Reverie of a Pluviophile: Exploring Magical Meghalaya

PRELUDE TO PARADISE

“When the scorching heat of burning summer,
Couldn’t be ebbed by cold beverages and air from fans,
Exhausted, I rushed to the Shillong hills,
To be cooled with pleasant chill”! –
Rabindranath Tagore, Shillong er Chithi, 1923

Inspired by Tagore’s words, over a hundred years later, I escaped the sweltering Kolkata summer to seek solace in Meghalaya’s monsoon embrace. Nestled between Assam and Bangladesh, this land is the home to indigenous Khasis, Goras, Jaintias and their various sub-tribes. (MEGHALAYA)

The Khasis hold a fascinating belief: they are the first seven families to have been sent by God to Earth. While history remains silent on this legend, anthropological evidence places them in the North-East long before the Aryans ventured into the subcontinent. Although such ancient and primitive communities their societies, till today are matriarchal and matrilineal, which in modern period’s predominant Indian essence is a utopia. (MEGHALAYA)

The essence of Meghalaya is driving in a lime colored car (as they increase visibility when the clouds descend) through the serpentine hilly roads marked with intermittent showers, enveloping clouds, cascading waterfalls on the side, and, rejuvenating in petrichor permeating the air. It is a mystical canvas of green forests, azure skies, and silver streams with occasional red soil. Tourists willing to risk being stranded, caused by landslides, must visit the state in monsoon to experience the authentic beauty of Meghalaya, while others can travel in the remaining seasons. A word of caution — much of Meghalaya’s allure demands trekking and hiking making it less accessible for senior citizens and disabled people… (MEGHALAYA)

Watefall Soulful Shillong

The journey began at Guwahati airport, a three-hour drive to Shillong, in a rented Innova Crysta. En route, we stopped at the tranquil Umiam Lake which offered us a scenery of sailors sailing away in the backdrop of a bluish-grey lake valleyed between verdant hills under the monsoon sky. (MEGHALAYA)

The three-tiered Elephant Falls, the Wards Lake, the sprawling golf course dissected by streets, and the city view from our hotel, Acropolis, offered us the quintessential Scottish experience with its rolling hills, cool climate and lush green landscapes, a testament to its moniker ‘Scotland of the East’. History enthusiasts like me must visit the Don Bosco Museum as it is a treasure trove of North East’s rich heritage… (MEGHALAYA)

Also Read: Norway-1: An Exhilarating Fairytale Adventure through Fjord Land 

Almost two decades of Convent education molded me to appreciate the Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians and Shillong’s overarching Anglican character palpable in its churches, bakeries and missionary schools. For shoppers and gastro enthusiasts of local cuisine, Police Bazar is the ultimate destination, however, due to heavy down-pour we could not explore the marketplace in its natural hustle and bustle. (MEGHALAYA)

Although I wanted to be adventurous and savor the local Khasi delicacies, like Jadoh (rice meal), Bitchi (rice beer) and Pudoh (rice cake with pork), I soon realized that my protected urban palette would struggle to appreciate the bold tribal dishes. (MEGHALAYA)

Soiree in Sohra

Cherrapunji or Sohra? Locals prefer Sohra, however, popular media has immortalized the British name, Cherrapunji. Recent studies claim that Cherrapunji gets strong competition from the Mawsynram when it comes to the title of ‘Wettest Place on the Earth’. Time for Publishers to update their General Knowledge Books? Well, I’ll leave that food for thought to my readers and stick to my travelogue. (MEGHALAYA)

Fortunately or unfortunately, the only day that Cherrapunji did not receive rainfall in May, 2025, is the day we stayed there overnight, hence, we got to see a cerulean sky contrasting against the green meadows — a rare sight for us, city-dwellers. The wide Seven Sisters Waterfall and NohKalikai Waterfalls, India’s tallest plunge waterfall — spellbinding. The roar of gallons of water falling on the rocky pool with utmost gusto, the light breeze, the fresh and earthy scent in the air are so invigorating. (MEGHALAYA)

I also trekked a long path and entered the dimly lit Arwah Caves, but felt a looming absence of tour-guides available there to explain the famed fossils. Thereafter, our plans to visit the Double-Decker Root Bridge and Maswmai Caves altered, steering us instead to Dawki. (MEGHALAYA)

Discovering Mawlynnong and Dawki

We left Cherrapunji to visit Mawlynnong, a dainty village celebrated as the ‘Cleanest Village in Asia’. An hour at the village is enough to stroll around its immaculate lanes revealing an idyllic harmony of life and nature. Remarkably, the village’s progressive ethos has also facilitated the villagers to achieve a hundred percent literacy rate. However, the sight of an entourage of cackling tourists gawking at the village, while the villagers are going on about their daily life, is ridiculously odd. (MEGHALAYA)

Adjacent to the village is the Jingimaham Living Root Bridge. The bridge is built through intertwined roots of two rubber trees over a stream. The scene is nothing short of an imaginary magical land, except it’s a real blend of natural eco-system of local flora. (MEGHALAYA)

Having stayed overnight at Ka Bri War Resort at the outskirts of Dawki, we headed for boating in the crystal clear waters of Umingot River beside the Bangladesh border. Alas, due to torrential rain and breakage in the riverbanks, the water turned muddy and lost its distinct characteristic of clarity. Nevertheless, the riveting Krang Shuri Waterfalls redeemed our spirits. After descending about two-hundred steps we were welcomed with a panoramic view of the giant falls and the emerald pool where tourists can indulge in swimming and boating. (MEGHALAYA)

Khublei Meghalaya

In Khasi, ‘Khublei’ literally means ‘Thank you/God bless’. As my journey concluded, this word encapsulated my gratitude to Meghalaya for soothing my eyes and cleansing my lungs through its ethereal beauty. It has shown me the true implementation of sustainable living and worship of the mother-nature. The people’s consistent dedication for keeping the state green and clean should be a template that Greta Thurnberg urges the world to emulate. (MEGHALAYA)

My last takeaway from this travel experience is that true to its name Meghalaya is indeed an Abode of the Clouds — the clouds here descend down to kiss the dangerously serpentine hilly roads,  to play hide and seek, to facilitate the slowing of life’s pace and to remind people that it’s alright to take a pause, look around, enjoy the rain yet proceed with caution into the oblivion of mundane routine. (MEGHALAYA)

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Image Courtesy:

• Aradhita Banerjee(Author)
• trekpanda.in
• tripoto.com
• meghalayatourcabs.com
• tripadvisor.in
• flickr.com
• tripuntold.com
• thelandofwanderlust.com
• mytravaly.com
• indiantempletour.com