Location :
North Eastern Part Of
India
Capital :
Shillong
Tourist
Attractions : Shillong,
Caves, Orchids And Wildlife
Best Time
To Visit : Round The Year |
Tourism in
Meghalaya
MEGHALAYA - GENERAL
INFORMATION
Area: 22,429-sq-kms
Population: 17,74,778 million
Latitude: 250 and 26.150
Longitude: 89.450 and 92.470
Seven Administrative Districts: West Garo
Hills, East Garo Hills, South Garo Hills,
West Khasi Hills, East Khasi Hills, Ri Bhoi
and Jaintia Hills.
ABOUT MEGHALAYA
Glens, bracken, mist, burns...all that's
missing are Scottish kilts and bagpipes.
Meghalaya, of Scottish scenery and Indian
charm, is a tiny state tucked away
in-between Assam and Bangladesh. Among the
wettest places on earth, it is home to an
extraordinary diversity of peoples, the
Khasi, Jantia and Garo tribes. Shillon is
its capital.
Meghalaya is dotted with a number of divine
tourist spots, where Nature unveils herself
in all her glory. Shillong, the capital city
has a number of beautiful sites like, Ward's
lake, Lady Hydari park, Polo ground, Mini
zoo, Elephant falls and Shillong peak,
overlooking the city and the golf course,
one of the best in the country.
The Scotland Of The
East
When the Scots first came to the hilly side
of Meghalaya in the North-East of Indian
land, met and intermarried the handsome
Khasi people and delighjted in the mists and
deep valleys, they felt very nostalgic. So
they called Shillong, 'The Scotland of the
East'.
The pleasant hill station of Shillong,
derives its name from the deity Shillong or
"Lei Shillong", which is worshipped at the
Shillong Peak, 10-km from the main town.
This is the highest point in the state and
commands a panoramic view of the valley. In
the evening, the city lights below glitter
like a giant Christmas tree. One of the
first places that a newcomer to Shillong
should visit is the Lewduh Bazar. Cheerful
women dominate this market, the largest of
its kind in the Northeast. Oranges,
Pineapples and other fruits; vegetables,
meat and Fish are on sale here as are
consumer durables.
The Tribal History
The tribal hill people trace their origins
to pre-Aryan times in India. They accepted
nominal British rule in the 19th century.
Included in the state of Assam, the area
received special protection under the Indian
constitution. With the introduction of
Assamese as official language, agitation for
autonomy began, and the area was made a
state in 1972. Most of the inhabitants are
of Tibeto-Burman (Garos) or Mon-Khmer (Khasis)
origin. The predominately rural population
is mostly Hindu and Christian, with some
Muslims and a few Buddhists also inhabiting
the state.
Female Domination
In Meghalaya, mothers know best. This is a
matrilineal society - property and wealth
are passed through the female rather than
the male line. Majority of the Khasis, (the
dominant tribe) are archers, though
agriculture is the main occupation. Crops
include rice, millet, corn (maize), pepper,
potatoes, chilies, cotton, ginger, betel
nuts, oranges, mangoes, bananas, pineapples,
and numerous varieties of vegetables.
Forests are the source of commercial wood:
teak, bamboo and cane.
HANDICRAFT
The main shopping areas are Police Bazar,
Bara Bazar and Laitumkhrah. At Bara Bazar
one can have an interesting experience of
seeing people of different tribes in
colourful traditional attire. For hand-woven
shawls, handicrafts, orange flower honey and
cane work, one can visit the emporia namely
- the Meghalaya Handicrafts, Khadi Gramodyog
and Purabshree.
Natural Heaven
Meghalaya is endowed with a rich variety of
beauty in nature. Of the 17,000 species of
orchids in the world, about 1,250 exist in
India, of which nearly 300 are found in
Meghalaya. The Khasi hills specially boast
of the age-old sacred forests, many of which
are preserved to this day by traditional
religious sanction. The Mawphlang sacred
forest, 20-km west of Shillong represents
the pristine glory and wisdom of the elders
of yore in preserving the ecological system.
Meghalaya has a rich wildlife. It is the
home of many rare animals and birds, the
best known of them being Elephants, Tigers,
Golden Cats, Binturongs, Slow Loris, Monkeys
of different types and interesting birds
including Hornbills, Partridges, Teals,
Snipes and Quails.
CLIMATE
All its charms are made doubly attractive by
its climate; on the whole, cool and
temperate, right round the year. For
instance, Cherrapunjee is known to receive
the world's heaviest rainfall, but most of
it in three or four months of the year. Its
climate makes Meghalaya that rare
hill-resort-country that is a pleasure to
visit round the year, even in the middle of
winter.
FESTIVALS
Festive celebrations in Meghalaya vary
according to the region and tribe.
Festivals, apart from those of the Christian
faith, are held annually. This is a time
when the ancestral spirits are appeased,
following sowing and harvesting. Ka Pomblang
Nongkrem, or the Nongkrem Dance, is one of
the most important Khasi festivals. Shad
Sukmynsiem is another important festival of
the Khasis. Behdiengkhlam, the most
significant festival of the Jaintias is
celebrated in July. Wangala, is the
prominent festival of the Garos and is
dedicated to the Sun God.
TOURIST INFORMATION
CENTRES
Meghalaya Tourism Dept Corp, Orchid Hotel,
Polo Rd, Shillong -1
The Director, Directorate of Tourism, MTC
Building, Police Bazaar, Shillong
MTDC Meghalaya House, 9 Russel Street,
Kolkata - 71
Directorate of Tourism, 9 Aurangzeb Road,
New Delhi - 11
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India
Travel Guide / States / Meghalaya Travel Guide
