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Travelling through the North East of India: Meghalaya
Hi everybody 🙂
Welcome to the final post in my “Travelling through the North East of India” series which covers my travel experience through the North East in Nov-Dec 2010.
Today’s post is on the lovely, lush green state of Meghalaya. Those of you who have missed the earlier parts of this series, here are the links:
A bit about Meghalaya…
The state abounds in Archean rock formations. These rock formations contain rich deposits of valuable minerals like coal, limestone, uranium and sillimanite.
Meghalaya is also home to “Living Root Bridges” which are not be found anywhere else in the world.
Its people…
Tribal people make up the majority of Meghalaya’s population, each having its own distinctive customs and cultural traditions. The main tribes are the Khasis (of Mon-Khmer ancestry), the Garos (of Tibeto-Burman origin) and the Jaintias said to be from South East Asia.
One of the unique features of these tribes is that they follow a matrilineal system where lineage and inheritance are traced through women. Children take the mother’s clan title. Among the Khasis and Jaintias, the youngest daughter inherits the ancestral property and is the caretaker of aged parents and unmarried siblings. The tribal people of Meghalaya are the world’s largest continuous matrilineal culture. However, the male line, particularly the mother’s brother, may indirectly control the ancestral property since he may be involved in important decisions relating to property including its sale and disposal. In the Garo tribe, the youngest daughter inherits the family property by default, unless another daughter is so named by the parents. If there are no daughters, a chosen daughter-in-law or an adopted child inherits the property. The tribal people of Meghalaya are a part of what may be the world’s largest surviving matrilineal culture.
About 70% of the state population is Christian as many members of the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo communities have converted to Christianity. The principal languages are Khasi and Garo with English as the official language, enabling the ethnic and demographic groups to communicate with each other.
Tourist destinations that I visited…
Shillong
The state capital, Shillong, is set amidst a picturesque landscape of pine-covered hills, rapid streams and captivating waterfalls.
Shillong’s 18 Hole Golf Course, is not only one of the oldest in the country but is also rated as one of the best in Asia. A golfers’ paradise, it is the most picturesque spots in the city.
Cherrapunjee (Sohra)
About 53 KM away from Shillong lies the beautiful destination of Cherrapunjee (Sohra), once “the wettest place on earth”. It has not received the best of rainfall in recent times.
Situated at an altitude of 1,300m above sea level, overlooking the plains of Bangladesh, this amazing tourist destination offers a panoramic view of the hilly terrain, deep gorges and valleys and roaring waterfalls.
Standing at the edge of a waterfall…
The 335 metre Noh-Kalikai Falls is the tallest plunge waterfall in India…
Meghalaya has an estimated 500 natural limestone and sandstone caves spread over the entire state including most of the longest and deepest caves in the sub-continent. Not many of these have however been developed or promoted adequately for major tourist destinations.
Mawlynnong
Village
About 90 KM away from Shillong lies Mawlynnong Village, known for its cleanliness. The travel magazine declared the village as the cleanest in Asia in 2003, and the cleanest in India in 2005.
This picturesque village located near the India-Bangladesh border is now drawing an endless stream of guests from across the country and abroad. Keeping the surrounding environment clean is an age old tradition of the 82 households living here.
Dustbins made out of bamboo are placed all over the village. Bamboo baskets are placed all across the village. Not a scrap of paper or any sign of litter can be seen around.
Sweet lime trees adorn the village…
The “Living Root Bridge” carbon dated to 1100 years back…
I hope you had a great time visiting me. It was a real pleasure sharing my journey through the North East of India with you. Next week, I’ll be back with some more exciting posts. So keep visiting!
See you soon…till then, take care 🙂
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