scientists are not ready to include the Jatinga phenomenon in this list. And primarily due to the fact that the phenomenon is repeated from year to year, and is not noted only once.

Scientific research

The first assumptions belong to Sentgupta, who was the first to describe the phenomenon from a scientific point of view. He believes that the root cause of the birdfall was geophysical anomalies combined with the specific state of the atmosphere above the valley. According to his hypothesis, one overlaps with the other, which throws off some kind of settings in the birds’ navigation system. He also suggested that intuitively the birds begin to fly towards the light of the fires, adjusting their location when the “navigation” is not working. Another hypothesis put forward by him: under the valley there is a magnetic anomaly that confuses the winged brethren.

As a theory, the idea is good. However, it does not explain the seasonality, and a very short one, inherent in birdfall. In addition, the night time at which it occurs remains mysterious. A series of experiments carried out in the Jatinga Valley brought even more mysteries to scientists. In particular, Indian forestry, in an effort to clarify the situation at hour X, placed a powerful electric lamp on the tower. In theory, the birds were supposed to fly towards her. However, Sengupta, appointed by the Indian government to study the phenomenon, noted that the vast majority of the flock still headed towards the fires.

The issue of nocturnal behavior of birds also remains inexplicable; 97% of “kamikazes” are diurnal species. What made them interrupt a good night's sleep and leave their nests? Sengupta suggests hypnosis or somnambulism. But what, then, was its source?

Again - the direction of flight. The Jatinga runs from north to south, and on both sides of the valley the forest is completely identical. Moreover, it is mastered by the same species of winged birds, and they coexist in equal proportions. But in “The Night of Falling Birds” the victims fly only from the north. The southern ones calmly watch their dreams. In this case, one more condition must be met: during the mass death of birds, the wind must blow from the south. Another fact may seem interesting: a huge number of wild birds live in the village itself. During the year they fly wherever they want, and often also “argue” with their forest brothers. But when the “nights of falling birds” approach, they do not leave the village, even if they are forced to limit themselves in their diet - scientists conducted similar experiments, forbidding the natives to feed their “neighbors.” But these birds never become victims of falling from the sky.

And how can this phenomenon be explained? Maybe science will someday understand what the matter is...

There is an unusual place in the northeast of India, the mystery of which no one can yet explain. This is the picturesque Jatinga Valley, stretching between two forested mountain slopes in the state of Assam. Its area is relatively small - only 2x10 kilometers, and in the middle there is a small village where life flows slowly and nothing supernatural happens.

However, once a year Jatinga comes to life: in the last days of summer, peasants from all over the area come to the valley to take part in an unusual festival, the name of which translates as “nights of falling birds.” As darkness falls, the sky above the village is filled with flying birds.

People light fires in the middle of the village square, and birds begin to fall dead from the sky. The terrible phenomenon occurs over many decades, always at the same time, and lasts, as a rule, 2-3 nights in a row.

This phenomenon was first described in the book “The Virgin Nature of India” by the English traveler and tea production specialist E. Ji, who happened to visit the Jatinga Valley in 1957. Since Gee was not an ornithologist, zoologists considered his story simply a local legend and did not pay much attention to it. Only twenty years later, the Indian zoologist Sengupta became interested in the unusual behavior of birds and went to the mountains of Assam.

As a result of the next “birdfall”, it was possible to find out that birds always fly into the village from the north side, and only if the wind blows from the south of the valley. It was noted that the birds living in the village itself do not take part in the unusual action.

According to Sengupta, the birds seemed to be in a hypnotic or somnambulistic state: they flew into the light of lit fires, fought against the walls and roofs of houses, or sat in a strange stupor, not paying attention to either food or people.

The phenomenon of mass death of birds has not yet been explained by scientists. Some believe that the reason for what is happening is a magnetic anomaly, the center of which is located in the valley itself. Others are inclined to believe that at this time of year there is an accumulation of unknown gases in the atmosphere above Jatinga.

The inhabitants of the valley explain the phenomenon simply: the gods reward those who lead a righteous life. And the life of the people in India is really difficult, so when the time comes for such nights, the Indians gather around the fires, pluck and fry the reward for their difficult life that falls straight from the sky.

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The Jatinga Valley in Assam province, also called the “Valley of Falling Birds,” is a 2x10-kilometer depression surrounded by forested slopes.

In the middle of the valley there is a small village where life flows as slowly as it did a hundred years ago. Only once a year does Jatinga come to life. By the end of August, peasants from all over the area come here to take part in an unusual festival, the name of which translates as “nights of falling birds.”

In the last days of summer, as the nights grow longer, bonfires flare up in the village square, and as midnight approaches, flocks of birds appear in the air. Some circle above people's heads, others immediately fall to the ground. “Birdfall” lasts 2-3 nights in a row, and it is regularly repeated for many decades.

The mysterious valley was discovered by the English tea grower E.P. Ji, who personally observed this inexplicable phenomenon and in 1957 described it in the book “The Virgin Nature of India”. He himself was not an ornithologist, and experts considered his report of a strange phenomenon to be an idle fiction. Only zoologist Sengupta became interested in the unusual behavior of birds and went to the mountains of Assam to check on the spot the authenticity of the described anomaly.

The words of the English tea grower turned out to be true. Moreover, during the “birdfall”, individual birds flew directly into the room if the light was on. According to Sengupta, they were in a semi-conscious state and did not even try to escape when they were picked up. This condition lasts for several days in birds. All this time they sit motionless, refuse food, but then, being released into the wild, they fly away. The birds that were unable to survive this night are collected for a festive meal.

Sengupta reported the “Jatinga phenomenon” to fifty prominent ornithologists in Europe and the United States. But none of them could offer an explanation for the Assamese bird strike. Moreover, in their common opinion, nothing like this has ever been observed anywhere else in the world. The valley residents themselves explain the phenomenon this way. They claim that in such an unusual way the gods reward them for their righteousness. In the memory of many generations, not a single significant crime has been committed in the valley - no murders, no thefts, no adulteries.

Sengupta himself came to the conclusion that the reasons for the strange “bird fall” are geophysical anomalies and an extremely special state of the atmosphere, which, overlapping each other, disrupt the coordination of birds flying over the valley. But this is only a hypothesis that still needs experimental verification.

Birds in flight are guided by the Sun, Moon, stars, magnetic and possibly gravitational fields of the Earth. For some, obviously, certain fluctuations in atmospheric pressure can serve as a guide.

The scientist suggests that there is a magnetic anomaly under the valley, but its effect appears only under a certain state of the atmospheric electric field and only at night. Sengupta believes that birds asleep in their nests in a hypnotic or somnambulistic state fly into the light of lit fires, like moths into the light.

Located in the mountains of the Indian state of Assam. Every August, a mysterious phenomenon is observed here - birds begin to fall from the sky in the middle of the night. According to the researchers, the birds are in a semi-conscious state and do not even try to escape when they are picked up. Indian zoologist Sengupta, who studied the phenomenon for a long time, came to the conclusion that the reasons for the strange “bird fall” are geophysical anomalies and a special state of the atmosphere, which, overlapping each other, “knock down” the birds flying over the valley, disrupting the functioning of their nervous system. But this is only a hypothesis that still needs experimental verification.

Inexplicable miracles occur in the Indian state of Assam, in the Jatinga Valley. Externally, the valley is no different from hundreds of others in the mountains of the Indian state. More precisely, it is not even a valley, but simply a depression measuring two by ten kilometers, surrounded by forested slopes. In the middle of it stands a small village, where life flows as slowly as it did a hundred years ago. Only once a year does Jatinga come to life. By the end of August, peasants from all over the area come here to take part in an unusual festival, the name of which, translated from the Assami language, sounds like “night of falling birds.”

In the last days of summer, as the nights grow longer, bonfires light up in the village square. And then, closer to midnight, flocks of birds appear in the air. They circle right over people's heads, so they can easily be knocked down with a bamboo pole. Some of them immediately fall to the ground. All that remains is to pick up the prey sent from heaven, pluck it and roast it over the fire for a festive meal. Dust-free work. “Birdfall” lasts two or three nights in a row, and it is regularly repeated for many decades.

The mysterious valley was discovered by the English tea grower E.P. Ji, who himself observed such a “birdfall” and described it in the book “The Virgin Nature of India” in 1957. He himself was not an ornithologist, and experts considered his report of a strange phenomenon to be an idle fiction. Only the zoologist Sengupta became interested in the unusual behavior of the birds and went to the mountains of Assam to check on the spot the authenticity of what the tea grower was telling.

Everything turned out exactly as Ji described. Moreover, during the “birdfall”, individual birds flew straight into the room if the light was on. According to Sengupta, they were in a semi-conscious state and did not even try to escape when they were picked up. This condition lasts for several days in birds. All this time they sit motionless, refuse food, but then, being released into the wild, they fly away.

Sengupta reported the “Jatinga phenomenon” to fifty prominent ornithologists in Europe and the United States. But none of them could offer an explanation for the Assamese bird strike. Moreover, in their common opinion, nothing like this has ever been observed anywhere else in the world. The valley residents themselves explain the phenomenon this way. They claim that in such an unusual way the gods reward them for their righteousness. In the memory of many generations, not a single significant crime has been committed in the valley - no murders, no thefts, no adulteries.

Sengupta himself came to the conclusion that the reasons for the strange “birdfall” were geophysical anomalies and a special state of the atmosphere, which, overlapping each other, “knocked down” the birds flying over the valley, disrupting the functioning of their nervous system. But this is only a hypothesis that still needs experimental verification.

Birds in flight are guided by the Sun, Moon, stars, magnetic, and perhaps gravitational fields of the Earth. For some, certain fluctuations in atmospheric pressure can obviously serve as a guide. The scientist suggests that there is a magnetic anomaly under the valley. But its effect manifests itself only under a certain state of the atmospheric electric field and only at night. Sengupta believes that birds asleep in their nests, in a hypnotic or somnambulistic state, fly into the light of lit fires.

One way or another, there is still no intelligible explanation for this phenomenon.

"SILVER" WELLS

Located in the desert town of Resof in Syria. Among the sands, in the ruins of the ancient city, four empty wells have been preserved. The water in them has long since dried up. No one knows for sure the depth of the wells. We only know that they are very deep - a pebble flies to the bottom in about 15 seconds. Local residents attribute literally magical properties to old wells to heal any ailment. There is indeed some anomaly in the place. In practice, it looks like this - if you lower a bucket of dirty and even bloomed water into them on a rope overnight, by the morning it becomes crystal clear and tasty. Obviously this is due to the bactericidal properties of the soil. But some people talk about more “higher” forces, because according to legends, the wells were built by “silver people”, whose descriptions are more like aliens.

VEDLOZERO

Lake in Karelia. In 1928, over the village of Shuknavolok near Vedlozero, a cylindrical ten-meter body was observed flying from the tail of which red flames and sparks flowed. Having broken through the ice, the mysterious object went under water. After this, local residents began to meet on the shore a strange big-headed creature a little over a meter tall with thin arms and legs. At the sight of people, the creature immediately dived back into the water, which is why it received the nickname “merman”. Since then, anomalous phenomena have been observed in those places. So in 1932 a dense black cloud “descended” on the village. After its disappearance, a jelly-like substance remained on the ground, which peasants collected in bottles and used as medicine. Currently, in the village of Shuknavolok there is strange interference with television, while in the neighboring village (five kilometers away) there is no such interference.

WATER FROM VEDLOZER

A strange creature, possibly living in Karelia. The history of this amazing phenomenon dates back to 1928, when a cylindrical ten-meter body was observed flying over the village of Shuknavolok near Vedlozero, from the tail of which red flames and sparks flowed. Having broken through the ice, the mysterious object went under water. After this, local residents began to meet on the shore a strange big-headed creature a little over a meter tall with thin arms and legs. At the sight of people, the creature immediately dived back into the water, which is why it received the nickname “merman”. Since then, anomalous phenomena have been observed in those places. So in 1932, a dense black cloud “descended” on the village. After its disappearance, a jelly-like substance remained on the ground, which peasants collected in bottles and used as medicine. Currently, in the village of Shuknavolok there is strange interference with television, while in the neighboring village (5 kilometers away) there is no such interference.

PRISER ZONE

Located in California in the city of Santa Cruz. This anomalous zone was discovered in 1940 by George Preiser. Today, a small area on a hillside overgrown with gigantic eucalyptus trees has become a place of pilgrimage for tourists. At the entrance to the anomalous piece of land there is a concrete beam. One end of it is in the zone of action of mysterious forces, the other is outside it. With the help of the guide's level, everyone can make sure that the beam lies absolutely horizontal. However, if two people of approximately the same height are placed on opposite ends of the beam, then the person in the zone will look much shorter, and if they switch places with their partner, they will look much taller. Inside the area stands a small wooden hut that George Preiser built 40 years ago. She is very skewed. As visitors approach it, they feel increasing pressure, so they have to lean forward to maintain their balance. The compass behaves very strangely in the zone: a meter from the ground it accurately shows the cardinal directions, but as soon as you lower it a little lower, the needle changes its position by 180 degrees. A heavy metal ball, thrown with force along a chute (inclined towards the center of the zone), does not even go half way, stops and rolls back with acceleration. Non-metallic objects behave in the same way, violating the law of gravity. All these phenomena are maximally intensified in the center of the zone - inside the hut. The most powerful impact is felt by people there. They are pushed towards the ground with such force that they appear to be floating in the air...