MEGHALAYA : The Pride of North-East India

Managing Time is an art. I had 4 days (keep 7 days when planning yours') to spare, and therefore instantly booked the tickets to Meghalaya. The name literally means Abode of the Clouds, and during the Monsoons this state is considered to be a Paradise.

The state is evergreen all round the year! Temperature in Meghalaya not a big issue, but the wind makes it feel even colder, especially at night during the winters.

However, the prime issue in going to the Meghalaya is that you need to spare a lot of time in reaching the destination. Unfortunately, due to a last minute booking, all the available flights had huge layovers, and I ended up with a 10 hour layover at New Delhi. Well, Nevermind!

One point worth noting in Meghalaya is that the Sun sets and rises pretty early. By this I mean that, with respect to Early December, it dawns at 5:00 AM, while the dusk falls at 5:00 PM.

Being a backpacker, especially when Solo, I was not interested in reserving a complete car, and therefore shared cabs was the best option available, since the buses are extremely infrequent in the North-east India. The best part about going by public transport is that you get to interact with the locals, and know their culture, which is not only enjoyable, but also very informative. However, in this area, it is almost impossible to find shared cabs to far off places after Dusk.

Keeping the above aspects in mind, I had planned my itinerary as follows :

Day 1: 

a)     Take a flight from Delhi to Guwahati (9:25 AM – 12:15 PM)

b)     Take a shared cab form Guwahati to Shillong (12:30 PM – 4:30 PM)

c)      Take a shared cab to Shnongpdeng (Dawki) (4:45 PM)

d)     Camp at Dawki for a night.

Day 2:

a)     Travel throughout Dawki till 12:00 PM

b)     Take a shared cab from Dawki to Shillong (12:00 PM – 3 PM)

c)      Take a shared cab from Shillong to Cherrapunji (4 PM – 6 PM)

d)     Camp at Cherrapunjee for the night.

Day 3:

a)     Travel throughout Cherrapunjee till 2 PM.

b)     Take a shared cab from Cherrapunjee to Shillong (2 PM – 4 PM)

c)      Take a shared cab from Shillong to Mawphlang (4 PM – 5 PM)

d)     Camp on the David Scott Trail.

Day 4:

a)     Travel through the David Scott Trail early in the morning.

b)     Take a shared/reserve cab to the Sacred Grove Forest (Short Distance) in the morning.

c)      Take a shared cab from the Sacred Grove Forest to the Elephant Falls in Shillong (11 AM – 11:30 AM) and visit.

d)     Take a bus form Elephant Falls to Shillong (11:30 AM – 12 PM)

e)     Take a shared cab from Shillong to Guwahati (1 AM – 5 PM)

f)       Take a flight from Guwahati to Delhi (7:25 PM – 10:15 PM)

However, this wasn’t a well itinerary by then, but just a brief idea, since we all know that itinerary for Backpackers may not go as well as they plan, and yes it did not!

Actually I am surprised that the trip happened at all!

Day 1 :

My Ola cab driver ditched me while leaving for my fight to Guwahati. He did not answer any of my calls, and did not show up either. After losing 30 precious minutes, I booked an Uber cab, which took another 15 minutes to arrive.

By the time I reached the airport, the Check-In Baggage gate window had already gone, and I rushed with my all my baggage to the Security Check. My Check In Baggage had a Swiss Knife! “You will not be able to catch the flight!”, told the Police at the Security. But I knew where what stuff was. Handed the knife and reached the Boarding Gate just in time, only to realise that did not have my Hand baggage with me anymore. A Mini-Heart Attack!

I had important stuff in that bag without which I couldn't leave. The staff told me that the fight will leave in another 10 minutes, and before she could complete, I was already on a Run!

Delhi Airport is quite big. I reached the Security, and told the Security about my case, and that I needed to get out and check the Check-In counter for my bag. They were simply not willing. They wanted an Air India staff to escort me out, and no Air India staff was willing. Seeing no alternative, I ran back to the boarding gate, and asked for an escort. The staff called up the Check-In Counter to see if I had left anything there. No Response! Suddenly I was told the flight was 10 minutes late. I was again on a run to scram through all the places I had passed.

I have a very good stamina, but Time stops for no one! I had no hope of catching the flight, still the Survivalist in me would not give up. I returned at the Boarding Gate for a check. The Staff at the Check In counter had found nothing. The flight was about to leave. It was getting delayed in the Security checks. Well, another 10 minutes delayed!

Another Run! Back to the Hand Baggage Security Check. I asked around more. Apparently, they found a bag and wanted a few checks. I instantly told them everything I had in my bag, got and bag, and received a call. 

“Sir, the flight is leaving. Are you going to board? We cannot wait any longer. You are the only person left. Where are you, Sir?”

“Yes. I have found the bag! Just 2 minutes!”

Another run by a Dry-Throat Sleep Deprived Survivalist, followed by continuous check calls throughout!

Just reached in time! When there is Will, there IS a Way! BOARDED!

I had reserved a Window Seat for myself on the A side of the Aircraft and shortly after take-off from Delhi I saw bright shimmering clouds lining the Horizon. The clouds were too Perfect! As I focused more, the distant clouds transformed into The Mighty Snow-Clad Himalayan Ranges. As we flight moved ahead the ranges became more distinct, and the tourists couldn’t help their awe 40,000 feet above the sea level.

I reached Guwahati at 12:30 am and took a cab to Shillong, which is an almost 4 hour journey. However, my destination was 80km farther ahead, Dawki. I got down at Anjalee, from where shared cabs to almost everywhere are available. However, on dusk at 5:00 PM, Hardly any!

I’m a Weird Optimist! I may lose Hope, but I won’t stop Trying. As far as the LANGUAGE is concerned, English is the official language here, and almost everyone here understands either English or Hindi, other than their native Garo and Khasi languages. While the drivers urged me to reserve a private car, and all the shared had left, 1 last driver agreed to go sharing as a few more Dawki localites had gathered. He charged me Rs. 300. The reserve car would charge Rs. 1500, although a few more willing ones may decrease the price on bargain.

I asked the driver for his contact, and suddenly as soon as I called, his name showed up on TrueCaller.

“Brother, how do you know me? Have we met before?”

“I know almost everyone here. I got a contact here, who gave me contacts of everyone. I am never alone!” *Swag!*

Talking about the CELLULAR NETWORKS most of them work pretty fine, except at Dawki (Bangladesh Border), where CellOne works the best, followed by Vodafone. Jio is also a bit okay. 

It became dark by the time we started, but the Moon looked beautiful here, especially when on a rise. The first and last Super Moon of 2017 was supposed to be 2 days later. The Moon was Huge, and gave a beautiful countryside vibe. Much like Courage-The Cowardly Dog, with a positive undertone. 😊

The cab stopped at a small town along route 1 hour before reaching Dawki, from where a local lass bought Pork Sausages. I bought a few myself, and they were delicious. The driver also showed me the Bangladesh Border from the car. Half of the of Many of the Garo & Khasi people live on the other side of the border, but they are very peaceful, and the Army has no issue for the locals crossing the border every now and then. It is their land, their culture. The War and Politics can divide the land, but cannot divide them and their bonds, which is lovely.

We finally reached DAWKI at 8, where I bid goodbye to the lovely locals.

The cab driver told me, that I will need to reserve a car for Rs. 200-300 to reach SHNONGPDENG. Since, I wanted to camp, I had got a random contact, Bah Law, from someone who would say Yes to everything that got him business. He was the only Cheat I met on my trip, and was the only bad part of the otherwise magnificent experience. He told me that his friend is there waiting for me. So I took that cab and reached Shnongpdeng. However, Bah Law, The Cheat (+918131893372) told me asked me to give Rs. 400 to the driver, which was too much for a 2-3 km trip. He told me I needed to pay the money spent in waiting for me, as if I had requested to wait. I gave the driver 350 bucks. Bah Law then led me to the camp he had put up, which was placed right beneath a hotel, in contrast to the river side, which totally contrasted to the idea! I went to the river, walked for a while, and went to bed early.

Day 2 :

Next morning when I wanted to leave, Bah Law told me I needed to Pay Rs. 700 for the camp, when he I had invited me for Rs. 500, and called me a million times to come to his place only. If he had told me Rs. 700 beforehand, I would not have minded. But lies always leave a bad impression. Well, done with the Bad Experience, and MOVED ON!

There is a bridge with which you can cross the river, and on reaching the other side, I saw that there was a location managed by someone only for the purposes of camping, and wished I had camped there instead in peace. However, I would never let one bad experience ruin my entire trip spirit.

The Sunrise was as beautiful as expected.


The boating here was supposed to start at 10 AM approx. However, I made up my mind, and took a shared cab back to Dawki village for Rs. 20 as I wanted to be in Shillong on time. Since it was a Saturday, so the locals told me that the shared cabs back to Shillong leave early due to less local commuters over the weekend, and not many cabs are available post afternoon.

In Dawki, Schnongpdeng is the main place to visit. And you can either go there for boating, or also boat at Dawki itself, and camp at Dawki too for cheaper rates possibly. UMNGOT river is one of the cleanest rivers in India.  Boating in this river is Rs. 400 per boat ride.

This river is astonishingly clear. It is so clear that if you look from the top, you would see a boat floating in air, and able to see the river bed deep down. 

I started boating, and rowing the boat myself. Experiencing such things yourself not only adds to your skillset, but is also a lovely experience. I could see fishes swimming at the bottom of the river, and like deep bottom! Only at one point did the ground become hazy, where I was told that the depth was almost 50 ft (I doubt!).

In spite of the river bed being famous for being so clear, and Dawki’s close proximity to Asia’s cleanest village (Mawlynnong), few people/tourists can’t resist to litter the river every now and then. Not much, but for such a reputation (or even morally), even a piece of litter is bad, and the land near the river isn’t clean like you would expect. But as you approach the end of the ride, the dirt slowly fades away due to the flow.

Despite above being said, boating here is a bliss, and a must do in Meghalaya. Who wants to leave Meghalaya, and not be able to boast about seeing boats float through the air (apparently!)? The images on either side are a proof of the depth and clarity of the river, and let me note here and the stick, although extremely long, couldn't reach the bottom of the river!

There is also a cave here in Dawki. Not a famous one, but some locals know about it. If in excess of time, it is a also worth a visit, after keeping time separating time for Mawlynnong, both of which I chose to skip as I was on a tight schedule.


MAWLYNNONG is considered to be the Cleanest Village of Asia. The villagers here respect the nature, and not only resist themselves from littering, but also fine the stupid tourists who are better off living with the Monkeys. The fine here is only Rs. 50-100, but the essence of this fine is to teach a Valuable Lesson. Villagers here also try to suffice their needs from nature  as much as possible, while protecting it at the same time. This is also where you will find living root bridges, which I also found in Cherrapunjee, along with a Waterfall, & a Church.

Reserve cabs charge Rs. 1500 to go to Mawlynnong from Dawki, and is closer from Dawki than from other major destinations.

I started back towards Shillong around 11:15 AM and reached Anjalee in Shillong by 2:30 PM.

Shillong is a busy town, and traffic jams in the city are not uncommon. The Police Bazaar and Bara Bazaar are quite famous shopping places here, which I explored for One and a half hours, and then took another shared cab towards to Cherrapunjee.

Since it wasn’t possible to roam around after 5 PM due to the dark, the aim was to cover the long travels during that time. This was actually fun owing to the beautiful countryside meadows Cherrapunjee has to offer, and the Super Moon (well, almost! a day before!).
The above image is of the Super-Moon (almost) shot above the meadows from a moving car.

I reached Cherrapunjee around 8 PM. I stayed in a hotel here since proper camping here is not very prominent, unless you have your own equipment. Sitting near the bonfire in a seclude location and gazing idly at the big Moon one day prior to the Super Moon, at a secluded location, was extremely relaxing, until sleep overcame my senses.

Day 3:

CHERRAPUNJEE offers the best of Meghalaya, and North East India. On a clear morning, the sky is lovely sight to behold.

So to see all the places in Cherrapunjee, A reserved car is imperative, unless the sole objective is to visit the Forest Trek of Living Root Bridges, which is the best part. It was quite late when I had reached the previous night, and therefore I could not wander the streets the bargain a cab. However, a contact I had made there helped me with a cab for Rs. 1500 cab to pick me up in the morning for Cherrapunjee tour. It is possible to bargain further if there are more options. But I wanted to stick to my tight schedule of covering Cherrapunjee quickly, reach Shillong, and board a cab to Mawphlang to on the same day, than waste my time searching in the morning.

There is an Arwah Cave which opens after 8 PM and shuts early. It is not a famous Cave, and I decided to skip it for the next time, due to contradictory timings.

So the first destination of course was the Living Root Forest, which is a long trek and takes most of the day. So it is good to reach the place as early as possible. We reached by 7:15 AM.

Now in this forest, there are 3 places to visit: (i) Longest Living Root Bridge (& Arkhapmaw Cave) (ii) Double Decker Bridge (iii) Rainbow Falls.

Ample Directions and Information are marked throughout the forest : 
This is a very steep trek, and what the travelers don’t realise is that the trek is difficult on the way back, due to a steep climb, and they end losing the precious time on the descend.

My case was not very different here, and I knew that from the start, but I am a pretty fast climber. And hence I knew that whatever be the case, I would not be delayed by more than 0.5-1 hour, which I was OK with.

This been said, this forest is probably the best part of Meghalaya, and is easy to get lost in its beauty.

It’s a long way down without any climb, and therefore I reached the Living Root Bridge in a highly elated spirit

The LIVING ROOT BRIDGE is usually formed by guiding the branches of Rubber Fig tree across the river by Scaffolding and Inosculation. The locals usually guide the branches across using bamboo sticks, and even make steps to climb by systematically placing he bamboo sticks, and allowing the roots/branches to grow and harden around them. These living root bridges can stay intact for hundreds of years depending on the health of the tree.

This bridge is close to a waterfall, and one can hear the melody of the waterfall round. On cross the bridge, there are 2 paths. One leads to down to the stream from the waterfall, while the other leads to a small narrow cave called Arkhmap Cave. There isn’t much to see inside the cave.

On the way back, the path forks towards the Double Decker Bridge. As the name suggests, this place has two bridges, one on top of the other. The place also has a small shop to buy water and eatables. I bought the ticket and proceeded. This place is a perfect example of engineering without screwing up with the nature in any manner. The water here is very clear and pleasure to the eyes.

There are natural pools to swim throughout the path thus adding to the beauty and enjoyment. The water too is as pure as possible. We have a lot to learn from the Khasi, Garo and Jaintia people on how live in the nature, and with the nature, in perfect harmony.

It was already 10 A.M. by the time I left from the Double Decker Bridge as the beauty of the forest was too much to take in. I was supposed to be back at the parking by 11 AM, and I told myself, that 1 hour late won’t cost me much as planned, and I proceeded. As I moved ahead I quickly ran out of water and eatables, and wasn’t willing to go back to the shop at Double Decker from halfway.

Rainbow waterfall is one if the best waterfalls on Meghalaya. With a constantly visible rainbow, it is a huge waterfall falling into a big blue pool of water which is a delight to behold, and a pleasure to swim in. It’s the kind of falls which does not let you stay dry even if you are at a far-off distance.

After all the fun & relaxation at the Rainbow Falls, now was the time to climb back all the way to the top. As I swiftly started back, I soon realized that it was quite hard to ascend under the sun without a single drop of water with me.

Running water is considered to be an almost pure form of water, and need not necessarily be boiled for drinking, unless you have a provision. So that’s what I did, I drank water from 2 small streams in extremely small amounts.

Not an excellent idea I guess! I am not sure which one was infected, but 10 minutes later, I, out-of-the-blue, started having severe muscular spasms in both of the upper legs simultaneously. 


Damn my Quads, Damn my Hamstrings, I had not worked them out at gym so much for this! But this wasn’t because of that, I have done much steeper ascends and in far worse conditions! This was supposed to be easy. Well, whatever be the reason, I could not walk for even 5 minutes straight! I took my handkerchief out. Tied it around one leg. Damn you, Other! Pulled out a sock. Tied! More spasms, another sock. More! Shit I am out of things to tie!

I’d walk slowly for 2 minutes and sit down. And I was a loooong way from ending the trail. But I am strong. I am training for Survival in the Wild. What good would it be if I can’t tolerate this much. There is no help in the Wild! I kept resting and moving in 2-minute-each intervals. As soon as I reached the Double Decker Bridge, I threw the bottle filled with the Stream Water and bought a proper packaged one. And lots of stuff to eat, without stopping my motion for long so as to clean the system as quickly as possible. It really hurts the ego when you see unseasonal trekkers or old people surpass you, while you stop at every 10 meters. This wasn’t a competition!

It took me 1.5 hours to recover, and as soon as I did, like Forrest Gump breaking free of this crutches, I ran as fast I could. Not because of time. I knew it was too late to run. But the joy of recovery was too much to take in. I reached back to the Nongriat Parking by 2 AM.

It was a Sunday, and I had already been warned that it is hard to find shared cabs back to Shillong after 2 PM, and there was more Cherrapunjee had to offer. Well, One thing solo backpacking has told me is that things do not always go according to the plan. Plans need to be improvised with time.

So I  started off towards the Mawsmai Cave, the infamous cave made out of Limestone.

This place has an entry ticket of Rs. 10, and actually has 2 caves, one at the start, the main cave, and another at the end which does not have any light, and isn’t much significant either from beauty point of view.

The first cave, however, is a beautiful one, with limestone projections throughout.

As far as the CAVES Exploration is concerned, the entire Jaintia, Khasi and Garo Hills comprise of more than 1580 caves scattered around the state, of which around 980 caves have been fully or partially explored. 9 of the 10 longest caves of India are in Meghalaya, with the 10th being located in the sister state of Mizoram. Krem Liat Prah (Krem means Cave in Khasi) in the Jaintia hills is the longest cave, 31 km in length, which can be even longer, as many scattered caves turn out to be connected at the other end.


Once done with the cave I set off towards the remaining 2 Falls : Nohkalikai and The Seven sisters.

Nohkalikai is considered to be the best here by a few locals.
This Falls is named after a woman named Ka Likai (Ka is a title give to females in Khasi) who jumped and committed suicide there (Noh means Jump in Khasi). Her first husband had died on one of his trips as a Porter, and she had remarried, besides taking on the work of her first husband to keep a source of income. However, due to work, and her daughter, her husband felt left out, killed the daughter in his jealousy, cooking meat out of the her, and left the house.
A tired Ka Likai returned home and ate the meat she found on the table. As she went on to eat Betel Nut and Betel Leaf (common among the North-Eastern Indians), she found her daughter's finger, and understood everything.
Overcame by grief and remorse, she went to the waterfall, and committed suicide by making a leap. 

The waterfall collect into a beautiful clear blue pool of water. However, I, personally,  did not find the Falls extraordinary because of 2 factors : 1) You cannot approach the Falls. You only get to a View Point where you find the Waterfall far away on the opposite hills. 2) It is just like any other good waterfall, but Rainbow falls is far better.

The Monsoons may tell a different story.

The Nohsngithiang Falls or The Seven Sisters Falls, as the name suggests, is a magnificent series of 7 waterfalls, which is a wonder to the eyes, especially during the monsoons when there is enough water. However, the water level may dry out in a few ones during other seasons. Well, a 7 Sisters Falls in one of the 7 Sister States of India. Fascinating!

It was already past 5 by the time I got finished with Cherrapunjee. I decided to spend another night in the peaceful Cherrapunjee itself, than head towards Shillong, as it was very less unlikely to get even a reserved cab for the DAVID SCOTT TRAIL on the same day from either Cherrapunjee or Shillong, leave apart finding a shared cab to Shillong. possible to get a cab for the David Scott Trail on the same day. My own driver refused to drive on the same day, but agreed to start straightaway towards David Scott Trail and Mawphlang early in the morning, along with dropping me at Shillong after showing the places worth visiting in Shillong for Rs. 2000.

Although Cherrapunjee is considered to be The Wettest Place on Earth, it is has a fierce competition over this Title with its neighbor village, MAWSYNRAM. If in excess of time, it is a totally worth it to visit this place and the Mawjymbuin cave situated there, with Limestone Stalagmite formations, similar to the one in Cherrapunjee. when I say THE WETTEST PLACE ON EARTH, it by no way means that it rains 365 days a year as against the misconception among few people, otherwise we would have found Mermaids and Mermen there!😅 It just means that it rains a heavily mostly when it does, and especially during the monsoons.

There is a Natural Geyser in the village of MAWLYNGBNA, which is 25 km from Mawsynram. This village is also rich in fossils.

I had a flight from Guwahati on the following day at 7:30 PM, so I did not mind booking him as long as he arrived as early as possible and I got to see all the places and still reached the Guwahati Airport on time.

Day 4:

I left Cherrapunjee early in the morning at 6:15 AM. I had read online that the Mawphlang Sacred Grove Forest opens at 9:00 A.M. & I wanted to be the first one to enter, and finish it as quickly as possible. Although Meghalaya is known to be the Abode of the Clouds. I had neither witnessed a piece of cloud, nor the fog since my arrival, the former possibly because the monsoons were over, but no sign of the latter either in the first week of December had been queer, surprising, and totally unexpected. However, on the way towards Mawphlang, along the UMTYNGAR river, I finally witnessed a significant amount of the fog, and getting out of the vehicle was almost freezing. The appearance of fog, even though for a brief period of 15 minutes along the route, made my trip feel like ‘Complete’.

I finally reached MAWPHLANG SACRED GROVE FOREST. To enter inside this forest, it is mandatory to hire a guide. A full tour is for Rs. 400, which is a fixed written rate, and you do not get to enter into the core forest in this one. However, with an extra payment, even that can be facilitated. But that is only worthy during the seasons when the trees bear flowers. I went during the winters, and unfortunately winters isn’t one of them.

On reaching there, for the purposes of this blog, I picked up a number of the Guide from the internet and inquired for one. I was told that it would cost me Rs. 500. The internet also mentions that it is fruitful to book a guide beforehand, to save time. Well, first, Mawphlang does not attract huge crowd. Second, even if otherwise be the case, in the peak season, it is important to know the price beforehand, than agree to the false higher rates, by calling them on numbers jotted from the internet.

Mawphlang (also known as Mawphlong, Law Lyngdoh, Law Kyntang, The Sacred Grove), area 28.6 hectares, is one of the 15 Sacred Grove Forests among the Meghalayan Hills, and the most prominent one. It is believed that a deity named Labasa (Excuse me for pronouncing the name wrong in the video. To Err is Human! 😋), or U Ryn­gkew U Basa, resides here, and visits the natives in the form of a Leopard, when happy, or a Snake, when disappointed.  No village among the Khasi natives is complete without a Sacred Grove forest.

The Forest opens with the Khasi Heritage Village, where you get the guide, followed by beautiful meadows, and then the forest amidst those peaceful meadows. This forest is divided into 3 parts, with the middle one being the main forest. The locals have made a cute entrance by the shaping the leaves.

No one is allowed to take anything out of the Sacred Forest, as it is believed to upset the deity. Anything even includes a leaf! There have been tales of non-believers receiving severe bad luck to even dying, who chose to take out stuff from the forest.

I do not contest the claims the claims, and respect the natively-held beliefs, but there are also people, who did take out Rudraksha seeds from the respective fruit, and reached home safely. How long did they live after that, and in what kind of state is something I am totally oblivious to.

Due to such sacred values, this forest is probably the most pristine forest you will find in the state of Meghalaya. The natives value their beliefs over everything, and go every mile to protect the same.

This been said, this forest is a paradise for botanists, or those generally interested in the diversity of Flora, and the spring and the monsoons are considered to be the best seasons for visiting this forest. Flora like Cobra plant, which has black leaves shaped like the head of a Cobra, Rudraksha tree, tree that can cure diseases like Cancer, flowers which look like a spoon, etc. can be found here.

As far as the History and Legends are concerned, Mawphlang was found by the Blah tribe, (formerly Langblah), who migrated from the Pnar  area in Jaintia hills after the chief received a sign from their deity that the tribe should move towards the Khasi hills. They followed the Umiew (Umiam Mawphlang) river via Lum Shillong (Shillong Peak) and settled at Pdenshnong , Mawphlang. The Blahs were later joined by several other clans, but retained the Leadership until the  Mawphlang --Syiemiong war, which was won by the Mawphlang clan.

The  12 clans- Kharshiing,Kharsohliya,Kharhunai,Kharnarbi,Kharsahkhar, Kharmawphlang, Kharmaram,Kharlanguih, Kharphynrap,and Kurkalong--- together form  the Hima Mawphlang.

Select Khasi people, in the ancient times, would go inside the forest to sacrifice an animal, primarily during the times of War. For this purpose, several Monoliths are present inside the forest. Soon after the entry into the forest, there is a thinking or counseling ground (this is also where the new king was crowned post-war), where the natives would initially sit and think if there is anything else they need from the village. They would then proceed towards the place of sacrifice, Lait-Tyrkhang  (in extreme left,1st, part of the forest, which was later changed to Phiephandi, the main central, 2nd, part of the forest, post war), and eventually towards their very own dining place, which is an open place, where they would bring the sacrificed animal. Only the people present during the sacrifice were allowed to eat the animal. This was supposed to please the deity, Labasa, in the times of War and Hardships. This ritual is no longer done inside the forest, for the purposes of conservation of the forest, and the sacrifice is done at another ground instead.

The native still get to see the leopard, although very rarely. Jackal, foxes etc. are among the other fauna that reportedly inhabits the forest. However, they rarely come out of the core forest towards the walking trail.

Once the war was over, with many beloved lost, Blah community stepped down from leadership, and started looking for a new leader.

The Khasis believed that there can be no ruler or kingdom without a Sacred Grove, and conversely, no Sacred Grove without a ruler.

Ka Khmah Nongsai, a just and powerful renowned woman was eventually approached to take on the role of their leader. Although she refused, she sought a sign from the gods for her own son to take up the responsibility . She planted two saplings : Dieng Sohma (Rhus Semialata) and Dieng Sning  (Castronopsis Indica) at Phiephandi, which later became the sacrificial ground, and declared that if the saplings survived for three years,her son was destined to be the chief of the Hima Mawphlang. Some believe that a third saplingwas also planted, known as  Ka Diengdoh (Exbucklandia Populnea). Eventualy, her son did become the chief and took the title of U Lyngdoh.

After the loss of the Khasi in the Anglo- Khasi War in 1893, attempts were made by some people  to cut down the trees in the sacred grove. The native kept fighting against this, and performed sacrifices & rituals . Eventually, they declared that the offerings of the forest can be consumed inside the forest, but cannot be taken outside for profit making. It was after this that the grapevine spread among the people about Labasa punishing the people daring to take the forest belongings outside the rightful place.

The entire forest tour was a wonderful, enlightening and relaxing journey, completed within an hour. By 9 AM, I was again on a move back towards Shillong, Scotland of the East!

On the way back, I stopped at the Elephant falls (or Ka Kshaid Lai Pateng Khohsiew, meaning Three Steps Waterfall), named after an elephant-like stone at its foot, and 12 km from SHILLONG, which is a pretty big and beautiful Fall. It is divided into 3 viewpoints as you travel down the stairs. However, although it gives the tourists 3 view points (sequentially shown below) to click beautiful pictures at, I personally feel that organizing it this way has taken away the ‘natural’ charm of the Fall. Still, it is definitely worth a visit. The beauty itself is hard to take away!

Done with Elephant Falls, and still having time left, I moved towards the Shillong Peak. This peak falls in the military area, and entry is provided after submitting a Govt. ID Proof, which is returned on way back.

Shillong Peak is the highest peak (1961 m (6434 ft) above sea level) of Meghalaya. But if one are looking for the ‘Natural’ factor, it may disappoint. Nothing in Shillong remotely gives a sense of natural beauty. It is the capital of the state, and hence highly urbanised. However, apart from that, the telescope here is extremely powerful, and provides a Bird’s Eye over the distant Himalayan ranges, it’s waterfalls, and the Bangladesh Border. During the peak season, a view of not more than 1 minute per person is permissible.

There is also a Rhododendron Trek on the way to Shillong Peak from Police Bazaar. Rhodedendron is a genus containing 1024 species of flora bearing flowers of various colors.This is a new 6 km trek, inaugurated in 2017, from 2½ Mile, Upper Shillong to Sangmein, which was earlier used by Britishers on horses as a shortcut. This trek remains open from October to April on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. It's entry is at the left in the second picture below.

Done with the 2 prime places Shillong had to offer, I returned to Police Bazaar by 12 PM to get a cab back towards Guwahati. My flight was at 7:25 PM, and I wanted to leave maximum by 1 PM, especially after the incident with my luggage at the Delhi Airport while coming to this beautiful state! It is better to be prepared for heavy traffic jams within the capital of Meghalaya, and this is the only place in Meghalaya with traffic jams, owing to its urbanized nature. What A point to note while in Shillong is that, on terms with the Cleanliness motto of the state, one can be fined up to Rs. 5000, if found littering the streets. Bribery is applicable too, but I like the law!

One can also visit Ward’s Lake, which is right behind the Taxi Stand of Police Bazaar. However, this, now, is lesser of a tourist destination, and more of a Lovers’ Point, if you know what I mean! 😉

There are few Lakes, a Golf Course, and the football-shaped building of Meteorological Department (you can see this only from outside) worth a visit too in and near Shillong if time permits.

I reached Guwahati Airport by 4:30 PM. No traffic at all, by sheer luck! Well, There is absolutely nothing to do around the airport, which is on the outskirts of the city. To add to that My flight, Jet Airways, got 1.5 hours delayed! What luck! Nevermind! I had already enjoyed all this beautiful Abode of Clouds had to offer in mere 3 days. No issues at all! Loved it!

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