MEGHALAYA (pop 3,220,000 – Shillong, West/East/South Garo Hills, Khasi Hills) (“abode of clouds”). Meghalaya is formed of the Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills, and the Garo Hills. Bordered to the south and west by Bangladesh and to the north and east by Assam. The capital of Meghalaya is Shillong. English is the official language. Meghalaya has historically followed a matrilineal system where the lineage and inheritance – the youngest daughter inherits all wealth and she also takes care of her parents.
Meghalaya is agrarian (potatoes, rice, maize, pineapples, bananas, papayas, spices) with a significant commercial forestry industry. The state is geologically rich in minerals, but it has no significant industries.
History. The highland plateaus fed by abundant rains provided safety from floods and a rich soil. The Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia tribes had their own kingdoms until the British in 1835.
Terrain. It is mountainous, with valley and highland plateaus. Its many rivers are rainfed and seasonal. In the southern Khasi Hills region are deep gorges and several waterfalls.
The elevation of the plateau is 150 m to 1,961 m. The central Khasi Hills are highest followed by the eastern Jaintia Hills region. Shillong Peak (1961 m) overlooks Shillong. The western Garo Hills is nearly plain with Nokrek Peak at 1515 m.
Climate. With average annual rainfall as high as 470 in) in some areas, Meghalaya is the wettest place on earth. The western Garo Hills are lower and have high temperatures for most of the year. The higher Shillong area has generally low temperatures with maximums rarely above 28 °C and sub-zero winter temperatures are common.
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Special permits for foreigners to enter were removed in 1955. Meghalaya is compared to Scotland for its highlands, fog, and scenery. Meghalaya has some of the thickest primary forests in the country and therefore constitutes one of the most important ecotourism circuits in India. The Meghalaya subtropical forests support a vast variety of flora and fauna. Meghalaya has 2 National Parks and 3 Wildlife Sanctuaries.
Caves. Meghalaya has 500 natural limestone and sandstone caves. Krem Liat Prah is the longest cave, and Synrang Pamiang is the deepest cave. Both are located in the Jaintia Hills. Cavers from the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Ireland, and the United States have been visiting Meghalaya for over a decade exploring these caves. Not many of these have however been developed or promoted adequately for major tourist destinations.
Sacred groves. These are small pockets of an ancient forest that have been preserved by the communities for hundreds of years due to religious and cultural beliefs.dedicated to local folk deities or tree spirits. These forests are reserved for religious rituals and generally remain protected from any exploitation. These sacred groves harbour many rare plant and animal species. Have wide range of flora, thick cushion of humus on the grounds accumulated over the centuries, and trees heavily loaded with epiphytic growth of aroids, pipers, ferns, fern-allies and orchids.The Nokrek Biosphere Reserve in the West Garo Hills and the Balphakram National Park in the South Garo Hills are considered to be the most biodiversity-rich sites in Meghalaya.
In addition, Meghalaya has three wildlife sanctuaries. These are the Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, the Siju Sanctuary, and the Baghmara Sanctuary, which is also the home of the insect-eating pitcher plant Nepenthes khasiana also called “Me’mang Koksi” in local language.
Nongriat living root bridges. Functional, living, architecture is created by slowly training the aerial roots of the Ficus elastica tree. Examples are made by both Khasis and Jaintias. Many are along the southern border of the Shillong Plateau, but are disappearing either falling in landslides or floods or being replaced with more standard steel bridges.
Many are located near Cherrapunji. The Double-Decker root bridge, and others, is found in the village of Nongriat. Nearby in the villages of Nongthymmai, Mynteng, and Tynrong. Other areas with root bridges include Riwai village, near the tourist village of Mawlynnong, Pynursla, especially the villages of Rangthyllaing and Mawkyrnot, and the area around Dawki, in the West Jaintia Hills district, where there are many living root bridges scattered throughout the nearby villages.
JAINTIA HILLS To the east of Khasi Hills with a Khasi subtribe. 3,819 km2, population 295,692. Jowai. The largest producer of coal and limestone for cement.
Umlawan Cave, West Jaintia Hills. Krem KotSati, 21,530 m (70,640 ft), Lumshnong village. 24 entrances, both horizontal and vertical. Need to swim to enter the caves.
Krem Liat Prah*. 30,957 m (101,600 ft). In the Shnongrim Ridge. Huge trunk passage called the Aircraft Hangar. Longest cave in the Indian Subcontinent.
EAST KHASI HILLS 2,748 km2, population 660,923. Shillong. Ri-Bhoi division of East Khasi Hills, 2,448 km2, 192,795 people. Nongpoh. Hilly with forests. Pineapples
SHILLONG (pop 144,000). A hill station and capital of Meghalaya and in the East Khasi Hills district. The British to it as the “Scotland of the East”. Convenient location between the Brahmaputra and Surma valleys and a climate much cooler than tropical India.
Don Bosco Museum
Shillong Botanical Garden
Mawlynnong village (pop 900) 90 km from Shillong near the India-Bangladesh border offers a glimpse in northeast mountain life. Has a Living Root Bridges, hiking trails and rock formations. The population is mostly Christian and the village has three churches. Mawlynnong is known for its cleanliness. The waste is collected in the dustbins made of bamboo, directed to a pit and then used as manure. Smoking and use of polythene is banned while rainwater harvesting is encouraged.
Sacred Forest Mawphlang (“Law Lyngdoh”). One of the most celebrated sacred-groves, 25kms from Shillong. Preserved since time immemorial, these sacred groves have wide range of flora, thick cushion of humus on the grounds accumulated over the centuries, and trees heavily loaded with epiphytic growth of aroids, pipers, ferns, fern-allies and orchids. Can find the sacred Rudraksha tree here.
Arwah Cave. Located in Sohra (54 km from Shillong). The Arwah Cave is known for its fossils (fish bones, shells, etc), limestone stalagmite and stalactite formations, many narrow passages and chambers and a stream that flows inside the cave.
Arwah Lumshynna Cave is a huge cave surrounded by the thick forest of Law Shynna and is much larger in size than the Mawsmai Cave in Sohra.
Garden Of Caves. Located in the village of Sohra is the Garden of Caves or Ka Bri Synrang. Located close to the village of Laitmawsiang is a 2.5 hectare garden with 7 parts: Ka Synrang Syiem or the King’s cave, Sum Syiem Falls, Ki Stieh Maw which are warrior rocks, U Mawdohnud which is a heart-shaped rock, U Mawkhyllung or Baby rock, Arsdad Falls and the Riat Umlwai Falls.
The caves were used by the Khasi tribe members to hide themselves away from the British during their rule. The garden is surrounded by a dense jungle. There are no hotels, eateries. To enjoy the waterfalls in full splendour, the best time to visit is August and September due to heavy rainfall.
Krem Puri Cave. The longest sandstone cave in the world is in the NE, about 90 km from Shillong near the village Laitsohum which is quite remote with little accommodation. At 24,583 meters, it contains fossils. May to September as this is the best weather.
Mawsmai Cave. 6 km from Cherrapunjee, only about 150m is open to the public.
Diengiei Peak. Located 22 km from Umiam Lake and 40 km from Shillong, it is 200 feet lower than Shillong peak (6200′). On the top is the crater of an extinct volcano shaped like a huge hollow cup. 45-minute uphill walk from the village of Mawlaingut.
WEST KHASI HILLS 5,247 km2. Nongstoin.
Kyllang Rock*. This natural monolith of red granite is located about 11 kilometres from Mairang, Kyllang. A path goes to the top for great views. Rare white rhododendrons surround the base of the dome. Sunrise is good.
GARO HILLS
East Garo Hills. Population 247,555, 2,603 km2. Williamnagar. Nongalbibra has many coal mines. The coal is transported to Goalpara and Jogighopa via NH62.
West Garo Hills 3,714 km2, population 515,813. Tura.
South Garo Hills 1,850 km2, population 99,100. Baghmara.
Garo Hills Conservation Area (GHCA) Tentative WHS: The western most limit of the Indo Malayan Biodiversity Hotspots, Garo hills is bounded by Assam, Bangladesh and on the East by Khasi Hills. The GHCA comprises Nokrek National Park (49.44 km2), Balpakram National Park (220 km2) and Siju Wildlife Sanctuary (5.18km2); and the Reserved Forests of Tura Peak (4.19 km2), lmangiri (8.29 km2), Rewak (6.47 km2) and Baghmara (43.9 km2). The buffer area includes Baghmara Pitcher Plant Sanctuary (0.027 km2), Angratoli Reserve Forest (30.11 km2), and several Community-owned Forests and this also coincides with the boundary of Garo Hills Elephant Reserve.
The forest types are Tropical Moist Evergreen, Tropical Semi-evergreen and Tropical Moist Deciduous Forest. The terrain is hilly with deep gorges and limestone formations and elevation ranges from 100 to 1500 m. Nokrek Peak (1586m) is highest and Chutmang Peak (1150m) in Balpakram NP is second. Balpakram today is a mixed forest with secondary regrowth of the jhum areas.
The Garos are an indigenous tribe, language is Tibeto-Burman. They are also one of the few matrilineal societies. Their traditional method of agriculture is called jhum i.e. slash and burn shifting agriculture, best suited to the hilly terrain. In this system, the community clears a patch of forest for cultivation for a few years, then leaves it fallow for several subsequent years for natural regeneration to take place. This practice is followed under community rules and is one of the classical examples of traditional methods of sustainable land-use for cultivation in the landscape.
The Garo traditional faith centers around land, nature, jhum cultivation and traditional healing. Conversion to Christianity since the late 1800s have resulted in majority identifying as Christian (95%),
Balphakram NP
Cherrapunji-Mawsynram Reserve Forest
Narpuh Reserved Forest
Nokrek NP
OTHER DESTINATIONS
Jakrem: Hotsprings 64 km from Shillong on the Shillong-Mawkyrwat road.
Dawki: 96 km from Shillong, border town with Bangladesh. Annual boat race spring.
Dwarksuid. A scenic pool with wide, rocky sandbanks located on a stream alongside the Umroi-Bhoilymbong Road. Also called Devil’s doorway.
Waterfalls
Elephant Falls
Kynrem Falls
Nohkalikai Falls
Nohsngithiang Falls
Seven Sisters Fall
Wei Sawdong
Khasis. Indigenous Peoples: