Long ago, in the ancient times of the Andaman Islands, there lived a solitary figure named Phertajido, remembered as the first man of those lands. Phertajido was not born like ordinary folks—he emerged mysteriously from the hollow of a bamboo, alone and untouched by the world. He wandered the forests, searching for food, and spent his days skillfully crafting bows and arrows.

One day, as part of his daily routine, Phertajido shot arrows in every direction before resting for the night. At dawn, he set out to retrieve them, and this quest led to remarkable discoveries. While looking for his arrows, he found a bubbling spring and quenched his thirst, thus becoming the first to discover drinking water. As he sought the next arrow, he unearthed a potato plant’s roots, finding potatoes there and collecting some for himself. Continuing his search, he discovered another arrow in a heap of aromatic incense, or dhoop, and took some with him. Yet another arrow was found lodged in soil so fine it was called Kot. He gathered this special soil, shaped pots from it, and after drying and hardening them, used them to boil the potatoes he’d found—a resourceful meal, indeed.

While feasting on these boiled potatoes, inspiration struck Phertajido. He decided to fashion a sculpture out of the Kot soil, creating a human-like figure. Placing this figure on a platform, he burned a fire beneath it to dry and harden it further. As he resumed making bows nearby, he glanced often at his creation—until, to his amazement, the platform trembled, and the clay woman, Kot, moved.

Phertajido’s heart filled with joy at this miracle, and he kept the fire burning, eager to see what would happen next. Tired after his work, he left to hunt for food. Upon returning, he was bewildered to find the platform empty—Kot had vanished. Sorrowful, he sat on the ground and sighed. But little did he know that Kot, the woman made from earth, was inside his house, watching him. She burst into laughter at his bewilderment, and as Phertajido turned around and saw her, he ran to her side and wept tears of happiness. From then on, the two lived together, their love giving rise to many children, whose marriages among themselves led to the blossoming of an entire clan.

One day, Phertajido asked Kot to weave a rope, and brought her a creeper from the jungle called pʰarako, perfect for making ropes. Kot peeled the creeper and fashioned an incredibly long rope, coiling it into a great heap. Phertajido tied a stone to its end, swirling and tossing the rope upward until it caught—entangling itself somewhere high above and refusing to come down again. Realizing the rope was firmly stuck beyond the clouds, Phertajido became curious about the world above.

Turning to Kot, he announced his desire to discover what lay beyond the clouds. The next day, Phertajido climbed the rope, disappearing above the sky. To his astonishment, he found a land brimming with people just like him and quickly returned to tell Kot of his wondrous discovery. He suggested, “Let us leave the earth and live above the clouds together.” Kot hesitated, thinking of their children and their home. But at Phertajido’s urging, they gathered their children to share their decision.

Standing before his family, Phertajido declared, “Our time here is complete. We are leaving you to live above the clouds. Live your lives well.” With that, Phertajido and Kot climbed the rope into the heavens, finally cutting it from above, leaving their children and their legacy behind on earth.

And so, the legend of Phertajido and Kot tells how the first family of the Andaman Islands began—and how the sky above came to be home to those who first walked the earth.

A Folktale from “Voices from Lost Horizon” by Anvita Abbi sourced by Jyoti Nagarkoti 

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