Meghalaya meaning the “abode of clouds” is a paradise for nature lovers. A hill station that is home to a beautiful, mesmerizing sky in a true sense has captivated the minds of tourists from all across the globe. It is perfectly nestled in the north-east of India in the Himalayas, bordering Assam to the north and east and meets Bangladesh to its south and east side. Filled with huge hills, valleys, numerous lakes, captivating waterfalls, pitch dark caves, and sacred forests, Meghalaya has no dearth of tourist spots.
History
Apart from accounts of the more important Khasi kingdoms in the chronicles of the neighbouring Ahoms and Kacharis, little is known of Meghalaya prior to the British period. In the early 19th century, however, the British desired to build a road through the region to link Bengal and Assam led to a treaty (1827) with the ruler (syiem) of the Khasi principality of Nonkhlaw.
Opponents of the treaty persuaded the syiem to repudiate it in 1829, and a subsequent attack on the British led to British military operations against the local rulers had submitted to the British. The British, then, exercised political control over the area, known as the Garrows and Cossiya (Khasi) States, but the tribes, left to themselves, were able to preserve their traditional way of life.
In 1947, the rulers of the region acceded to the newly-independent country of India. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru evolved a policy to preserve and protect the way of life of the tribal peoples. Along with other tribal areas, the region was given special protection in the Indian Constitution, and though included within the state of Assam, it retained a great deal of autonomy.
When Assamese became the state’s official language in 1960, agitation for autonomy gathered strength. Unlike in many other hill regions in Northeast, this movement was largely peaceful and constitutional. Meghalaya was created as an autonomous State within Assam in 1970 and achieved full statehood on 21 January 1972.
People, language and religion
Most of the inhabitants of Meghalaya are Tibeto-Burman (Garos) or Mon-Khmer (Khasis) in origin, and their languages and dialects belong to these groups. The Khasis are the only people in India who speak a Mon-Khmer language. Khasi and Garo along with Jaintia and English are the state’s official languages; other languages spoken include Pnar-Synteng, Nepali, and Haijong, as well as the plains languages of Bengali, Assamese, and Hindi.
Christianity, Hinudism, and Animism are the major religions of the States. There is also a small minority of Muslims and even smaller groups of Buddhists and Sikhs. The population is predominantly rural, with a few towns only. Shillong is the largest town; other urban centers, listed in descending order of population, include Tura, Mawlai, Nongthymmai, and Jowai. Meghalaya tribes mainly follow Christianity. Their main occupation is cultivation as the State receives a large amount of rainfall.
Tribes of Meghalaya
Tribes of Meghalaya can mainly be classified into three groups: Garos, Khasis and Pnars or Jaintias. Garos are believed to be the descendants of Tibeto-Burmar race who came down all the way from Tibet to the north eastern states while the Khasis and Pnars or Jaintias are the descendants of Proto Austroloid Monkhmer race.
While Garos live in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, the Khasis are scattered all across the State abd are known by different names. Mainly the pure Khasis can be sited at the Khasi Hills, the Pnars or Jaintias can be located on Jaintia Hills. There are also a few other smaller tribes like Bhois in the North, Khynriams in the central and Wars in the southern region, Lalung, Vaiphe, Viate and Hmass in the Jaintia Hills. They are Khasi sub-tribes and live a lifestyle similar to the Khasis.
The most noteworthy feature of tribes of Meghalaya is their parental lineage. The tribes follow matrilineal lineage whereby the property’s inheritance is traced through women. Children get the surname of the mother. Though the women take the responsibility of the household work, men are responsible for the material life of the family. The property gets transferred to the youngest woman in the house. Women in Meghalaya are free to earn their livelihood. They are not allowed to marry in the same clan and the marriage should receive the approval of the family.
Cultural life
Meghalaya is rich in tribal culture and folklore. Drinking and dancing to the accompaniment of music singas (buffalo horns), bamboo flutes, and drums are integral parts of religious ceremonies and social functions. Marriages are exogamous. However, the advent of Christianity in the mid-19th century, along with its strict morality, changed many of these tribal traditions.
A special custom among the Garos is that after marriage, the youngest son-in-law goes to live in his wife’s house, and nokrom or clan representative in the mother-in-law’s family. If the father-in-law dies, the nokrom marries the widowed mother-in-law, thus becoming the husband of both mother and daughter.
Constitutional framework
Like the other States of the Indian Union, Meghalaya has a Governor appointed by the President of India. A Council of Ministers is headed by a Chief Minister chosen from the elected Legislative Assembly. The State’s judiciary is headed by the High Court in Shillong. The State has 11 administrative districts.
Food
Meghalaya’s food comprises rice and vegetable curries or fish and meat. People have their typical cooking patterns, which take place according to the availability of foodstuff. Meghalaya’s cuisine can be divided into three distinct styles” Garo, Khasi and Jaintia.
Plant and animal life
Meghalaya is blanketed in lush forests, and pines, and bamboos are plentiful. Other species include oak, birch, beech, and magnolia. Elephants, tigers, leopards, deer, wild pigs, gaurs (wild bison), mithan (or gayals, the domesticated form of the gaur), wolves, anteaters, monkeys, apes, squirrels, snakes, hares, and sambar deer are also found. Birds in Meghalaya include peacocks, partridges, pigeons, hornbills, jungle fowls and parrots.
Agriculture
Agriculture is the dominant economic activity of the State. The main crops are rice, millet, corn (maize), potatoes, pepper, chilies, cotton, ginger, jute, betel nuts, fruits (including oranges and mangoes), and vegetables. Communal land ownership is common.
Resources and Power
Meghalaya has abundant but untapped natural resources, including coal, limestone, kaolin, feldspar, quartz, mica, gypsum, bauxite, and other minerals. Its sillimanite deposits (a source of high-grade ceramic clay) are reputedly the best in the world and accounts for almost all of India’s sillimanite output. Electricity is produced through several hydroelectric power plants in the state; however, when rainfall is scarce, power has to be imported. The State has no heavy industries, small-scale industries include the manufacture of cement, plywood, and foodstuff.
Transportation
Internal communications are poor, and many areas remain isolated. There are no railways in Meghalaya. A national highway runs through the State from Guwahati (Assam) in the north to Karimganj (Assam) in the south. Shillong is served by a domestic airline handling short-haul, low-capacity routes at Umroi, 30 kms from Shillong. In 2008, an airport was opened at Tura.
Health, welfare and education
About three-fifths of the people are literate. Meghalaya has a number of colleges and institutions of higher education, including North-Eastern Hill university at Shillong/Tura. The 1947 partition of the subcontinent disrupted the tribal population; some tribes found themselves divided by the new international frontier, resulting ib tribal migrations from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to India.
Geographical divisions
Shillong Plateau: The Shillong Plateau is an outlier of the plateau of peninsular India and is composed primarily of ancient rocks. It contains reserves of coal and iron ore, and limestone is quarried. The highest is Shillong Peak, at 6,433 feet (1,961 metres) located 5 kms south of the city of Shilliong.
Cherrapunji: It is located on the Shillong Plateau about 55 kms southwest of Shillong, the State capital. Cherrapunji is noted for having one of the world’s highest average annual precipitation levels, about 450 inches (11,430 mm). In addition, it had the greatest recorded total single-year rainfall, 1,042 inches (24,467 mm) in August 1860- July 1861, and one of the greatest recorded one-month total rainfalls 366 inches (9,296 mm) in July 1861.
Khasi Hills: The Khasi Hills region is sometimes called the “Scotland of the East” because of its scenic beauty; Shillong being the State headquarters.
Jaintia Hills: The inhabitants of the Jaintia Hills are primarily tribals who, like the Khasis to the west, are thought to be descendants of the first Mongolian migration to India. Until the 19th Century they had a three-tiered system of administration. Under British rule, however, this system was broken, and after independence it was replaced by a District Council for Tribal Affairs and an Indian officer administers other matters. Partly because of their isolation, the Jaintias have largely maintained their matriarchal culture. They still practice shifting cultivation (potatoes are the main crop), though the government attempted, with partial success to promote settled farming. The Jaintias, more than other tribal groups of the region, have been influenced by Hinduism and the Aryan ways.
Places of tourist interest
Elephant Falls is a famous three-tier in Meghalaya which is placed nearby Shillong peak, and is locally known as ‘ka kshaid lai pateng Khohsiew’ (3-step waterfall).
Mawlynnong Village is a village that won the status of being the cleanest village in 2003, not just in India, but in the entire Asia. It is just not the quality of being clean that makes it one of the best places to visit in Meghalaya. Mawlynnong village is also known as “God’s Own Garden” and the reason is clearly evident from the beauty God has blessed it with.
Laitlum Canyon: Qualifies for one of the most spectacular landscapes in India and one of the best places to visit in Meghalaya. This not-so-explored tourist spot is worth at least a visit. If you are a photographer, this place is your best chance to capture paradise through your lens.
Shillong: Fondly known as the Scotland of the East, it is one of the most popular tourist spots in Meghalaya that surely finds its place on everyone’s tourist map. Far from the busy life, it has forested hills, pleasant climate, scenic beauty which attracts tourists and trekkers from around the world. The tribes residing here are Khyrim, Mylliem, Mallaisohmat, Bhowal and Langrim.
Tura: Tura is one of the most-visited places in Meghalaya and this is because of its serene environment. It is located in the Garo Hills and is full of wonderful places to visit. Tura is a paradise for wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers. It has undisturbed biodiversity and is shrouded with the fragrance of mountains and greenery.
Umiam Lake is the stunning man-made lake about 15 kms north of Shillong. The lake was formed after a dam was developed to produce hydroelectric power. The picturesque lake is enclosed by lavish green East Khasi slopes that make for an encompassing sight for nature lovers. The dawn at the lake is a treat to witness with naked eyes and something that shouldn’t be missed. You can also take a long boat ride, and you will surely appreciate bits drifting and different water-sports.
Picture Credit : Google
