DISCOVER INDIA: The Oriental Scotland - MEGHALAYA

 Dec 2021

The North East has always been a less frequented holiday destination as compared to the rest of India. Also, since its location is far for tourists from South and Western India, there always is a reluctance to explore these uncharted territories. So, when we decided to embark on a North-East sojourn, we had to plan very meticulously, considering the COVID restrictions too. The most popular and easiest seemed to be Meghalaya and Assam.

Sometimes, planning for a holiday is as exciting as the holiday itself.   

MEGHALAYA

The base of our stay was  Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya,  and all the tours in this state would be from this city.  

SHILLONG

Shillong, known as Scotland of the East, is also called India’s Rock Capital because of the many monoliths found across Meghalaya. Most of the places in Shillong begin with the prefix ‘Maw’ which means ‘rock’ in the local Khasi language.

From Guwahati airport to Shillong takes 3.5hrs. Sunset during winters is at 4.30pm and the  temperatures drop immediately after that and could go as low as 6 degrees C during December. A flash of hailstorm and snow a couple of days before our trip had warned us enough. 

The Central townplace of Shillong is called Police Bazar, which is always bustling with tourists and locals. Here, one can get winter wear, shoes, purses and make up stuff at cheap rates. Also available are Shillong handicrafts. Roadside eateries selling grilled chicken, grilled pork, sweet corn, noodles, and biryani line one of the lanes. Vendors selling locally grown vegetables and fruits are found in another lane. One must try the local Khasi fruit - ‘sohphlang’, which is white and oval in shape with a nutty flavour. Hotels close to this place are relatively expensive. 

We selected Shillong Hills Guest House, located 3km away from Police Bazar.

Day 1: Trip to Cherrapunji

Cherrapunji - once boasted of being the wettest place on earth, but now this title has been taken up by Mawsynram (also in Meghalaya). 

The original name for this town was Sohra (soh-ra), which was pronounced "Cherra" by the British. This name eventually evolved into a temporary name, Cherrapunji, meaning 'land of oranges', which was first used by tourists from other parts of India. It has again been renamed to its original form, Sohra.

A trip to and fro from Shillong almost takes up the entire day since there are a lot of places to visit.  

1. Elephant Falls 

Your Meghalaya waterfall exploration is not complete without a visit to the Elephant Falls, located on the outskirts of the state capital, Shillong.

The Khasi name for Elephant Falls is Kshaid-Lai-Pateng, which roughly refers to the three levels over which the water plunges.

2. Mawkdok Dympep Valley

Mawkdok Dympep Valley Viewpoint is a wonderful vantage point located on Shillong - Cherrapunji road in Meghalaya. Also known as Duwan Sing Syiem Bridge Viewpoint, it is one of the prominent places to visit in Cherrapunji.

3. Nohkalikai Falls

It is a breathtaking fall fed by the rainwater collected on the summit of a plateau. It has a tragic tale of a woman named Likai after which it is named…

 

4. Mawsmai Caves

 It is a maze of caves in the East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya.  We learnt that exploring of caves as a hobby is called spelunking…

5. Arwah Caves

The fossils in this cave enlighten us about the history of earth. Did you know that millions of years ago Meghalaya was underwater and plate tectonics gave rise to the Himalayas and the North Eastern terrain?

6. Wah-kaba Falls

Cascading down the cliff the blue waterfall and the green hills enthralled us. There is a local legend that two fairies live at the falls who hypnotise men and they disappear for months and return back later as if they had never gone…

We had already started learning a lot about Meghalaya culture from our cab driver cum guide, Rapborlang. The Khasi and Garo tribes in Meghalaya are matrilineal.  They take up the maternal surname.  Youngest daughter of the family inherits and after marriage the husband stays with the wife and her family.

 Day 2: Trip to Mawlynnong. 

It's a full day’s trip from Shillong and at the end of the day it may just make you wonder whether you had needed a visa to enter this region - It's simply outta this country!

1. Umnagot River, Dawki - The cleanest river of India

Indo-Bangla border

It is one of the main attractions of Meghalaya. Winter is a good time to visit the Umngot river when the waters are crystal clear. Dawki is a border town between India and Bangladesh. We notice a blend of cultures and a gradual change in topography and climate here. 

2. Nohwet Living root bridge - A man-made natural wonder

   
   
   

The bridge is symbolic of the harmony between man and nature. It is made by the Khasi tribals by interweaving the roots of the Ficus Elasticus tree. The bridge grows stronger as the tree grows. 

3. Mawlynnong Village

   
   
   

It is the cleanest village in Asia. Vehicles are prohibited from entering the village. A walk through takes a couple of hrs. The sight that beholds is unimaginable. 

Probably other places of Meghalaya try to emulate this village because throughout Meghalaya we saw bamboo dust bins, solar panels and no litter anywhere. 

4. Balancing rock, Mawlynong

   
   
   

How this huge Boulder balances on a smaller rock is a mystery…It was probably an ancient shrine before the advent of Christianity in Meghalaya. 

Day 3 was a toss up between a trip to Mawsynram v/s spending the day in the vicinity of Shillong city. We opted for the latter and boy, we sure did not regret it later.

1. The Laitlum Canyon

   
   
   

One of the lesser visited places it has amazing views and justifies the pseudonym ‘Scotland of the East’ given to Meghalaya. 

The village 3000 steps below is called Rasong village with a population of 300 people who depend on the pulley system for transporting heavy items. 

 

2. Mawphlang Sacred Forest

   
   
   

This was where the coronation and sacrificial rituals were held by ancient Khasi people. There are many medicinal and anti cancer plants  found in this forest. 

One can feel the aura of sacredness and mysticism when inside the forest. 

3. Umiam lake

It is a very picturesque locale for avid photographers. One can sit in the park overlooking the lake and enjoy a serene sunset here…

Mr. Rapborlang also mentioned that the Khasi language has no script of its own. It is written with English/Latin letters. A Welsh missionary, Thomas Jones, first wrote the language in Latin script. Prior to that, the language was written in Assamese and Bengali scripts. Many establishments have “KA’ added before their name. For eg, The ICICI bank was called KA ICICI bank. ‘KA’ is used for female gender and ‘U’ is used for male gender. 

It is said that the best time to visit Meghalaya is the monsoons, to enjoy the heavy rains here. September is a good month too if you desire less of the rains but waterfalls and greens everywhere. November has the famous Cherry blossom festival. And December has tolerable winters and a rare snowfall.

But for us, neither the 4-5 layered winter clothing, nor the tiring journeys could take way even an iota of the bliss that we had experienced. And we promised ourselves that we would be back soon in this region during November to have a go at the popular festivals.

Useful info:

Rapborlang (Shillong driver cum guide): 8732089632

George (Owner of Shillong Hills Guest House): 7085941299

For detailed reviews and more pics, do click on the highlighted tabs.

A trek into life

“Trekking shouldn’t just be a tour, it should be a tale.”

This was on the bucket list since some time now and the some time was getting to be quite a sometime. So when a friend suggested a simple trek to Matheran, we had no hesitation to join the group. 

And when the leader is a pro, why worry, bro. 

We caught the 4.20am Karjat local from CST and got down at Bhivpuri. A 10 min auto ride took us to the base of the trail. 

The mountains looked daunting, the rains had started to come down pouring, and the lush greens were nothing less than exciting. 

So started our 4 hr trek that took us across the streaming water falls, the slimy rocks, and the cotton wool clouds.

Good trekking shoes, lots of fluids and a stick form the bare essentials. Hands need to free and body protected from rain at all times. It was interesting to note that one of us did the entire distance barefoot. With a few breathers and snack breaks, we were still ahead of our time. Braving all the hardships we finally made it to the top - the Garbett Plateau.

The panoramic view from this point has to be seen to be believed. No words or pics could describe it. A mission was accomplished. A bucket list item was ticked off. And the euphoria was still to set in. 

As a dear friend and regular trekker philosophised - ‘Trekking teaches a lot of lessons of life:

Everyone has to carry their own load and worries. A single wrong step and you could slide down the curve to a position from where recovery was impossible. But, success comes only to those who dream big and aspire to reach the pinnacle.'

Durshet: A green Marathon

It's yet another Marathon, but this time with a difference. It is away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Few kms from Khopoli, a small village - Durshet, amid the forests, along the bank of the Amba River and into the belly of the Khandala valley. The Run promised to supersede all the previous ones by a fair margin. And to top it all, we had our families to double up as our cheerleaders. 

We had booked rooms for ourselves at the Durshet Forest lodge, the race venue, since the night before the race. However, due to circumstances beyond control, we were accommodated at another resort, 15 km away. After some serious arguments, we were finally adjusted at Durshet itself. 

The evening was spent at the Nature's trail activities;  

Zip lining, 

Tarzan swinging 

and Rappelling. Dinner was served and it was time to retire early. 

The previous night's fiasco had given the impression that the race may not be managed professionally but we were in for a pleasant surprise. The event was conducted with hardly any fallacies. 

The 10 km run took us away from the Khopoli-Pali Road and into the heart of the Sahyadris. 

The weather was awesome. A light drizzle had turned the green trees into a forest of fresh greens.

  

The soothing sound of the river flowing alongside was a calming influence on the nerves. The run had to be experienced to be believed. Kilometer after kilometer rolled by. The legs didn't seem to give up and finally they took the body over the finish line. 

It was yet another personal record. 

The race was followed by a pool party. 

Medals, DJ, trophies, and a sumptuous breakfast followed. 

The day wasn't over yet. There was more to come. After a quick shower for the sweat studded marathoners, we drove down the same route which we had tread earlier in the day on foot.

The road was just about motorable but the effort was worth every bit. 

Kamshet: The Paragliding expedition

Six families, after a long hiatus, set out for an adventure expedition. Though the personalities of all the families were very diverse, they were a single unit since more than 7 years. They were the LIONHEARTS.  A techie, a perfectionist, a blogger, a saint, a sage and an athlete - all in a concoction.

With bicycles fixed onto the car racks, they were off to Indus Paragliding.

Located 120 km away from Mumbai city,  their target of reaching the venue before sunset was straight away in jeopardy, when were they stopped by the cops for transporting bicycles illegally. It seemed the police weren't aware about the concept of cycle racks. Environment friendly excuses seemed to fall on deaf ears, but fortunately sanity prevailed and the motorcade moved on.

As always, the kids preferred to be on their own. They wouldn't mind cramping up in one car. After a short vada paav break at the food mall, they were now off the national highway and into the countryside. The car ACs were switched off and the windows rolled down. The whiff of fresh air from the fields with a cool breeze blowing across, carrying the unmistakable odor of cow dung, was enough to rejuvenate the body and soul.

The sun had just gone below the horizon when they reached the destination.

The tents were pitched at a stone's throw from the lake. The stars had just started to become visible in the night sky. And the mood was just apt for a fun filled evening.

Within the next few minutes, before anybody could realise,  it had become pitch dark. The moonlit sky was strewn with stars all over. Jupiter and Venus could be singled out too. The only sound reverberating was their own; old Hindi melodies, children's nursery rhymes, and the cacophony of laughter.

All this on the top of a makeshift terrace of a building.

Dinner was served early. Red hot tandoori chicken and paneer as starters got the ball rolling. The wood lit next to them had started to gather momentum and fire. It was getting chillier by the hour. Jackets and coats came on, dinner tables were cleared and it was a much awaited bonfire night. Jokes, scandals, ghosts were all discussed. The spirit of the night was captured when one of them commented the next day, "I was mesmerized by the bonfire”.

After a short walk in the wilderness, it was time to pack off for the day. The kids preferred to sleep together as always.

The tents were large enough to accommodate all. The cool breeze outside stuck to its speed. It was pretty cold inside despite all the protection. After a curt warning to each other to behave during the night, they all dozed off.

The rooster crowed at the break of dawn. The birds began their chirpings. It was time for the morning ablutions and to get ready for the feature of the day. A sumptuous breakfast followed. It seemed the winds were not upto the mark and thus the Paragliding had to be held after lunch. It proved to be a boon since the morning was free for any activity you choose to do.

Some of them took off on the bicycles up to Kamshet dam

 

and a small trek up the mountains, whilst others preferred a walk down to the lake.

Some engaged themselves in a game of badminton

and the few others took some experience in ploughing the fields.

Lunch was served but no one dared to overeat in anticipation of the gliding show ahead.

2pm: The call had come from the plains. The wind had picked up speed and they would soon be embarking on the most adventurous expedition till date. They were picked up from the base of the hill and taken up there with the help of the local SUVs. Negotiating the rough patchy mountainous roads was not a cup of tea for all. Eventually they were dropped off and a small trek took them to the flying point.

Paragliding. The thought of doing this activity gives you the goosebumps. Thus, there was this possibility that a lot of people would chicken out at the last moment. The act was a tandem one where an instructor would be accompanying the guest. All safety measures were taken care of. As one of them enquired

" What can be the worst scenario midair ". His query got blown away by the wind and no one dared to answer it. The first guest was ready to take the leap. Running on the plain for a few feet, he jumped off the cliff along with the instructor. The wind blew him away and off he was, gliding in the air, 1000 meters above the sea level. He was airborne for the next 15 mins.

Midair stunts and somersaults were performed. He could almost touch the mountains and feel  the wind. He was soaring over the Mumbai -Pune Expressway. After the successful daredevilry, the remaining guests got the impetus and motivation to achieve the impossible. Since the currents were very strong initially, the kids were scheduled to get their turn last when the winds would reduce speed. It was a highly successful adventure sports activity which the LIONHEARTS are known for.

The 2 day expedition had drawn to a close with a heavy dinner at the Sunny's Dhaba.

"Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."