Meghalaya - The abode of clouds

Meghalaya is serene with rich biodiversity. It is truly an abode of cloud coming from the Bay of Bengal. Well, Cherrapunji (Sohra), Mawsynram- the wettest places on earth are located here.

Beautifully flowing waterfalls are all over. Meghalaya looks different in Monsoon and Winter. At the end of winter, most of the waterfalls were either dry or had less flow. However, the water accumulated below was crystal clear with blue-green water. The same water becomes muddy in Monsoon.

If you travel Cherrapunji from Shillong, you will be disheartened to see the huge environmental destruction. Mountains are being flattened taking out limestone from them. Yes, the same limestone is needed for making cement. The cement industry thrives on deposits of limestone from some environmentally rich areas like Meghalaya. The rampant construction work taking place all over the country requires cement. Where does it come from and at what cost?

Due to mining, the particulate matter in the air is at an alarming level. In a remote place like Cherrapunji, the air pollution level is high.

Moreover, stones needed for construction are also collected by destroying hills. They say the stones are also dispatched to Bangladesh illegally. 

Well, destruction is easy, conservation needs efforts.

Meghalaya is divided into three regions. Khasi, Garo and Jaintia. Each region has unique terrain with different ecosystems. Most of the people are converted to Christianity. People generally like to keep their surroundings clean. Most of the villages organize cleanliness drives regularly.

Khasis - the largest ethnic community in Meghalaya is one of the last existing Matrilineal society in the world. The youngest daughter inherits ancestral property and it is her responsibility to look after her parents in old age. Husbands live in the mother-in-law’s house and the children take the mother’s surname.  Women also work outside and household responsibilities are equally shared among family members. 

Truly, Meghalaya is a unique state in India and special among seven sisters as well.
Do visit Meghalaya- the abode of clouds (before the destruction level goes to peak and everything is leveled)!

Double Decker Root Bridge - Crown of Meghalaya

Meghalaya is famous for its root bridges. Double Decker root bridge is the crown among these bridges. It is built on the Umshiang river at Nongriat village.

The path is arduous. Climbing down 3500 steps takes you to the Double Decker root bridge.  Reaching the destination is easy. But climbing up 3500 steps to come back takes the breath away.  Moreover, the leg muscles remain stiff for two days.

The trek level is moderate here. A normal person who walks regularly can trudge the path.

But I must say, all the efforts are worthwhile!  

The green jungle and its sound speak to us.  As if giving the message, stay evergreen for life! The unseen birds sing sweetly. Their singing lingers in the heart. 

First, we come across a narrow bridge. One person can commute at a time. The stream below flows softly with clear water. The bridge trembles as we set our foot on it. But nothing to worry! It is sturdy enough to carry weight.

The second bridge has iron strips.  Again we see a small waterfall and clean water.

Then few steps we have to climb up to reach the double-decker root bridge.

We had started our trek at 6:15 am from Tyrna village. Our accommodation was quite close to the starting point of the trek. We reached our destination by 7:40 am. The view was breathtaking. The morning rays were falling on the bridge from behind.

 The calm fish were swimming in the water. 

From the bridge, one can go up to Rainbow falls trekking on rough terrain. It is a kind of adventurous trek. So, we decided to skip it. Spending half an hour by the bridge, we started our journey back.

I was exercising regularly before coming. But I had to take a break after climbing 100/200 steps to catch up on my breath. My dear husband never huffed or puffed. A result of gymming regularly and avoiding junk! And my dear daughter was guiding us from the front along with our guide. So proud of both of them!

By 10 am, we finally reached back to our accommodation. A sense of accomplishment filled my heart. The experience was one of a kind. And taught me a lesson to look after my health.

Our guide Muang was a happy fellow with a constant smile on his face. He enthusiastically showed us the construction work of his new house. He makes two 2-3 trips per day to guide travelers to the bridge. He was wearing the jacket all the time and seemed not to be sweating at all. And I was drenched in sweat by the time I came back.

A double-decker root bridge is located on difficult terrain. There are other root bridges in Meghalaya as well that are easily accessible. The one is near Mawlynnong, India's cleanest village. 

Root bridges are formed by living roots of a species of rubber plant, native to the northeast region. The roots of this plant are interlinked to each other to form a bridge. Khasi tribe from Meghalaya has invented the trick to interlink the roots. The bridges are sustainable and sturdy.

The bridge is unique and worth visiting. However, the journey towards the bridge is more beautiful. It touches the soul and brings calmness to the mind. Nothing matters in this world in front of the sheer beauty of the nature!

Double Decker root bridge is definitely the crown of Meghalaya.

The views still linger in my heart..

Dawki and Mawlynnong – Memories forever

 Dawki and Mawlynnong are the places in Meghalaya to create memories forever.

From Cherrapunji or Sohra, it takes three hours to reach Dawki. Dawki is the farthest town in Meghalaya situated on the border of India-Bangladesh.  Dawki’s Umngot is the cleanest river in India with mesmerizing green water. It truly is clean! In Monsoon, the water gets muddy, but otherwise, it is pristine.

Once we entered Dawki, from the hilltop we saw a huge crowd on the Umngot riverfront. We were dismayed by the thought of standing in the queue for a boat ride. To our surprise, the crowd was from Bangladesh!

On the riverfront, there is a huge rock that marks the border of India-Bangladesh. The upside part of the river belongs to India and the downside is to Bangladesh. Security personnel standing beside the rock does not allow Bangladeshi residents to come to India’s side. The only exception was the Bangladeshi photographers who earn their living by taking pictures for the tourists. Even though not needed, we also took photographs from one such photographer. (With an exchange of Bangladesh currency; i.e., Taka!)

We took a boat ride and entered the tranquil water. Also, we drank a few sips from the river. Elegant ladies from Dawki were catching fish from the river to prepare their meals. They get meager income from selling the fish. We couldn’t see much fish in the river.

The boat took us to the end where the water was turbulent due to rocks. The riverfront with round rocks was marvelous.

Taking pics, we sailed back to the starting point. With memories to cherish for a lifetime, we started our journey towards Mawlynnong, India’s cleanest village!

The road towards Mawlynnong runs along with the Bangladesh border fencing most of the time.

Meghalaya is a very clean state. Most of the villages carry out cleanliness drives to keep their surroundings clean. However, Mawlynnong is an ideal village model. The homes are adorned with gardens. Beautiful flowers bloom in most of the front yards. Efforts have been taken to promote tourism and create livelihoods for people residing in the village. Tourists can leave in the homestays as well.

There are other attractions near the village. One of them is a single root bridge. It is a bridge formed by the roots of the rubber plant. Meghalaya is famous for such root bridges. More on root bridges in a different post.

Balancing rock is another interesting place and an opportunity to take funny pics. A huge rock balances on very small support. So, one can pose like Hanuman or Krishna to lift a Parvat.

Traveling to Dawki from Sohra, we can experience changing plant diversity. Sohra is a wet desert with no vegetation except grass. Then on higher altitudes, we see temperate coniferous forest plants like pine, fir. As we go down vegetation changes to the tropical form. 

Dawki is at a lower altitude. It has an ample amount of betel nut (Supari), Bamboo trees. Plant to make a broom (Broomcorn) is abundantly seen here. Making brooms is the means of livelihood for people. So, the broom in your home may have come all the way from Meghalaya!

Traveled back to Sohra, we slept peacefully relishing the day spent well. Dawki and Mawlynnong truly gave us memories to last forever!