Tuesday, April 20, 2010

A little bit of Shillong

Shillong is the capital of Meghalaya state of India .It was a part of undivided Assam , on 21 Jan 1972 it achieved its statehood.This beautiful state is the homeland of three of India's ancient hill tribes/communities Khasis,Garos and Jaintias.The state is called Meghalaya which means Abode Of Clouds as the hilltops are generally covered by dense and beautiful clouds making them almost indistinguishable and inseparable.It is a landlocked territory of lovely hills.Agriculture is the main source of livelihood here.The state has rich source of deposits of coal,limestone,sillimanite,fire clay,dolomite,feldspar,quartz.Its thick forest produce timber species like Sal,Teak,Titachapa,Gamari,Pine ,Birch etc.It is also rich in wildlife ,there are also some rare species of birds like the adjutant stork which can be seen here.It is also rich in orchids.The famous insect eating pitcher plant which is a botanical wonder is found abundantly in the hills of Meghalaya.Here in this picture above you see young girls and boys wearing traditional Khasi attire.....i clicked this picture back stage right after their dance performance during Rongali bihu cultural event at Shillong.
Bejeweled women  attired in traditional finery , silver clad men in colorful costumes dance along with the drummers and flutists. Male wear Jymphong which is a long sleeveless coat without collar, fastened by threads in front and a dhoti with an ornamental silver waist-band. The attire is complimented by a turban or a headgear. Ladies wear Jainsem a two piece unstitched wrap around garment woven from the mulberry silk cultivated in the local region and they too wear a beautiful silver crown on their head.
Here is another group of young ladies wearing traditional Khasi dress Jainsem. ...they were about to present a Christian devotional chorus in the same event . Meghalaya is one of the three states of India to have a Christian majority with approx.70%of the population following Christianity.The Khasis are believed to be the remnants of the first Mongoloids overflow into India.They have matrelineal society where the descent is traced through the mother .It is only the youngest daughter or Ka Khadduh who is eligible to inherit the ancestral property.If she dies without any daughter surviving her the property is inherited by the next surviving elder sister.Ka Khadduh needs to obtain an approval or consent from her uncle and brothers in case she wants to dispose the ancestral property.

As Shillong is known for its scenic beauty and cool climate ,it is considered one of the most favorite tourist destination of NE region of India.We were there on a short trip but still we managed to take the kids to Ward's Lake which is situated right at the heart of the town and is very near to our home there.
Feeding the fishes and pedal boating are the main attraction .....we did little bit of both.We were lucky to get a sunny weather through out our stay .
This is Lady Hydary Park ....not only it is beautiful but also it has a mini Zoo attached to it.
Elephant Falls
One of the main attraction of Shillong is Elephant Falls.
The main Falls :Elephant Falls


Originally the Khasi people named the falls Ka Ksaid Lai Pateng Khohsiew (three steps waterfall) because the water falls into three steps.When the British people came and found the water falls they named it Elephant Falls because on the left side of the falls there was a rock resembled the Elephant but this rock was destroyed by the earth quake in the year 1897.
view of Shillong




57 comments:

  1. wow
    must be fun!
    a dream destination!

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  2. Seems like a gr8 place to visit. The pics are lovley

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  3. Why, a short post. Expected more. Isn't there a lost tribe of Israel in North East?

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  4. I wud luv to visit such performances sometime .. lovely pics Kavita :)

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  5. @Varunavi...how wonderful to see you back after such a long time.Thanks a lot Saritha.

    @Magiceye..Shillong is always fun,a dream destination to many.Thanks.

    @Abha Vatsa Midha....thanks a lot.

    @The Holy Lama...Even i felt that the post is short ,there is a lot more to add about Shillong .But there is more coming up in my next post.

    ABOUT THE LOST TRIBE OF ISRAEL IN NORTH EAST...members of Benei Menashe live in the Indian states of Manipur and Mizoram who claim that they are the members of the lost tribe of Israel.

    Swaram...thanks a lot dear.

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  6. The attires are lovely and I'm seeing it for the first time.Lovely pics.Hope you had a nice Bihu season.

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  7. fascinating history and culture. 70% christian that interesting. looks like a fun filled vacation for all

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  8. Thank you Kavita for showing us another beautiful place of INCREDIBLE INDIA....
    I have never been in Shilong, but i would like to travel there in my next visit to INDIA.... I have seeen beautiful places to stay in the net....I DO MISS INDIA!
    HELENA

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  9. Again very interesting and beautiful place... ;)

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  10. Thanks a tonne for this post. Took me back to the best vacation of my life! Lady Hydri park was so much fun and I think everyone must visit Guwahati and Shillong once in their lifetime. But I am sure that they would not have as much fun as me because I had the bestest of hosts. :-)

    I am so nostalgic.

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  11. Shillong is a nice place to be (so says my wife, as I have not yet visited the place)

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  12. I went to that park once and peed there..nostalgia..I was 5 years old then....its been more than 20 years..and dust have settled inthe photographs

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  13. Interesting that the Khasi people are matrilineal. Odd that the YOUNGEST daughter would be the heiress, not the ELDEST. Are the sons passive and meek?

    Next year we might visit Thailand or India. Don't know which yet. There is so much to see in the world, isn't there???!!!

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  14. loved the clicks and the description buddy...great one :))

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  15. I so much appreciate your posts. With your vivid pictures, and amazing descriptions, I feel like I am there! I am looking forward to your next post ... continued ...

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  16. Beautiful pictures and narration too, Kavita! Atleast by next year, we are planning to visit the north-eastern parts of our country. My son also is making a note of the important areas we have to visit through your blog.

    You are making sure that we don't forget these places, thank you!

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  17. Looks a lovely place to live in...lucky!

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  18. Shillong is a beautiful place..visited it last year and loved it :)Got to know a lot through your post!!Well written!

    http://www.aspaceofonesown.blogspot.com

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  19. Shillong after a long time. loved the pictures, I yearn now for that kind of green and rains, stuck here in the hot desert!!

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  20. THis just proves what i think.. east or west India is the BEST ...

    WOW.. the pics are beautiful.. I am going to stop coming to your blog.. because it makes me JEALOUS..
    Wants me to come RIGHT NOW to india aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Why dont i get holidaysssssssssssssssss

    :)

    Beautiful your articles make me miss home ... But i love it ..

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  21. shillong..a beautiful place..n u know i have a gr8 friend there...heheh..kavita this post is also gr8 ya...and colourful...cheers n wishes

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  22. I cant forget my only trip to Shillong when I drove from Guwahati.It was so beautiful.

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  23. love that pict of girls in colorful traditional attire... ;-)

    thanks for the information...

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  24. great pictures...and another beautiful post! nice getting to know about people of meghalaya !! It made me smile ,recollecting childhood memories of trips to Shillong... that view from shillong peak, the boat rides on Ward's lake... evry memory comes back as if it was just yesterday. Shillong's scenic beauty has got to be close to heaven on earth!!

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  25. I keep hearing these wonderful stories about Shillong from my friend whose in laws stay there.
    The pictures look beautiful. Would love to stay in a place like that. Mumbai is a concrete jungle.

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  26. Hi Kavita didi !! Well Shillong is in my wish list and i would make a trip soon !! Some of my friends too live there !! Nice to knew about the history of place !!

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  27. Those ancient hills sound wonderful. Sounds like a land full of rich resources. I enjoyed your pictures very much, the costumes are very colorful. Thank you for sharing this history and thanks for coming by.

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  28. beautiful pics, wish I could visit Shillong & Gauhati!
    I love travelling- even written a travelogue, but couldn't include ur places!

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  29. I guess...no, I believe...North East should be our next travel destination!! Amazingly Wow!! :)

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  30. Beautiful pics and so much detail....waiting for the next post :)

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  31. Your story brings back nostalgic memories of the 1980's when I traveled and lived in the north east for three months. And the journey to Shillong, and spending a few days in Chirapunji and Elephant pass ( I wonder if I got the name correct)are still vivid in my memory.
    The stories of the tribes of Assam and Nagaland are still in my memory. Thanks for helping me remember all that.

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  32. wow!! amazing pics...
    I have some friends from Shillong...
    I plan to visit them sometime..
    I am always amazed by the scenic beauty of the east..untouched by the pollution of industrialization

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  33. Shillong is really lovely. The experience of walking around the lake surrounded by trees is heavenly.

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  34. wow you did a wiki on shillong with good pictures to support the facts

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  35. Didn't know you had states with Christian majorities. I always learn something when I read your blog.
    Wonderful pictures.

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  36. Very interesting, fantastic clothes and views:)

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  37. Very nice photos, beautiful costumes. Thanks for your visits.

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  38. Thank you so much for this wonderful and interesting post: I like everything, the environment, people, customs, tradition ... oh magnificent!
    :-)

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  39. Lucky you! To be living in such a lovely place!
    Saw ur pic on my blog, waiting for a comment from you!

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  40. There is heaven waiting to be discovered in North East India and no one ever talks about it! Must Visit Soon.

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  41. beautiful to see shillong through your eyes and more beautiful are the comments i read here about my city. gives me a sense of pride.
    all are cordially invited.

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  42. Shillong is a lovely place ... unfortunatley never got a chance to visit such a heavenly lace next door.
    You have great pictures taken and posted. Liked them all

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  43. I love all these photos, Kavita. This looks like such a wonderfully exotic place to visit.

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  44. hey missing your posts yar..but really nice of u 2 stay connected..feel honoured and good to have a friend like u..cheers and best wishes 2 fmly:)

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  45. Very beautiful pictures. Amazing shot. Shillong is a wonderful place and I still remember the lovely and biggest church located at Shillong.

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  46. Wow... the group of girls looking awesome... thanks for sharing the beautiful culture...

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  47. Beautiful shots of Shillong, very scenic. The traditional attire is beautiful.

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  48. Hey lady, just dropping in to say hello and to see what I've been missing in my absence. I hope you had a terrific Mother's Day and a nice week!

    Have a super Sunday!

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  49. Fantastic, Kavita. It's good to see that side of India that is so beautiful instead of just the crowded cities.

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  50. Beautiful photos and this festival is a fun !!Great !

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  51. I came here by chance, so do forgive for commenting so so late.
    Shillong is rightly called the most charming hill station in the north east. I lived there some years back and now live in Delhi. The memories come to my eyes again and again.

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  52. Hi Kavita,

    Just landed on your blog from Neha's. Have been randomly browsing here for some time now. You have captured the beauty of our North East very well! My chacha-chachi stay in Guwahati & I so wanted to visit Shillong during my trip there in April, but unfortunately, chacha got too busy at that time & we couldn't make it! :(

    I would like to feature this post (as well as a few others from your blog actually!) on my ezine for Indian talents. If it's okay with you, I'll need your Author Bio (roughly 100 words, in 3rd person, with a link to your own blog) and a pic... for the Credits.

    Actually, I tried to look for your email ID, but couldn't find it anywhere. Would have been able to give more details in a private email. Anyways, my ID is mentioned in my blogger profile. Plz write back to me for any queries.

    Cheers!
    Kaddu

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  53. Thank you for your great

    content.

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