Meghalaya

P opulation: 2 million
Capital: Shillong
Area: 22,000 sq km
Literacy Rate: 52%
Phone Code: 0364 

Meghalaya became an independent state in 1972, breaking off from the southern section of Assam. About 25% of the people in the state are Christians. There are two distinct ethnic people in the state, the locals and the Burmese-Tibetan type people, who speak different languages. Mawsynram, which is south of Shillong, is the wettest place on earth. Meghalaya means “Abode of the Clouds.”

The British made Shillong the capital of Assam. Meghalaya has only been open to restricted tourism since 1995. There are several wildlife sanctuaries in West Meghalaya and over 150 caves.

Shillong
Pop: 260,000 Area Code: 0364

Shillong was the capital of Assam during the British period from 1874 to 1905, and was a popular hill station. It is at an attitude of 1496m, and is pleasant in the summer time. There are beautiful lakes and waterfalls in the area.

Orientation
Shillong is on several hills. Police Bazaar is in the center of town, and the government bus stand, lower-end and middle hotels, restaurants, and shops are located in this area. The northeast area, where Ward’s Lake and the botanical garden are located used to be the British area. Some higher-class hotels are located in this area. About 1½ km west of the center of town is Bara Bazaar and the private bus stand.

Information and Tours
The Government of India Tourist Office (225-632), GS Rd, near Police Bazaar, is open Mon to Fri 9.30 am to 5.30 pm.

Meghalaya Tourist Information (226-220; fax 222-731), Jail Rd, Police Bazaar, is open Mon to Sat 10 am to 5 pm. It runs a good half-day tour of Cherrapunjee. The bus departs from in front of the tourist office; you can get a ticket at 7.30 am. The half-day MTDC city tour goes to Shillong Peak, Bishop Falls, Beadon Falls and Elephant Falls. The tour starts at 8.30 am and costs Rs 75.

The Woodlands Nursing Home (225-240), Dhanketi, south Shillong, is a private hospital with modern equipment.

The State Bank of India (223-520), Kacheri Rd, near Shillong Club; and Indian Overseas Bank, change US dollars and British pounds and Thomas Cook and American Express TCs.

The GPO (222-768), IGP Rd, near the State Bank of India. Postal Code: 793001.

You can make free call-back calls from the Central Telegraph Office (226-288), Bivar Rd, European Ward. It is open 6 am to midnight.

Modern Book Depot, on GS Rd, is a good bookshop.

Places to See
Ward’s Lake is a nice place on which to take a boat ride.

Lady Hydari Park, 1½ km from Police Bazaar, has a Japanese garden design and has beautiful flowers, especially from April to October. It has a small zoo. There is a swimming pool at Crinoline Waterfalls, near Lady Hydari Park.

Nice waterfalls are Bishop Falls, Beadon Falls and Elephant Falls (12km).

Not as visited is Sweet Falls, 8km from Police Bazaar. The falls are not so good, but it is a peaceful place with paths to walk around.

Shillong Peak (1960m), 10km from the center of town, has a nice path up to the top. There are great views from there.

Umiam Lake, 15km from town, is a nice place with boating on the lake.

There is a Golf Course, from which clubs can be rented.

Museum of Entomology
It is known as the “Butterfly Museum.” This museum, in the house of Mr Wankhar, contains a large collection of butterflies and bugs. There is what is said to be the world’s largest beetle and there are also 30cm long poisonous stick bugs.
It can be a hard place to find. Near the Grand Hotel you turn onto Umsohsun Rd. When you reach a fork you go left and follow the street for half a km. The museum is on the right and the sign is hard to see. Mon to Fri 10am to 4pm and Sat mornings.

Polo Ground Archery Contest
The Polo Ground is 3km northeast of Police Bazaar. There is a daily archery contest held at 4 pm, which is over in a few minutes. People bet on how many arrows will stick in the wooden target.

Where to Stay—Lower
Youth Hostel (222-246), Vivekananda Marg, has rooms for Rs 200 and dorm beds for members Rs 50 (Rs 70 non-members).
Anand (223-466), Quinton Rd, has basic clean rooms with common bath for Rs 150/175. It has a veg restaurant.
Hotel Utsav (226-715), Jail Rd, across from the MTC bus stand, has rooms with common bath for Rs 175/300 and with bath for Rs 250/350. It is a friendly place.
Neo Hotel (224-363), GS Rd, has basic, clean rooms with common bath for Rs 150/225 and with bath for Rs 250/400.
Hotel Monsoon (223-316), GS Rd, has rooms with bath and hot water for Rs 200/300.
Hotel Broadway (226-996), GS Rd, has clean rooms with common bath for Rs 175/300 and with bath for Rs 450/550. It has a popular restaurant.
Hotel Pine Borough (220-698), Police Bazaar, has rooms with bath and TV for Rs 225/350 and Rs 500 for a deluxe room.

Where to Stay—Middle and Higher
There is a 10% government tax added onto the price of the room.
Shillong Club (226-938; fax 221-740), Kucheri Rd, is an old British Club that has large rooms with bath for Rs 300/500.
Hotel Centre Point (225-210; fax 227-222), in Police Bazaar, has modern comfortable rooms with bath and TV for Rs 500/550 and Rs 850/900. It has a good restaurant.
Hotel Polo Towers (222-341; fax 220-090) is a three-star place that has modern rooms for Rs 700/850 and Rs 950/1100 for a deluxe rooms.
Hotel Alpine Continental (220-991; fax 220-996), corner of Quinton and Thana Rd, is a three-star place that has good rooms for Rs 600/750 up to Rs 1400.
Pinewood (223-116; fax 224-176), 2km from the center of town, is an attractive British Raj hotel with nice gardens dating from the early 1900s. It has a billiards table and a snooker table. Nice rooms with heat and a tub in the bathroom are Rs 800/1050 and good suites are Rs 1100/1400. It is a good value.

Where to Eat
Abha Restaurant, Lower Lachaumiere, south Shillong, has good Tibetan and Chinese food made by Chinese people. Vegetarian chow mien is Rs 35. Closed Sunday. There is another branch on GS Rd.
Trattoria (225-345), Police Bazaar, about 200m from the bus stand, serves local Khasi food.
Pizza, Jail Rd, opposite the tourist office, has fairly good pizzas for Rs 35 to Rs 100 and veggie burgers (Rs 25).
Eee Cee, on Jail Rd, has reasonably priced good Indian and Chinese food. It also has a good bakery.
Pinewood Hotel has a good restaurant with Indian and British Raj type food.
Palace Restaurant, in Centre Point, has cheap Indian snacks.
La Galarie, in the Hotel Centre Point, has good high-priced Indian and Chinese food.

Travel
The closest airport is in Guwahati (4 hr, 125km). Flights can be booked at Sheba Travels (227-222), Police Bazaar.

There is no railway station in Shillong. The closest one is in Guwahati (105km). You can make reservations for other places on the 1st floor of the MTC bus stand, near Police Bazaar. It is difficult to get a reservation for trains departing from Guwahati.

You can get a shared taxi to Guwahati for Rs 140 and sometimes they go directly to the Guwahati airport.

From the Police Bazaar bus stand there are deluxe and ordinary buses to Guwahati (3½ hr), Silchar (10 hr), and Tura (12 hr). Green Valley Travels and Blue Hill, in Police Bazaar, organizes private buses to various locations. Local buses depart from Bara Bazaar. From the bus stand in Bara Bazaar, MTC buses go to Cherrapunjee (2 hr, 2 daily), Mawsynram (3 hr, 2 daily) and Jawai (1½ hr, 2 daily). Private buses depart to places nearby.
Private buses depart to the border crossing for Bangladesh at Dawki from Bara Bazaar. You need to have a visa, which can be obtained in Calcutta or Agartala.

Cherrapunjee
On June 16, 1876, Cherrapunjee set the record for the most rainfall on a single day, 104cm (41 inches) and in a year 2300cm (75 ft). Just recently, the nearby village of Mawsynram broke this record.

The sites to see here are spread out over several kilometers and the town itself is small and not interesting. It is best to visit the places in the area by the good MTDC tour or to come here by taxi. There is no accommodation or local transportation. The tour goes first to Nohkalikai Falls, India’s second highest waterfalls, and then to Mawsmai Caves. At around 1 pm there is a stop at the Tourist Bungalow for lunch, from where there is a view of Seven Sister Falls.

Near Shillong
Mawsynram, 55km from Shillong, is the wettest place in the world. In the Mawjinbuin Cave water drops from a rock shaped like a breast onto a rock in the form of a Siva-linga. Buses come here from Shillong (3 hr).

In Jakrem, 50km from Shillong, there are hot springs.

The Krem Um Lawan, near the village of Jowai, is the longest cave in India (6½ km long).

Garo Hills
There are many large limestone caves in the hills in the area, near the village of Siju. There are buses to Tura (150km away) from Shillong (12 hr) that go via Guwahati.

Copyright ©2001 John Howley and Spiritual Guides