Shillong - Scotland of the East

Shillong- Scotland of the East, is the capital city of Meghalaya. It lies in the East Khasi Hills District. It was fun exploring this hill station. I was surprised to see the crowd and traffic in Shillong. But one thing I really liked about the city was that the traffic there is disciplined. No one tries to overtake. Vehicles form a queue and drivers show patience.

Lovely view of the Farmlands of Shillong

The most famous tourist spot in Shillong is the Elephant falls. It was named so by the Britishers because there was a rock on the left side of the fall which resembled an Elephant. But now one cannot see the rock because it was destroyed in an Earthquake. There are three steps of this falls and two viewpoints. People are allowed to go in the water of the falls till a certain point. 

Elephant Falls

The first step of Elephant Falls

The second step

The third step of the Elephant Falls

Lady Hydari Park  is dedicated to Lady Hydari - the first lady of the province and wife of the former Governor of Assam. Lady Hydari Park is a mini zoo and a garden with wide variety of local flowering plants. The park also has a play ground for the tiny tots. It was pleasant walking in the park.

At Lady Hydari Park

Lady Hydari Park

Ward’s Lake is situated near Police Bazaar and is popular for boating and its garden walk. The lake is full of fish and we could see many people feeding the fish from the bridge. We had a small walk in the garden and then took a boat ride. 

At Ward's Lake

View while boating

Ducks at the Ward's Lake

The highest point in the State is the Shillong peak (1965 meters above sea level). One can get a splendid view of the Shillong city from the Shillong peak.  The views were really awesome. The weather was also very cool and the sky was full of clouds. 

View of Shillong from the Shillong Peak

The Golf Course of Shillong is not an ordinary golf course. It is one of the oldest in India and the wettest in the world.  

Golf Course

Golf Course

The best place to do shopping in Shillong is the Police Bazaar. There are many handicrafts showrooms in the area. We bought some exquisite wooden and bamboo showpieces.  We had some delicious and hot jalebis at Delhi Mistan Bhandar, which is famous for it jalebis.

We had our return flight in the afternoon from Shillong Airport. So, we went to explore Umiam Lake  in the morning. Umiam lake, also known as Barapani (meaning big water) is located 15 kms from Shillong. It is a man made lake and is famous for its water sports. We had a speed boat ride at the lake, which was thrilling. There is also Lum Nehru Park, located near Umiam Lake.

At Umiam Lake

Umiam Lake

View of the lake while boating

Awesome view of the Lake

At Lum Nehru Park

Shillong Airport, also known as Barapani Airport, is located in Umroi which is 40 kms from Shillong. It is a small airport. When we reached there, it had a deserted look with only security personnel at the gate.  Only Air India flights operate from Shillong. Our flight was late due to bad weather conditions in Kolkata. Our flight was at 1’o clock and was late by 3 hours. The Airport staff started arriving at 2’0 clock and after an hour we were allowed to check-in.  Aerospatiale alenia atr 42 is the aircraft which is being used by Air India in Kolkata- Shillong route. It is a small plane maybe because less people travel on this route. There were hardly 20 passengers on board.  

It was an enjoyable trip to Meghalaya which I will never forget. Trips to Cherrapunji and Living roots Bridge were particularly special.

Living Roots Bridge and Cleanest Village in Asia

Exploring the Living roots bridge and cleanest village in Asia was an enjoyable experience. The living roots bridge is located near the cleanest village in Asia- Mawlynnong. On our way to the village, the climate was foggy with heavy rains.  It was quite chilly. When we were about to reach, the weather got clear and we were able to see some small waterfalls.  

A  small waterfall

The living roots bridge is in Riwai village. The village is very nice and clean. The route to the bridge is cemented with plain road and some stairs, but after a certain point stairs were made up of stones. I was stunned to see the bridge made up of tree roots. It is unbelievable. 

Riwai Village

On our way to Living roots Bridge ( Riwai Village)

Living roots bridge

It is a ficus elastica tree also called rubber tree.  It is said that the local khasi people noticed the characteristics of the rubber tree, which is, that its trunk develops aerial and strengthening roots to fasten itself in the soil. So, they just adapted it and directed the roots in the desired direction with the help of betel nut tree trunks. When the roots reached the other side of the river, it was allowed to take root in the soil. Within some time a powerful, living bridge was formed. 

Living roots bridge- view from the river bank

A river was flowing down the bridge making roaring noise. After clicking lots of pictures of the bridge and river, we thought of touching the water flowing down the bridge.  The water was cold. It was thrilling experience and we enjoyed a lot.  

A river flowing down the bridge

River

On the way to Mawlynnong, we also saw a natural balancing rock. A big rock has naturally balanced itself on a small rock.  

Natural Balancing Rock

Mawlynnong – the cleanest village in ASIA is near to India- Bangladesh border. It is a village in East Khasi Hills District of Meghalaya. The people of this village are very friendly. It is really amazing to see dustbin made up of bamboo placed all along the village.  

Mawlynnong Village

Cleanest village in Asia- MAWLYNNONG

Mawlynnong Village

There is also a sky view point. It is made up of bamboo and is balanced in trees; we had to climb it to get the view of the village and the plains of Bangladesh. It was scary at first but then fun. The views were spectacular.  The sky was full of clouds with drizzle. 

Sky View Point

On the top (Sky view Point)

Plains of Bangladesh

On our way down from the sky view point

Way down from the sky view point

Before going back to Shillong, we took a round of the surrounding areas of the village and had a tea in local restaurant.  It was fun!
 

Nartiang and Mawsynram

Nartiang Village is situated in the Jaintia hills district of Meghalaya. When we reached there, weather was cloudy and pleasant. Our first stop in Nartiang, was a Durga Temple.  It is believed that a Jaintia king constructed this temple on his conversion to Hinduism.  It is said to be five hundred years old. When we reached the temple, it had a deserted look. The locals were staring at us, as they haven’t seen any tourist for a long time! The temple structure is like a khasi house with a tower. It is a simple and a quiet place. 

On our way to Nartiang

Durga Temple 

Nartiang is mainly famous for its Monolith Park, which has been declared as a protected place by the Archaeological Survey of India.  This park has the biggest collection of monoliths or megaliths stones. It consists of Menhirs (upright stones) and Dolmens (flat stones in the horizontal position). The tallest monolith in this park measures 27 feet. It is really a stunning place. 

Menhirs  and Dolmens at Monolith Park

Monolith Park

Our last stop in Nartiang, was the Thadlaskein Lake.  It is a historical and man made lake.  It is a beautiful spot for picnic and boating. It has play area for children with swing, see- saw etc. too. The flora and fauna surrounding the lake is fascinating.   

Thadlaskein Lake

 Lake

Surrounding areas

Our next day destination was the WETTEST PLACE ON EARTH- MAWSYNRAM. When we left for Mawsynram, it was sun-drenched but on the way, it started raining heavily. The road ahead was not visible due to fog. It was scary.  Our first stop at Mawsynram, was Mawjymbuin cave. The cave has a huge stalagmite in a shape of Shivalinga. We took lots of snaps and enjoyed the weather too, as it was raining heavily with chilly winds blowing.  The weather was perfect for hot tea so we stopped at a nearby restaurant to have one. I really enjoyed every sip of it.  

Way to the Mawjymbuin cave

Mawjymbuin cave

Shivlinga at Mawjymbuin cave

On our way to our next stop Jakrem, we saw a wonderful waterfall. 

Waterfall

Jakrem is famous for its hot water spring. It is believed to have curative medicinal properties. There is a swimming pool and also few bathrooms, built specially for those who want to take bath in hot water. We were looking for the source of this spring but then locals told us that no one knows where this water comes from. There is also a river which makes the view picturesque.  

On our way to Jakrem

Jakrem

River at Jakrem
 

On our way back to Shillong, we passed though a bridge. We thought of exploring the bridge on foot.  Scenery was awesome. Down the bridge, a river was flowing and few locals were engaged in fishing. The sky was full of clouds and overall, presented a breathtaking view.

View from the bridge

Locals fishing

bridge

Next day, we explored the Living roots bridge and cleanest village in Asia. I will discuss about them in my next post.