Shillong
The capital of Meghalaya, Shillong lies on
the eastern part of the state. Perched at an altitude of 1,520 meters (4,990
feet) above sea level, the city stretches for about 6 km on an elevated tract.
It is situated on a plateau bound on the north by the Umiam gorge, on the
northwest by the great mass of the Diengiei Hills that rise up to a height of
1,823 meters (6077 ft.) above sea level, and on the northeast by the hills of
the Assam valley. The Umshyrpi and the Umkhra rivers, which finally merge and
form the Umiam River, water it. Shillong is at distance of 104 km from
Guwahati, 295 km from Kaziranga, 578 km from Siliguri and 658 km from
Darjeeling.
Shillong was a small village until 1864, when it became the new civil station
of the Khasi and Jaintia hills. It remained the summer capital of EasternBengal and Assam for many years. In 1874, on the formation of Assam as a Chief
Commissioner’s Province, it was chosen as the capital of the new
administration. An earthquake destroyed the city in 1897, necessitating its
complete rebuilding. In January 1972, Shillong became the capital of the newly
formed state of Meghalaya.
Tura
Tura is a hilly town in West Garo Hill
district in the state of Meghalaya. One of the large towns in Meghalaya, Tura
is a valley located at the foothills of the Tura Hills and right below the Tura
Peak. At 1400m the peak offers some of the finest views of the hills against a
backdrop of low-lying plains and sweeping curve of the mighty Brahmaputra. The
climate in Tura is moderate throughout the year and has a large number of
interesting and unexplored areas.
It is 220 kilometers from the nearest city Guwahati and is also the district HQ
of the West Garo Hills ,one of the four districts in the Garo Hills region of
the state.The region is filled with small rivulets and green valley’s all
around. The main tribe is the Garo community and the principal languages are
Garo, hindi and English.
The capital city of Meghalaya , Shillong is 323 kilometres away and can be
accessed via buses and taxis or the shuttle helicopter service plying from
Shillong via Guwahati. Some places bordering Bangladesh like Mohendraganj ,
Baghmara and Dalu rich in coal, cashewnut , cotton , etc are situated at a
proximity of 50 to 80 kilometres from Tura.
Tura is the cultural and administrative centre of the Garo tribes. To visit
popular tourist destinations such as Balpakram, Nokrek and Siju Cave, one needs
to pass through this town. Unlike Shillong , Tura climate is little hot and
humid.
There are many waterfalls and lot of streams in Tura. Some of the water falls
are Rongbangdare, Pelgadare, Gandrak waterfalls etc. Some of the streams are
Rangolwari, Nokmawari, Ganol, Datchima etc.
Nongstoin
Nongstoin is located about 93 kms from
Shillong. A very unique stone embroider with natural color is found here which
makes this place special from others. Earlier this city was the known for its
famous saw mill and the log works associated with it.
Khasi hills are only some distance away from Nongstoin. Jakrem, Ranikor are the
nearest places of attraction. By air route, Shillong Barapani is the nearest
airport and Guwahati is the closest railhead. Road transports are always
available through bus services. This place can be visited throughout the year.
Cherrapunji
The locals traditionally call it Sohra,
however, the world knows it by the more popular name of “Cherrapunjee” or
"Cherrapunji". Once the wettest place on earth, Cherrapunjee today is
the second rainiest place on earth after Mawsynram. Cherrapunjee receives close
to a whopping 12 m of rain every year.
Though the status of the most rainiest place on earth has changed from
Cherrapunji to Mawsynram (about 16km from Cherrapunji), Cherrapunjee still
reigns supreme in terms of tourist attraction and infrastructure compared to
Mawsynram.
Cherrapunji attracts lot of tourists because of its abundant natural beauty,
package of valleys and waterfalls, caves and canyons, evergreen misty
landscapes and heavy rains.
Tucked away in North East India, Cherrapunjee is located around 60 km from
Shillong in the East Khasi district of Meghalaya. The Umshiang double decker
Living Root bridge at Nongriat and many other root bridges are found in
Cherrapunji (Sohra) & Mawlynnong.
Cherrapunji is a must visit destination known for its varieties of cloudformations and quick change of weather fair to foul and vice versa, lush green
plains, numerous waterfalls and a trek to the single and double decker root
bridges. The trek from Cherrapunjee to the living root bridges is not for the
faint heart as it requires a lot of stamina and grit to trek down to these
natural wonders of nature.
Cherrapunjee has a few fascinating stone gorges noted among which are
Riat-Maw-Iew, Maw-Laikhlieh and Riat-U-Shain. The famous Mawsmai Cave with
charming stalactite formations is located 9 k.m. away close to the Mawsmai
falls.
Be it the mystical hues or the lofty Khasi hills reaching out to hug the blue
sky, Cherrapunji offers many magical charms to enthrall visitors. Nature lovers
can experience amazing caves, natural trails and unique natural phenomenon of
inter wined root bridges. The journey to Cherrapunji is in itself an experience
worth savouring.
Gushing waterfalls, foggy mountains and roads, dense equatorial type vegetation
add to the beauty of Sohra. A visit to Sohra is a walk in the clouds, a wisp of
imagination and raindrops on your cheek, a place where clouds and rain play in
their own time wrap.
Nartiang
Nartiang is located in the Jaintia hills
district. With a diameter of 100 m, Nartiang is a whole cluster of monoliths
situated in the eastern part of Meghalaya, at a distance of 65kms from
Shillong. The erection of Nartiang monoliths is regarded as one of the major
events during the Jaintia era.
Nartiang is around 65 kilometres from Shillong. This small village was the
summer capital of the Jaintia kings. My first stop here was the Durga Temple.
The original structure of the temple was similar to a typical Khasi house, with
a thatched roof over a central wooden pillar. Later the thatch was replaced by
a corrugated tin roof. It had been further modified and reconstructed by
Ramakrishna Mission of Cherrapunjee in the year 1987 to preserve, protect and
encourage the tradition, faith and culture of the people.
The temple stands today, nondescript, to tell the tale of Hindu heritage of the
Jaintia kingdom which dates back to around 1446 A.D. This 500 year old Durga
temple is one of the "Shakti Peethas" of Hindu Mythology. Although
Shakti Peetas are well known all over, this particular one is an exception.
Shakti Peetha : Legend has it that King Daksha never liked his son-in-law Lord
Shiva who is dressed in leopard skin, snakes entwined his neck, body smeared
with ash, matted hair and went around begging for alms. But he had to bow down
to his daughter Sati's wish to be Shiva's wife. Soon after the marriage King
Daksha went to pay his daughter and son-in-law a visit. It was at noon while
Lord Shiva was taking a siesta. His attendants had refused to wake Shiva up.
Daksha felt utterly humiliated thinking Shiva did it purposefully. Daksha
disliked Shiva more now and waited for his opportunity to take revenge.
Daksha's opportunity to settle score came soon. He arranged for an elaborate
performance of holy sacrificial ritual (Yajna). All important people were
invited to the holy ceremony. All except Lord Shiva. Despite Shiva's
forbiddance, Sati went to attend the holy ceremony. After all, Sati thought,
she did not need an invitation to attend a function at her own father's home.
Daksha ridiculed Sati and belittled Lord Shiva in front of the guests as soon
as Sati arrived. Unable to withstand the insult, Sati jumped into the sacrificial
fire before the very eyes of the entire gathering that stood watching in utter
disbelief. Shiva was mad with rage when the news reached him. He held Sati's
body up and started the "Tandava Nritya". Carrying the body of Sati
he travelled from place to place, crossing hills, valleys and rivers. The world
shook under Lord Shiva's fury. Frightened, the God's went to Lord Vishnu for
help. Vishnu released his "Sudarshana Chakra" which sliced parts of
Sati's body. Gradually Shiva calmed down. The places where parts of Sati's body
fell are known as 'Shakti Peetha". Temples are built on these spots and
worshiped with great devotion.
Nongpoh
Nongpoh It is situated in East Khasi hills
and forms a portion of it. it has a very pleasant climate due to which it was
considered once a good halting place for tourists visiting shillong. Thick
green forest and beautiful lakes make it a tourist holiday spot of Meghalaya.
It is located 53 kms from shillong, the capital city of Meghalaya.
The Road Side Market and the Orchid Lake are some of the nearest places ofattractions. To visit this place the closest airport and railway station is
Guwahati and road transports can also easily accessible. The best time to visit
this place is throughout the year.
Garo
Garo Hills known for its abundance of
wildlife attracts and adventure tours, it is a perfect place for photographers
to capture the multifaceted sights of a unique range of flora and fauna. Two
mountain ranges - the Arabella range and the Tura range, pass through the Garo
Hills, forming the great Balpakram valley in between. The headquarter town of
Tura is 323 Km via Guwahati, at an altitude of 657 Km. The highest point in the
Garo Hills is Nokrek Peak with elevation of 1412 m, this is the place good for
adventure trekking tours. As there are various
amazing landscape of hills against a backdrop of low-lying plains. A sunset
view can be best seen from Tura Peak at 1,400 m and its summit can be reached
by a taking a 5 km adventure trek and partly by hiking tour and also by
rock-climbing trip.
Khasi Hills
Khasi Hills, physiographic region, central
Meghalaya state, northeastern India. The area consists mostly of hilly regions
and includes the Shillong Plateau; it is drained by tributaries of the
Brahmaputra and Surma rivers. The Cherrapunji scarp in the south has one of the
highest average annual rainfalls in the world. The Khasi Hills region is
sometimes called the “Scotland of the East” because of its scenic beauty.
The vast majority of the population outside of Shillong, the capital of
Meghalaya state, are engaged in agriculture. The largest crop is wet rice,
cultivated in the valleys and on hillside terraces. Other farmers in the region
practice shifting cultivation, burning the trees and farming the land for one
or two years before moving on. The government has discouraged this wasteful
method, urging instead settlement on conventional farms. The distinctive
culture of the Khasi people includes a traditional matrilineal social systemthat has been modified by outside religious and modern legal influences. Many
of the hill peoples have become Christians.
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