Every year we celebrate Durga-Puja or Dusherra at our house in Shillong....Shillong is a very beautiful hill station and is the Capital of our sister state Meghalaya....my husband's family has been living there since it was a part of undivided Assam,its only in 1972 Meghalaya achieved statehood.It is approximatly 105 kms.away from Guwahati(my city).Shillong is also known as Scotland of East.The journey between Guwahati to Shillong is always a wonderful experience for us....the fresh hill air,beautiful spots,little stall like road side shops .If you decide to travel leisurely it takes approxm. three to three and half hours to reach Shillong from Guwahati.This week i will write on Durga puja celebrations by Assamese community in Shillong
These pictures are of Barrapani a breathtakingly beautiful spot on the way.
As i mentioned earlier these local road side stall like shops offer varieties of local fruits and vegetables...we bought Khasi -kol(bananas),Madhuri-aam(Guava),Joha Kumura(a variety of aromatic squash)....this lady(called" Kong "in Khasi language) was very friendly and helpful,she offered her knife to cut the Guavas into pieces for my kids.You can see home made pickles in bottles....i have never tried these.
This Kongs was selling fresh Bamboo-Shoots a favorite delicacy of this region.....i would like to write about bamboo-shoots someday.
These pictures are of Barrapani a breathtakingly beautiful spot on the way.
As i mentioned earlier these local road side stall like shops offer varieties of local fruits and vegetables...we bought Khasi -kol(bananas),Madhuri-aam(Guava),Joha Kumura(a variety of aromatic squash)....this lady(called" Kong "in Khasi language) was very friendly and helpful,she offered her knife to cut the Guavas into pieces for my kids.You can see home made pickles in bottles....i have never tried these.
This Kongs was selling fresh Bamboo-Shoots a favorite delicacy of this region.....i would like to write about bamboo-shoots someday.
Wow, fresh veggies and fruits!
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Oh I love those pine apples, bananas and the star fruit!
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Hmmm.. i never knew about this 'Scotland of the East' title! Thanks for sharing the info and a bit of history with awesome pics :)
ReplyDeleteWow.........!! Superb pictures!!
ReplyDeletethe road sure must feel like heven. You are so lucky to be living in such a scenic place. I have noticed on my short trips that the hill people are also very friendly and open..the kids are just adorable with their red sun burnt chheks and cute pouty mouths! loved the pictures, looking forward to the series on Pujo in Assam from you..
ReplyDeleteBeautiful kavitha,wonderful snaps.
ReplyDeleteLoved the fruits stall with the lady selling it.
This where u went for dusherra :)
interesting little side trip. I love what we call farmer's markets or fruit stands along the way to have fresh snacks. Wanted to mention your dark blue captions for photos are difficult to read with the black background-might want to change them to something lighter like white or pastels.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous. And now I'm hungry. Why do they call it the Scotland of the East?
ReplyDeleteस्कोटलैण्ड
ReplyDeleteक्या बात है ? पोस्ट का विवरण और चित्र सब कुछ प्रेरणादायी, कविता जी आपकी शैली तो वैसे भी मनभावन है.
oh kavita ek baar fir fida ho gaye ham...kol madhuri aam bhi bade meethe lage.
ReplyDeleteheyyyy..what happnd to the new blog? dont make us cry yar..y do u do this? btw this post is gr8...will somehow make it to the NE sometime insha allah...gr8 2 hear fm u kavita...
ReplyDeleteI love that kong's dress. It is different from a sari. I like the slits on the side of the dress.
ReplyDeleteIndia is so interesting; it fascinates me.
arre baba...abhi tak i cant c the blog..bring it back.nowwwwwwwww..cheers kavi..
ReplyDeleteShilliong (Scotland of East) what a beautiful place!
ReplyDeleteI have been to Scotland and now would love to explore your Scotland of East.
Maybe someday!
It was such a plesure sharing in your wonderful trip.
Awesome pictures!
Thank you, kavita!
Have a wonderful day and give your sweet little ones a "hug" from me.
Margie:)
Shillong is truly a very nice place. Mother nature;s gift to the people.
ReplyDeleteThe sorry part is that I never been there inspite of living in the region for so many years!
Hope peace prevails ... for the people of the North East are exceptionally friendly and they deserve a better state of affairs!
Thaks for sharing those nice images!
thats really coloful and informative ... thanks
ReplyDelete@JOOPS...yeah straight from their kitchen garden.
ReplyDelete@ROSE....these bananas are used widely as a baby food.
@Mohan...thanks for your comments ,they always encourage me.
@Suffix...thanks,Welcome here.
@SUJATA....thanks,plan a visit here.
@VARUNAVI....thanks Saritha.
@LIN....THANKS FOR YOUR SUGGESSTION,i've changed the color ,hope it is better now.
@167 DAD...Shillong name is derived from the word Leishyllong meaning ".super power of gods".During a visit to Shillong LORD NORTHBROOK -first ever viceroy of India to visit here,told his guide Babu ZEEBAN ROY MAIROM(a social leader and philosopher)that the natural beauty of the place reminded him of Scottish Dales....this remark earned this SCOTLAND OF EAST title.
@kishore jee...thanks,your words inspire me a lot.
ReplyDelete@VARSHA...i used Assamese words here so that it gets little interesting...ammrood ko madhuriaam kehna mujhe bahut accha lagta hai.
@RAMESH.....OH!i have corrected the problem,please check.
@GIGI...kHASI women wear a very beautiful dress named JAINSEM.this Kong is wearing an apron tied in a khasi style over the JAINSEM...one does notices a lot of women in Shillong wearing these aprons.
@MARGIE...HOW WONDERFUL...please do try visiting here.My kids want to hug you back.
@SUMANDEBRAY....THANKS,oh how i wish what you said come true,you do understand NE better.
@DEEPS...Thankyou.
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I would love to explore the North -East. A friend of mine keeps going to Shillong every year as her in laws are there and she tells me that the road from Guwahati is simply breath taking.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the post on Durga Puja celebrated there.
wow, beautiful....would love to travel to east...thanks for sharing this...
ReplyDeleteHad some problem with key board, so, late here!
ReplyDeleteThe place is really beautiful. I told my son that first I would like to visit all the beautiful place like this in our own country and then go abroad, to gawk at those places!
Thank you Kavita. I loved the fruit stall, We don't get good fruits here. Everything is adulterated in some way. Get ulcers in our mouth after eating.
Those fruits and veggies look so inviting. There's nothing like eating them fresh. I don't like the smell either but, once they are prepared it gets better.
ReplyDeletelovely photographs...especially the third one. I was in Guwahati-Shillong last December, and the landscape looked so different then.I was in love with it then. More so now, after seeing your photographs:)
ReplyDeletewow!
ReplyDeleteShillong is so much beautiful! I will visit this place for sure :D
I am going to experience the beauty of Shillong in next month. Awating
ReplyDelete