Shillong, Cherapunjee, Mawlynnong, Bara Pani - Meghalaya

N - E continues.....                   

Day 4 – On the road to Meghalaya  

The best part of being in the EAST is the fact that the Cocks crow earlier. It is the beginning of  another day and off they go practicing the early-bird-catches–the–worm routine while letting out a couple of almighty crows which wakes up everyone including the Hen which promptly goes and lays eggs saying “I have laid an egg, I have laid a second egg” and so on….

It was under such conditions that we woke up and made haste to catch the first ferry out of Majuli, which deposited us on the Jorhat side around 9AM that morning.

We were in for a 400 Km run all the way to Shillong in Meghalaya.
To our advantage the day was overcast and it was pleasant inside the car even without the air-conditioning. Also it was the day of ‘Bohag Bihu” in Assam just like Pongal,Vishu,Baisakhi… We continued traveling stopping for a Rhinos -in –the field-yonder photo-op, breakfast and lunch, until we came past Gauhati and entered Meghalaya. We were now 90 Kms short of our destination

The chronic traffic jam along the Gauhati -Shillong H’way is to be seen to be believed. The reason for this tenacious traffic congestion is the unprecedented amount of coal trucks loading at the Mines in Meghalaya and our driver was using all the tricks in the book to go past the ascending /descending convoy of trucks.

Ricky and Audrey

We reached our destination after many stops on the way to consult our hosts to get our bearing; Ms. Audrey Kharsyntiew and hubby Ricky, Presbyterians of the Khasi tribe, who had offered us Home-stay at Shillong. 

The Khasi are a matrilineal society (as opposed to a matriarchy), meaning that a family’s lineage is traced through the surname of the wife, with the youngest daughter inheriting  the family’s property. 

 

We settled in after exchanging niceties and after a decent dinner at the comfortably appointed Home.

Meghalaya

Day 5 – Cherrapunjee, 58 Kms1300 Meters above MSL

Ricky, Audrey’s husband, brought in Bankit along with his new Tata Sumo in mint condition. After a night of rain and winds that lashed at our windows we had woken up to a cool, bright and cloudless day and enjoyed our ride through the potato farms, rice fields and the quaint villages on the way. 
       
 We took a short break to admire the green hills basking under the mild Sun. As we continued our ride through the winding roads admiring the vast property of R.K.Mission, the weather changed appreciably and the driver exclaimed Oh! Oh! The clouds are bearing down upon us. 

              











We were buying our tickets at the entrance to the Nohkalikai water falls at Cherra when the mist entrenched us and the visibility was less than 10 feet. However, the weather was splendid and we now knew why the expression Scotland of the east was applied to Cherra.

 
                 


             



 

Geography at school  told us that Cherra receives the max rainfall. So does the board on the spot. But locals say Cherrapunjee has its honey and Mawsynram has its rain. Mawsynram is nearby. Both villages are in constant competition for the highest-rainfall-in-the-world title- and Mawsynram is the defending champion.

“Water, Water everywhere, but not a drop to drink”.Incredible as it may sound, the world’s wettest town is suffering from a shortage of drinking water.

The problem is that Cherrapunji lies atop a high limestone plateau. Rain falling on the town drains away immediately, finishing up on the plains of Bangladesh, far below.

As we walked on the Mesa appealing to nature to afford us a view, the veil of clouds lifted and did we see a Grand show! The water falling 1300 meters in a straight line over the gorge was a great spectacle which we enjoyed for half an hour before the curtain of clouds were drawn in once again.

She wants to own a Maruti Car!

“Enjoy sweet sweet local pine-apple” cried the woman vendor named Icy as we ambled from the gate to our vehicle. She went on and on and surely she was attracting clientele. We shared a large pineapple which was deftly cut and served by the multitasking female, shared a few laughs with this enterprising mother of three, wished her well and left.
Next was a lunch stop near a cave with stalagmite and stalactite formation. We concentrated on Lunch more than the cave which we understood was not tenable for seniors who were keen on exploring open nature rather than crawling beneath undersized ducts.

Typical Trash Bins

               
Then to Thangkharang, a well kept Park that was overlooking the low, flat and swampy terrain of Bangladesh where a meandering river could be spotted. We were looking towards the region of Chittagong someone said.

Bangladesh

           

 




Some  Churches on the way
              





  






Day 6- Mawlynnong

Why Mawlynnong? 
It is voted as the cleanest village in all of Asia by reputed agencies that go around doling out awards.

When the weather Gods smile at you, a distance of almost 90 kms in about 3 Hrs seems to be a cake walk as we found out. After a pleasant drive through the Sohra plateau, when we were lulled to slumber, the road went down, narrowed considerably and took us through thick vegetation to the village. No sooner we entered the parking lot of the village than we were struck by its cleanliness, by the Notice that has been put up by the local MLA there mentioning the Do’s and Don’ts for its upkeep.
 
Bankit, our driver, put us in touch with a youngster at the bus stop to act as our guide and show us around the small attractive village. As we walked, we saw abundant greenery, well maintained church, spotlessly clean pathways sporting dustbins every few yards, plenty of flora and thatched roof bamboo tenements.
 
                    
 

Our guide was fluent in English and was graduating soon. We could see the conscious effort that has been made by the community (pop 500) to maintain the ambiance. Wherever I go in India, I keep hearing about Eco-tourism initiatives. Good, Good.
Well appointed bamboo guest houses are available for tourists who would like to spend a few days lazing around or venture into treks and swims.

Sale of chappathi maker to tourists

We were then taken to the 80 foot high Bamboo zigzag stairway which we climbed, with the young Bengali couple in front,the wife  castigating her husband for having  made her climb a perilous walkway( I will tell mum ) and who was then astonished to see a breathtaking view of Bangladesh along with the rest of us ( Why didn't you tell me ).

After lunch we bid adieu to our guide wishing him well and proceeded to view the phenomena of a huge boulder  balancing on a small stone.

The best was to come yet!

Living Roots bridge-All Khasi villages are connected by a network of stone pathways which traditionally keep the local betel nut trade alive with Shillong. Throughout this network, hundreds of living root bridges form the bridleways over the myriad water channels that crisis-cross the area. We visited one such bridge near Mawlynnong.  But what is it?

Enmeshed Roots...

Form the Pathway

Initially, a length of bamboo is secured across a river divide and a banyan plant is planted on each bank. Over the months and years, the roots and branches of the rapidly growing plant  are trained along the bamboo until they meet in the middle and eventually supersede its support. At later stages in the evolution of the bridge, stones are inserted into the gaps and eventually become engulfed by the plant forming the beautiful walkways. 

The view was fantastic and my shoulder ached as I kept  taking pictures of the bridge from every angle

So,this was Mawlynnong, a village whose inhabitants all chip in a few rupees every month to pay for a village gardener and others who keeps the place immaculately clean and planted up with fantastic flowers and exotic plants from the surrounding forest.A village with 100% literacy.

Day 7 - Elephant falls, Bara Pani etc

Being a Sunday, Bankit wanted to do the Church routine with his family and so brought another car and driver for our outing today.

12 Kms out of Shillong is Elephant falls. It is a two-tiered rocky waterfall that is set amidst dense greenery. Here again the environs were very clean and I could almost smell fresh paint on the guard rails and stairway.Being close to Shillong it is the starting point for many tourists who are also attracted to buy local stuff from the shops located there and served by Khasi women.Made one guy say to another "if you are going to watch these girls we will miss Cherapunjee.Come on we will see more on the way "

At the Elephant Falls

Then we caught a bird's eye view of Shillong from the highest point







            

Umiam Lake, also known as Barapani (Big Water) is the next spot we go to.Here a massive hydro-electric dam has been constructed across the river. The lake serves as a water reservoir for the city and also offers Water Sport.We drove in to Ri Kynjai Serenity Resort and were impressed by the amount of greenery surrounding it.It overlooks the lake and is a serene location to write that book that you always wanted to but could not find the mood or locale.It will certainly bite your wallet.We ordered lunch,moved about,entered the shopping arena,completed lunch and left.

Bara Pani

  

Presbyterian church at Police Bazzar

                                                  

A flower at Bara Pani

We had a wonderful evening.... Attending a Service in English, my first, at the Presbyterian church along with Richard,who is a devout christian.It was interesting and absorbing.Then Ricky took us home to meet his mother and younger sisters.We had high tea,went up on the roof to view Shillong by night.Then my dear wife showed interest in wearing the sari, Khasi style,so this went on for the next half hour or so.In all it was great finale for the day!

 

Richard's mother and sisters along with our team

Day 8

Our last day of sightseeing.We visit a large catholic church in the vicinity, spend some time at the Ward's lake and then go over to Don Bosco museum.

Ward's Lake

     

DON BOSCO MUSEUM rises into city skyline and showcases the entire North East under its roof.Offers an unforgettable experience by means of its aesthetically pleasing and informative galleries. We saw an amazing collection of art,attire,accoutrements,armaments,adornments and atypical photographs.All the galleries are provided with multimedia presentation and also equipped with motion sensor switches to power-off when not needed.The sky-walk provides with a 360° view of the beautiful city.A well planned and organised museum that goes much beyond what competition can offer.   

             

Sky-walk

Don Bosco Museum

After this amazing experience we engaged in a wee bit of shopping and lunch before returning to our Home-stay to  make preparations for our early get away to the airport in Gauhati the next morning.

          
Viva Shillong!





                                          






           

Kaziranga and Majuli, Assam

A young Rhino

We have got much used to travel that it is very difficult to participate in routine chores  We get all excited Planning, Packing, Transporting, Flying, Resort/Hotel staying, Sight-seeing, Dining and the what-have-you's

And then the joy of recording it, digitally, for posterity...

This time the travel bug bit a couple of friends who shared our perception for visiting places.We decided on visiting the North-east and my story starts in Kaziranga.

Day 1-2 , Kaziranga

We flew to Gauhati, so much easier to spell, on the morning of 9th April. Reached Kolkata early helped by tail winds and touched down at destination with temperature reading 23C. I thought it was cabin crew error. But she was right. It was Cooool. Rains come early here.

We loaded up on a Mahindra Scorpio and were on our way, a fairly long journey was in store, interrupted only by a visit to a gas station where we also had the opportunity of grabbing some Jhal Muri, made famous by the neighboring WB, and a cuppa at a Dhaba later on. Hunger was overcome with some delicious Puri bhaji, courtesy one of the ladies of the group.

As dusk gave in to darkness and with no street lights,the glaring headlights of the approaching vehicles made life tense and we had no idea how long we were to continue traveling that road which alternated between hills and valleys along the Brahmaputra. Our driver had brazenly confessed that he had not driven in a while in those parts and was certainly feeling his way around.We had to handle him with kid gloves most part of the trip

A unit of the resort

Wild Grass Resort. We got it right after a couple of tries. groping in the dark. It is a rustic property tucked away from the main road. In fact, there is no signboard (unlike all the others in the vicinity whose hoardings were bigger than the resort itself). When I queried Manju Barua, the owner, he said he omitted the sign board purposely, so that it would be a point of discussion. The middle aged Manju with his flowing beard and baggy trousers held up by braces, appeared to be re-living the colonial times. Or was it appropriate to please and guide many of his foreign guests who flock his Resort? He was certainly most forthcoming and courteous, a quality that has been imbibed by his staff who took good care of us and treated us to some delicious Assamese cuisine.

Wild grass is very cozy with a wonderful sit- out next to the dining room as we found out the next morning. Here you can sip your Assam tea or enjoy a drink of Beer looking at the abundant nature all around. The Tudor styled dining hall is very spacious with hand crafted furniture and decor. 
Kaziranga National Park, the oldest in Assam covers an area of 430 Sq.Km!! It is home to the Great Indian one horned rhinoceros. Kaziranga has been declared as National Park in 1974.

Jeep safari-Next morning after breakfast we trooped into the Resort jeep along with a Guide for a ride through the national park. We passed tea estates and tea retail outlets on our way and some were already eager to buy the Assam leaf. However,we carried on towards the park to complete our business first. 
 
The morning was balmy and we could spot the Rhinos, wild buffaloes, large lizards, fowls, deers and so on.


Plenty of birds and then …look ,look,look the driver said stopping the vehicle suddenly and pointing to a large cylindrical block of wood as if a large branch was lying by the side of the tree. A Python!!, he  cried and as I trained the binoculars on the inert form not believing all that they said, I could see the serpent slithering back ever so slowly into a hole from where it had emerged to gather a prey or two. That was the WOW moment of the morning ride which culminated with a great view from a high point across a fresh water lake. Also one could not fail to notice the blackened trunks of trees and charred grass all along. This was the effect of grassland management.

This important aspect of management in Kaziranga is to maintain the grassland and preventing invasion of “tree forest”. This is achieved primarily through annual burning of grasslands so as to discourage the growth of tree sapling. The operation also helps in enhancing the nutritional value of coarse grasses by facilitating growth of new shoots, which attract the herbivores. The burning also improves visibility and facilitates anti-poaching surveillance.

We were told that a Rhino census was completed just the previous day and they recorded a growth! There are now about 2500 of them in Kaziranga. That was another A-Ha moment.

Kitchen

Then came lunch and while the ladies rested afterward, I roamed the property clicking away…the different structures that stood there. Here a kitchen-painted in vivid colors and patterns, there an outhouse, then the two main living quarters for guests with wooden stairways, banister and large corridors exemplifying early 20^th century builds. It was all so haphazard yet with the tree and tall grass cover it was idyllic.
 It was now time for the elephant safari. We were conveyed to the starting point accompanied by the Guide who organized the elephant and mahout. One amongst us was squeamish and was not very happy initially, but as the large herbivore got on its way, trampling the tall elephant grass, rugged reeds, marshes & shallow pools, the rocking motion and excitement thereof got all of us in the mood, hopeful that we shall soon be amidst Rhinos…the fun part was the Baby elephant that followed us all the way. Whose baby? Who had abandoned it? We don’t know. But every now and then it would trumpet loudly and wait for its mother who was elusive.

If I may prevaricate, I remember this guy in Eden Gardens, Kolkata who would blow his trumpet every time play went drab due to the bowling of one Mr. Bapu Nadkarni who must have gone into Guinness for bowling the maximum number of maiden overs in test cricket. Nowadays ICC and IPL are using the trumpet for promoting their carnival. I hope they are paying royalty to the promoter in Kolkata.

We were 8-10 elephants in the convoy each with passenger strength of 3-4 and the mahouts were busy directing the animals onward as we were goading him to show us Rhinos in close quarter. Various promises were made as one would to appease the Gods and very soon he brought us in the close vicinity of Rhinos, medium and small, grazing quietly in the wild.

 Everybody on the elephants got busy with their cameras, some were lucky to get good frontals or sides while others got the large backs with the tiny tail. The Rhinos kept peace with us until we dispersed and made our way back for disembarkation. And there, we were happy to see the baby elephant rejoining her mother at the finishing post. All is well that ends well…an old jungle saying?

The Indian single horn Rhino found in Assam is the largest of Asian Rhinos. It is also considered to be the most amphibious rhino in the world. It is an excellent swimmer and can run at a speed of 55 km/hr. A full grown male Rhino can have an average head and body length of 12.0-12.5 feet and weigh 2000 kilogram. Females are little smaller than the males and can be 1500 kg in weight. Rhinos have very strong smelling and hearing power but are weak in the eye. The single horn can be 8-12 inches in length and is present in both males and females, but not on newborn young. The black horn, like human fingernails, is pure Keratin and starts to show after about 6 years.

A Big Fella

 Tea and snacks followed upon our return to Wild Grass and some serious planning was afoot for our outing the next morning. The motley crowd at the resort were treated to an Assamese tribal dance with many guests joining in and trying their hand at the local cymbals and drums or holding hands and dancing. It was great fun….Kaziranga

Vasu, Krishna and Shoba

Day 3,Majuli

We got up early, picked up our basket of breakfast and rushed 75 Kms towards the north of Kaziranga,to Nimati ghat,Jorhat,and to where the river Brahmaputra forms the largest riverine island of the world, MAJULI, spreading over 924.6 sq. Km. with its population being threatened by constant erosion by this mighty, unstable river.

 A riverine island is a specific type of island resembling a river such as the many islands formed in Bangladesh near the mouth of the Brahmaputra. There may be countless many of them whereas a river island is just a permanent island in the regular section of a river. A riverine isle is more open ended in its interpretation and is highly vulnerable for erosion.

Having reached the slushy ghat/jetty in time, we got into the ferry crammed with people, motor cycles and four wheelers making their daily trips, and began our journey across the Brahmaputra. The ferry takes a long time, slowly chugging its way towards Majuli. We had nothing to do except stare at other passengers and to guess what tribe he belonged to… Meshing, Ahom or Kachari. The view from the very narrow window of the ferry was restricted and we were packed like sardines in a can.

On the other side the slush and mud was even more and there was a mad rush to get to Terra firma. A Scorpio picked us up and we were escorted by a Meshing who spoke good Hindi. Our first stop after traveling through slushy and bad roads was a mask maker who creates wonderful masks for performances and stage plays during the Krishna related celebrations the island is known for. We spent time listening to this guy  who posed for us happily wearing the different masks on display there. We indulged in some fun by trying out the masks and lived in the make believe world for a while.    

 

From here we took a long drive back through the one-horse town to a resort which would be our home for the night. The resort is made up of a series of bamboo homes …. 

No.54

The house with the bamboo door,

bamboo roof and bamboo walls,

it’s even got a bamboo floor…

in the house of bamboo!!

 After a simple veg lunch we set out to witness a dance program conducted by the members of one of the Satras. There were nine in the group who entertained us with a very good song and dance performance called Sattriya Nritya.

Entrance to a Satra

Some background ....

Majuli has been the principal place of pilgrimage of Vaishnavites. There are several Satras (socio-religious institutions), established first in the 16^th century by the revered Assamese saint Sankaradeva. They resemble medieval monasteries and are headed by Satradhikars preaching and teaching Vaishnavism. At present there are 22 Satras in Majuli. These Satras are the treasure house of song and dance.

Sattriya Nritya is an artistic way of presenting mythological teachings to the people in an accessible and enjoyable manner. Traditionally, it is performed only by male monks in monasteries as a part of their daily rituals or to mark special festivals. It is accompanied by devotional musical compositions and instruments such as the drums, cymbals and the flute. 

 


 The men danced,playing the drums and displaying various emotion on their faces
 





 
 
 After the dance program we visited another Satra,their museum and temple.



We came back to the resort and watched the lovely sunset before getting ready for a social visit. 
Upon the insistence of the Mishing guide we visited his Bamboo abode nearby and enjoyed a drink of rice beer and some boiled potato for starters cum entrée. A display of some locally crafted shawls etc was met with mute disregard thanks to the dim light prevailing. 

Enjoying Rice beer

A tribal dance show followed, organized primarily for the benefit of a British tour operator. After the show it was dinner as usual and we retired to our Bamboo home for the night.

Best time to visit Majuli is from October to March. Most of the dance, music and drama performances are organised during this period. If possible coincide your holiday with a Krishna-related festival when week-long celebrations are held.

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