Shillong: The Scottish Highlands of the Northeast.
Introduction (A Glance)
In the year 1972, the north eastern state of India, Assam was divided into two. This division lead to the creation of a new state, Meghalaya with Shillong as its state capital. Meghalaya consists of the Garo, Khasi and Jaintia hills, each of these hills named after the respective tribes that inhabit them. There have been many theories regarding the origination of the name Shillong, one of them is that the name Shillong comes from the word Leishyllong, which translates to the supreme power. Shillong evolved from a small village to a summer retreat during the colonial rule, and then it was the capital of Assam till 1972, and now the capital of Meghalaya. The plateau of Shillong is situated at an altitude of approximately 4900 feet and has the hills of Assam and Diengiei that bound it from northeast and northwest, respectively. The Umiam gorge is towards the north of Shillong.
Shillong’s landscape and climate is often compared with that of the highlands in Scotland. It experiences one of the heaviest rainfalls in India. Although the place is so picturesque, Shillong has never been the most popular or most visited tourist destination. That is the reason why it is comparatively less commercialized compared to the other hill stations in India. That is not the only difference between Shillong and other popular hill stations, unlike the other hill station; the influence of the British rule is not prominent here. The hills and places still maintain the original ethnic and tribal culture.
The dominant tribe in Shillong are the Khasis, with a strong majority of Jaintias and Garos. There is of course a population of Nepali, Assamese, Bengali, Bihari and Tibetan population in Shillong. Christianity is the dominant religion in Shillong, with a minority of Hindus and Muslims. Before the missionaries came to Shillong, the people worshiped nature, which is still followed by a minority section. The interesting thing is that even people belonging to other religion still follow and maintain the original religious beliefs and culture of this north-eastern part of India. A very unique aspect of Meghalaya is the fact that the three tribes: the Khasis, the Garos and the Jaintias are matriarchal societies. The children carry the mother’s surname and property is owned by the girl child. Shillong celebrates the normal Indian festivals, as well has its own share of unique festivals, such as Wangala, Shad Suk Mynsiem and Lahoo dance.
How to Reach (Getting There)
About 40 kilometres from Shillong is the Umroi airport. However, the main airport and railway station is located approximately 100 kilometres away in Guwahati in Assam. Buses and taxi services are easily available from Guwahati to Shillong. The journey from Guwahati to Shillong cuts across the pineapple plantations and through the alpine tress and takes approximately 3 hours. The climate of Shillong is characterized by heavy rainfall during the monsoon and humid in summer. The winters in Shillong are cold, although it does not snow. Right after the cold winters, that is from March to beginning of May or after the monsoon that is from October to November is the best time to visit Shillong.
Tourist Destinations (Attractions)
Shillong and its nearby areas are filled with lakes, parks and waterfalls. There is the man-made lake in the centre of the city, known as Ward’s lake. This lake has a beautiful garden around it and houses boating facilities. Approximately 17 kilometres off Shillong is the Umiam Lake. This lake houses a resort and water sport facilities, such as kayaking, water cycling, water skiing and many more. Approximately eight kilometres away from Shillong is the very steep Sweet Falls. The Elephant Falls is located approximately 12 kilometres from the main city and is perhaps the most scenic waterfall in Meghalaya. This waterfall also has a small path that leads to a lake that is formed at the bottom of the waterfall. Spread Eagle falls literally resembles an eagle with its wings wide spread. Bishop and Beadon Falls are equally scenic. Within the main city is the beautiful is the Crinoline Falls, which also houses a swimming pool.
The botanical garden and the Lady Hydari Park are both located within the city limits and offer a huge variety of rare and exotic species of flora. There is also a mini zoo and a deer part adjacent to the Lady Hydari Park. Both the parks have a descent collection of orchids too. Glen Eagle of the East is a huge 18-hole, natural golf course situated in close proximity to the botanical garden. Shillong houses two museums: the State Museum and the Butterfly Museum. The State Museum mostly houses artifacts from the tribes of Meghalaya and other north-eastern states. The Butterfly Museum houses a good collection of butterflies and moths.
The highest point in Shillong is located approximately 5 kilometres from the main city and is at an altitude of approximately 6,400 feet. It’s called the Shillong Peak and is accessible via road. It is usually very misty, but offers a panoramic view of the city especially at night. The Shillong peak also houses the radar station for the Indian Airforce. Near to the Umiam steam is the Diengiei hill. The path to this hill offers picturesque sights and is excellent for trekking. Being a Christian dominated place, Shillong has its share of beautiful churches; the most popular among them being the All Saints Church and the Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians, both these churches are very attractive in their own way. Meghalaya also has a number of caves in and around its hills that are mostly hidden from the tourist eyes. Most of these caves, such as krem mawmluh and krem phyllut have stream and river passages. Krem dam is a huge sandstone cave and a stream passage makes it very picturesque. Shillong is an excellent place to purchase woollen garments and handicrafts, especially the ones made with bamboo. One can also find a range of meat and bamboo shoot pickles. Shillong is best explored by foot. However, buses and taxis are readily available.
Hotels and Resorts (The Stay)
There main centre of the city is the Police Bazaar and there are number hotels in and around this place. The good budget hotels include Elgin and Embassy. Royal Heritage Tripura Castle located in the Tripura Castle Road offers all the modern amenities in serene environment. The rooms here cost anywhere between Rs 2000 to Rs 4000. The luxury hotels include Alpine Continental and Hotel Pinewood. There are a number of restaurants in Shillong serving, Indian, Chinese and Tibetan cuisine. The food in north-eastern states differs greatly from the rest of India. The native recipes usually involve boiled food and contain very less spices; the food can have a pungent taste of local herbs. Unlike most Indian cities, pork and beef are the more popular meat in Shillong and are easily available here. To get the true essence of the native cuisine, one can venture into the small local shops and the good ones are located near the Police Bazaar. In Shillong, you will never run short of places to drink, there are number of good restaurants and bars, some serving local beers made of rice.
The eight north-eastern states of India are perhaps the least visited places in India. These states are very different from the rest of India in terms of culture, people and food habits. Shillong is one of the many hidden splendours of northeast India. The people are very hospitable and the city is very rapidly growing. It’s not very commercialized as most hill stations and there are virgin woods and meadows to explore here. One would be amazed at the offering of this capital city in the north east.