The unfettered reign of nature has been pivotal in shaping the lives of the people inhabiting this gorgeous state in India’s Northeast. Meghalaya—the very name aptly describes the state as the ‘abode of the clouds’. Its easy sprawl of 22,429 sq km adjoins Bangladesh to the west and Assam to the north, of which it was once a part till it gained statehood in the Indian Union in 1972.
The Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia communities made the mist-wreathed highlands and verdant lowlands of eastern Meghalaya their home centuries back. The Garos hail from the Bodo family of Tibeto-Burman stock, while the Khasis find their roots in the Mon-Khmer group; the Jaintia are said to have migrated from Southeast Asia. Meghalaya’s tribal communities are legendary for their cheery nature, warm hospitality, and inventive spirit; their social roots lie deeply entrenched in the long-preserved matrilineal system. Their deep attachment to their land and ancient traditions is reflected in the common cultural mores, the most unique being the matrilineal law, which governs lineage and ancestral inheritance through the female line. Largely driven by long-held animist beliefs, there are those among the communities who have over time adopted Hinduism, Islam, or Christianity as their spiritual moorings.
Colonial rule in the 1800s had a deep impact on the cultural mores in the region. State capital Shillong offers an excellent window to those days of British rule. This garrison town, which reminded homesick colonial masters of the cooler climes of England and Scotland, became a nucleus of education and Christian missions. Out of this also emerged Meghalaya’s still-enduring tradition of church music, which resonated well with the native affinity to song and dance. The pretty hill town with its parks and flower-bedecked garden bungalows soon became an administrative and commercial hub for the larger region. Today it’s the “Rock Capital of India” and a big draw for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.
Home to India’s wettest place Mawsynram which gets the highest rainfall, Meghalaya also has the longest cave system in the country as well as the cleanest village, Mawlynnong. Nongkhnun Island, close to Nongstoin, is the biggest river island in Meghalaya and the second biggest in Asia. The state’s traditional Sacred Forests also mark some of the earliest representations of preserving ancient ecosystems.
The Khasi Hills, which feature the highest elevations in the state are also the wettest and are home to Shillong, Sohra, and Mawsynram. In the Garo Hills, you can adventure on exploring the wonders of the wildlife at Nokrek Biosphere Reserve and Balpakram National Park. In the Jaintia Hills marvel over boisterous waterfalls, monolith hot spots, tranquil meadowlands—and even a transparent river—the Umngot, also known as the Dawki River.
Meghalaya will blow you away with its awesome wonderments and plenitude of fun-filled adventures to explore. Travellers will rarely tire of the endless round of activities Nature’s bounty offers in Meghalaya’s misty highland expanses. From caving to kayaking…from hiking and trekking to waterfall rappelling…from mountain biking to botanical adventures, where like yesteryears legendary botanist Sir Joseph Hooker, you can set out to discover some of its 300 species of orchids—and there’s so much more to explore, such as the Double-Decker Living Root Bridge of Nongriat, nature’s architectural wonder—all you need is time!
Your cultural cravings too are well rewarded as the state rains upon you a meteoric shower of shiny ethnic diversions culled from its Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia communities settled in its hilly enclaves. An unmissable experience is the annual post-harvest Wangala Festival of the Garo community where you witness 300 bedecked dancers and 100 drumbeaters descend on the fields. The annual Nongkrem Dance of the Khasis is another colourful affair. Behdeinkhlam, the three-day festival of the Jaintias, involves the waving of sticks and the beating of drums to drive away evil spirits from the land.
The capital Shillong serves as an excellent and convenient base for your deeper explorations in the state. There’s an airport here. There’s another nearby airport at Guwahati. Guwahati is also the nearest railhead. Shillong is connected by road to Guwahati, Darjeeling, Imphal, Kaziranga, Kohima, Agartala, Aizawl, and Kolkata.
