My Impressions of Meghalaya

My earliest memory of the word 'Cherrapunji' was in school. We had a question in our General Knowledge test - "Which place in India gets the highest rainfall"? The answer was Cherrapunji. The spelling was difficult. It was a multiple-choice question. We only had to select the right option. I never learned the spelling.

Cherrapunji, for me, was a far away place, so far away that I could not place it on the map, so far away I could never visit. I don't remember memorizing anything else about this unknown place. Its only marker was the incessant rain that had found this village a spot in our NCERT school textbook. 

I don't remember reading about Meghalaya, the name of the state to which Cherrapunji belonged. But I remember the word 'Cherrapunji' - vividly. It was etched in my memory.

So decades later, when I finally visited the state, what were some of my first impressions of this far-flung state in the extreme northeastern part of India, 3000+ kilometers from Bangalore, my city? As a first-time visitor to the state, was the trip fulfilling and worth the money? 

Here are some of my immediate reactions to Meghalaya:

1. Scenic Beauty: 

The meadows are beautiful. 

Here almost throughout the year the mountains are green due to the rains.

Mangalore, where I am from, is green during the monsoons and then it turns a sad brown and stays various shades of brown for almost 6 to 7 months, until next year, in June, the rain Gods come calling again. Brown is a depressing color. And to have to look at it for nearly two-thirds of the year is grief.

ML is not so. It is immediately pleasing to the eye - every inch of it.

You will find many streams and waterfalls all along the drive. Here are a few I captured:

2. The Roads: The roads are fairly good everywhere in ML. You will not feel exhausted by the long hours spent driving.

I remember my trip to Sikkim in mid-November of 2016. The roads were bad. Or rather, there were no roads at all. Just mud and stones. And huge traffic on them. The journey was tiresome. Most of us suffered from nausea and dizziness. By the time, the vehicle would halt for the night in the hotel, we would rush to the bathroom to shower. All that vomiting and sitting in the cab for hours together, sometimes 4 hours just to move from point A to point B, took a toll on us. 

Fortunately, none of that terrible road experience here in ML. We traveled with our 4-year-old baby and it was smooth sailing all the way.  

3. The Mist: There will be times when you will literally walk or drive through the clouds. One moment, there will be zero visibility and at others, you will not be able to see beyond 50 meters ahead of you. In the next moment, the place turns bright and when you look back, you realize you just passed through a moving cloud. 

Mulayyyangiri Hills in Chikmagalore district in my home state of Karnataka gives a similar experience - of being IN the cloud and then watching the clouds literally move past you or over you. 

If you are from Bangalore and you have not visited Chikmagalore yet, your life is a waste. Sorry, that was harsh but it is true! If you still need to be pushed to visit Chikmagalore, then consider it the poor man's Meghalaya. One more reason? Money, time and effort - all three required in far lesser measure compared to Meghalaya but will give you a near similar experience of ML. 

Have I promoted Chikmagalore enough? It is one place in India I can go again and again and again and yet come back wanting to go back!

4. The Women: Everyone, I tell you, EVERY ONE of those women out there in ML wears lipstick. Each and every woman. Poor, not poor, housewife, working, porter, waiter, tea seller, roadside vendor - EVERYONE. And not just some nude shade or light lipstick. No mam! It is unfailingly dark red lipstick. 

They did not have anything else on them - no bangles, no bindi, no eyeshadow, no kajal, no eyeliner, no dangling earrings, no neck chains. I wonder if they even used compact or foundation. But dark red lipstick was a MUST.

I wondered how these women would feel if they came to the South. Southern Indian women hardly use lipstick on a daily basis or on a 24/7 mode. I remember I started using lipstick at the age of 38! And that too when I worked as a Trainer in a company that sold cosmetics. And that too only at work. Not otherwise. Lipstick was part of an elaborate grooming ritual. 

I am sure all women who travel to ML from TN or KL or AP would first notice the lipstick.  

The ML society is matrilineal. The youngest daughter gets the ancestral property and the son-in-law goes and lives in his wife's house. Most of the restaurants and shops we went to were run by women. From waiters to owners to cooks, all women. 

And they all had a sling bag over their shoulders to keep their money. Every one of them had that bag. 

And every one of them would chew pan/tobacco/gutka or whatever that is. 

5. Men: Not handsome at all. I did not find ONE good-looking man. No height, no physique, no looks. They are all small built. Sathya was a misfit in his 6 feet 3 inches height and 100+ kilos weight. 

They are soft-spoken and gentle, though. That I liked about them.

6. Need More time: We spent 4 days in Meghalaya. 1 day in Shillong and 3 days in Cherrapunji. We explored the various tourist attractions in East Khasi Hills. 

ML has 3 distinct hills - Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo. Each of these hills has a predominant tribe with its own language and cultural practices. 

Khasi Hills is further divided into East and West Khasi. All tour packages majorly cover locations that come under East Khasi such as Wei Sawdong, Mawrynkhang, Nohkalikai, Seven Sisters, Laitlum Canyon, Mawsmai cave, and Mawlynlnong.

Dawki, the place famous for the crystal clear lake, is in West Jaintia Hills. 

As with most hill stations, the distance between two points may look small in kilometers but in terms of time, it takes many hours. For example, Shillong to Cherrapunji is just 50 kms. But takes upwards of 2 hours even with good roads, no hairpin bends, and no nasty curves. 

In 4 days, you can cover only the capital city Shillong and places in East Khasi Hills. You need another week to cover Jaintia, Garo, and West Khasi Hills. And trust me, there is a whole world to explore out there in these hills. 

7. The water makes your hair soft, and easier to untangle. You can remove the knots easily. All the local women had silky, straight hair. It looked like they had straightened it in a parlor. Impeccable. Even a girl I saw in a hut had parlor-type straight hair. 

8. Every nook and corner and crevice is a thing of beauty in Meghalaya.

9. You will hardly find any clinics, hospitals, or medical stores around. And this I had noticed even in Sikkim. The people living close to nature are the healthiest, I guess. In cities, every street will have a pharmacy. Hospitals and clinics in every area. 

So what was the bad part of the trip? The people. Yes, you heard that right. The Khasi women are unbelievably brusque. It unsettles you. 

I don't understand why people in the hotel industry or taxi service business or running restaurants or small eateries or businesses that are entirely dependent on tourists for their survival, treat tourists so poorly. They give off this very negative vibe. Like we are their enemies. Like they don't want us there. Like they are doing us a favor by being in front of us. 

You go to a restaurant to eat and no one bothers to ask you your order. You have to struggle to get their attention. And then, YOU have to ask them,  "what else do you have?". They will just place the first item you ordered and not turn around to look. But they will definitely count the money properly. 

And they all want ONLY cash. Digital payments in other parts of India have created world records in terms of value and volume of transactions but here the concept is unheard of. 

I hate places or people who do not value the very reason for their existence. You would think they might have learned their lesson from the pandemic that lasted two years and completely destroyed their livelihood. They barely lived a hand-to-mouth existence. They depended on various government or NGO assistance to pull themselves through the hard times. And yet, they don't value the return of tourists to their towns. Their homestays (there are so many new ones being built to cater to the demand!!), their restaurants, their petrol pumps, their tiny shops, their vehicles - everything is for and because of the tourists who spend so much time and money to visit these far away places. The kind of reception we get is startling, to say the least. 

The trip to ML cost us around Rs 25,000 for 3 adults and 1 child for 4 days (taxi for 2 days = Rs 8000, self drive car from Zoomcar = Rs 4000 rent + Rs 4000 petrol, homestay two nights = Rs 2800 + Rs 2200, parking/entry fees = Rs 1000 and food). This excludes the flight charges, of course. This is the amount from Guwahati to Shillong. 

Overall, a great trip and many memories to last a lifetime. The landscape of Meghalaya is so mesmerizing that your heart yearns to go back and stay there for some more days. It was a memorable trip and well worth the money. 

Wei Sawdong

Wei Sawdong was not on the itinerary of the tourist taxi. But then, what WAS in it lasted barely 3 hours and now we were supposed to return to Assam. 

60% of the places mentioned on the plan were 'stop and see' locations which meant we could very well see them from our parked car without setting our foot out. 

Just for going to and from Cherrapunji to Guwahati we didn't hire and cough up Rs 8000. Whether you consider the kilometers run, the places seen or the time taken, by any parameter, we were, at a complete loss. Not worth the money spent nor the long hours spent slouched in the cab. 

It took us an hour to convince the driver to take us to Wei.  

The road wasn't bad at all. He had lied to us. 

The falls were concealed behind a dense forest and we had to trek through a muddy path. Some places had bamboo poles randomly thrown together  

while some others had vertical ladder like structures put in place

The roar of the water was getting louder as we descended down the steep mountain. That kept us going, exhausted and yet exhilarated at the same time.

And you are almost there. The stream gushing downwards is visible.

A slight turn to the left and woah! We get to see the most amazing three-layered waterfall in full gusto. What a visual treat!

How beautiful it is! It was difficult to get a clear shot of the falls with no people in it but looks like I managed. 

The water was pure white, and resembled a river of milk pouring down.

The entire experience was surreal. 

As we climbed back, we kept looking back over our shoulders, trying to capture the view one last time in our mind's eye, savoring it even as we bid adieu. 

It was an amazing trek. Not to be missed. In fact, the waterfalls is so beautiful that during the times when the flow of water is limited, it has a different charm and beauty. So whether the water is less or more, it will appeal to your eyes. 

And in case you are unable to do the trek down to the plunge, then there is a route you can take called the View Point from where you can view the falls without having to go through the muddy, tricky path. And this is the view of the falls you will get to see. You can see all three tiers. 

We spotted the Dainthlen Falls in the distance.

The vehicles go right up to it. It is a straight drop of about 80 meters. You will find a signboard on the road as you drive to Wei. It falls on the way so you can either do it before or after Wei.

As we drove back to Guwahati, we were all so content and hungry. Yes, the mountains always leave you hungry - either for more sights hidden in its belly or for steaming, hot food. 

Cherrapunjee and the East Khasi Hills were a tourist's delight. 

Land of Clouds & Waterfalls

Meghalaya (ML) binds you in a spell. It mesmerizes you. It truly is the abode of clouds. 

Unexplored and unexploited, as yet, it is a beautiful state. 

Looking at the crowds thronging ML, the rooms being full or running to full capacity, and every location with loads of vehicles and scores of tourists, I hope and pray ML does not end up being the victim of our greed for beautiful locations. Human beings can spoil everything they touch. Like we say in Kannada, there is no grass that a goat does not eat. There is no place a man will go to and leave it unspoiled as before. 

One of the most beautiful waterfalls we went to in ML was the Nohkalikai Falls. 

I must add here that in ML, every road, every mountain, holds in his womb, many a waterfall. Everywhere you go, you will find a lovely stream making its way down and if you are a thorough city-bred person, you will want to capture the picture of every fall you see as you traverse the landscape. It will be an irresistible feast to your eye and it will take super-human effort to not stop the vehicle you are traveling in everywhere and anywhere. In fact, some of the exquisite streams and falls can only be enjoyed in passing as the onward coming traffic will make it impossible for you to stop and click pictures. 

There is one other thing: when you see the biggest or most majestic of all waterfalls, then the streams will look like regular fare. This is something you will experience a day or two into your travel in the region and you will learn to let go. 

The drive to Nohkalikai is easy as the roads are good and the view itself is picturesque.

Green and white are the two dominant colors in Meghalaya. Large, green fields and the countryside below and misty, white clouds overhead.

When we reached the location, the clouds had engulfed the entire mountain range and it was hard to tell what was beneath those clouds. Except for the roar of the falls, one could never have guessed that there was such a majestic sight behind the spread of white. 

Nohkalikai made us wait. We waited in the tea shop nearby and even as we took the last sip of our tea, the clouds started clearing. 

Like the regal, colored screens in single screen theaters of yesteryears, that went up slowly and then the movie began, the clouds parted way gently to reveal the sight of our lifetime. 

10 minutes apart and the scene changed completely. 

Steps and railings have been made and you can go right to the bottom of the falls to see the plunge pool beneath. 

But it is a lot of steps and if you are not physically fit or have kids with you, it is not advisable to go all the way down. The climb up will tire you or your kids and it would be time-consuming too. 

Nohkalikai is the tallest plunge waterfall in India. It falls from a height of 340 meters. 

Once you have had your fill of the falls, stroll around and enjoy the scenic beauty. Relish the happy 'I-am-in-a-faraway-place' feeling while it lasts. The vast expanse of greenery, very few people around, and the sound in the background of the plunge of water are the only companions to your thoughts. This is the kind of place where you will love spending time doing nothing.

This beautiful waterfall is a part of the tourist itinerary. So it is highly unlikely that you will miss this place.

As you can see on the right, the Cherrapunji schedule on day 2 of a 3-day tour of Meghalaya has Nohkalikai falls. The only thing you need to hope for would be for the rain gods to be kind to you when you reach there. 

Mist and rain are spoilers and enemies of the tourist. They don't care how far you have come from and how much you have spent to reach one of the remotest places in the North-Eastern part of India. 

Like tiger sightings in most wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, the visibility of most attractions in ML is a matter of luck. Pure chance. A blessing. We ourselves realized this when we visited Laitlum Canyon two days later. 

More on Laitlum Canyon in the next post of the Meghalaya series.