Meghalaya History

Meghalaya or ‘abode of the clouds’ is a source of inspiration to any poet, a dramatic canvas for an artist’s dream, and the ideal retreat for people in search of beauty and solitude. Declared as a state on 21st January, 1972, Meghalaya is one of the most picturesque states of India, offering a spectrum of sylvan surroundings, rich cultural heritage, misty heights, luxurious vegetation, flora & fauna. Carved out of the former state of Assam, Meghalaya is one of the seven sister states of the North Eastern Region, bordered by Assam in the north and Bangladesh in the south. Meghalaya is divided into five administrative districts the Jaintia hills, East and West Garo hills and East and West Khasi hills.

Meghalaya experiences two seasons, winter and monsoon, and is characterized by a cool climate throughout the year. The Cherrapunjee-Mawsynram belt in the southern slopes of Khasi Hills records the heaviest rainfall in the world. Numerous rivers flow through Megahalaya, although none of them are navigable, due to rocky beds and strong currents. Today the longest cave has been discovered and has proved to be a must in the tourist itinerary for Cherrapunjee.

The Predominantly tribal population’s the original inhabitants are The Khasis, the Jaintias and the Garos. The Khasis and The Jaintias trace their lineage to the Mongolian race, while the Garos belong to the Tibeto-Burman race. Their cultural trails and ethnic origins remain distinctive, mainly due to their geographical isolation. The Khasi language spoken here is believed to be one of the few surviving dialects of the Mon-Khmer family of languages, in India.

A common cultural tradition of all the tribes of Meghalaya is the matriarchal law of inheritance by which, custody to property and succession of family position runs through the female line, passing from the mother to the youngest daughter, instead of the male line as is common elsewhere in the country. It is the man who goes to live with his wife after marriage. Agriculture is the main occupation of Meghalaya, with eighty three percent of the total population, dependent on it for their livelihood. Rice and maize are the major food crops. Important fruits grown here are pineapples, oranges, lemons, guavas, jackfruits and bananas, while potato, jute, cotton, ginger, turmeric, betel leaf and black pepper are the chief commercial crops.

Shillong (1496 m) called the Scotland of the East, the capital city has a number of beautiful sites like Shillong peak (10 km from Shillong,), located at an altitude of 1965 metre, it offers a dazzling view of the idyllic surroundings. The Idew Market or Burra Bazar (closed on Sundays) is one of the most interesting markets one can ever see over here. For hours, one can explore the different levels and myriad alleys with shops displaying a mind-boggling array of items. Butterfly Museum (closed on Sundays) is another interesting place to visit. Another unique spot of Shillong is Archery Stakes. Cherrapunjee (1300 m) and its surroundings areas are blessed with many breathtaking views of nature in her pristine beauty with cool springs, mind soothing waves of thick green jungle foliage, gurgling mountain streams finding their way through rocks, enthralling milky white waterfalls leaping into deep gorges in a thunderous applause to the record-breaking rainfall that resounds through the valley. The pregnant monsoon clouds embrace and kiss the mountains as they sweep across the plains of Bangladesh from the Bay of Bengal and are coaxed to shed their moisture to drench the mountains in a deluge to provide home to one of the most bio-diversity rich vegetation in the world. During the monsoon months it is a thrill to catch sight of nature in the prime of her beauty when the clouds lift their mantle over her for fleeting moments.

SACRED GROVE
The tribal communities of Meghalaya in northeast IndiaKhasis, Garos, and Jaintiashave a tradition of environmental conservation based on various religious beliefs, which have been passed on from one generation to the other. Based on these beliefs, certain patches of forests are designated as sacred groves under customary law and are protected from any product extraction by the community. Such forests are very rich in biological diversity and harbor many endangered plant species including rare herbs and medicinal plants.

The sacred-groves, which have been preserved since time immemorial, are in sharp contrast to their surrounding grasslands. These groves are generally rimmed by a dense growth of Castanopsis kurzii trees, forming a protective hedge, which halts intrusion of Pinus kasia (Khasi pine), that dominates all areas outside the sacred groves. Inside the outer rim, the sacred groves are virtually Nature’s Own Museum. The heavily covered grounds have a thick cushion of humus accumulated over the centuries. The trees in every sacred grove are heavily loaded with epiphytic growth of aroids, pipers, ferns, fern-allies and orchids. The humus-covered grounds likewise harbour myriad varieties of plant life, many of which can not be found any where else. One of the most celebrated sacred-groves of the State is the grove at Mawphlang about 25 kilometres off Shillong. This particular grove has for long years been a reservoir of interest for eminent and internationally known botanists. The sacred-groves, which make a unique contribution to the flora and avi-fauna of the State, are undoubtedly of immense interest to all naturalists.

LIVING ROOT BRIDGE
The lower reaches of the southern slopes of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills are humid and warm and are streaked by swift flowing rivers and mountain streams. A specie of rubber tree flourishes alongside these rivers and steams. The tree usually perches on rocks and reaches out to the soil for nourishment. Thus, they have adapted themselves well to high soil erosion, caused by these fast flowing rivers and streams. The exposed roots grow strong and reach out over long distance from the tree trunk.

The early War-Khasis had noticed these qualities of these trees and had adapted it to serve their need for bridges to cross-rivers and streams. In order to direct the roots in the desired direction, they use hollowed out areca nut tree trunks. The thin and long tender roots are then passed through the hollowed out areca nut tree trunks, which are positioned as per the requirement of the proposed bridge. The roots start growing towards the directed end. When they reach the other end of the stream or river they are allowed to take root in the soil. Where required, the roots are redirected back to the side of the river or streams where the tree stands. The bridges usually have base spans numbering more than two. There are also two protective railing spans. Stones are used to fill any gaps in the base span roots. Some of these bridges have roots brought down from the tree branches joining the middle of the bridge from the top as support spans. These root bridges are so strong that some of them can carry 50 or more people at a time. The roots of one of these bridges are about 18 inches broad and about 6 inches thick. These bridges are being used daily by the villagers of these places (near Cherrapunjee).

These bridges probably take 20 to 25 years to become fully functional. They keep growing in strength by the day. Perhaps their life span is 200 to 300 years after the bridges are well formed. These bridges are eloquent testimonies of man living in harmony with nature. A unique Double Decker Root Bridge in the vicinity has one deck 70 feet long and another 56 feet long. This must be the only one of its kind in the entire world.