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Amidst The Abode of Clouds-Exploring Meghalaya

We started our journey of traveling Meghalaya which was a part of our North-East trip and headed towards Nohkalikai Falls which was 54 kilometers away from Shillong where we stayed for a night. We proceeded towards Cheerapunji, one of the wettest places on our planet which receives 460 inches of rain annually.

Cheerapunji

After a short distance of walking, I heard the waterfall and then saw the huge waterfall on my right. The Nohkalikai Falls are to be seen from the viewpoint itself. We were witnessing the world's fourth-highest waterfall from afar with a height of 340 metres. This location was quite beautiful, and the waterfall became even thicker during heavy rains. The cotton candy-like clouds in the sky made the scene more picturesque. The waterfall was surrounded by beautiful forest and mountain terrains, and it dropped into a tiny pond-like area before flowing like a river.

Nohkalikai falls

We proceeded to the Seven Sisters Waterfall, which is located on Khasi Hill and plunges a limestone cliff around 11 kilometers from Nohkalikai Falls. The beautiful seven sisters waterfall named after the seven falls that pour down from the same hill but with spaces in between them made me feel like I was in some dense rainforest. All seven falls can be clearly distinguished during monsoon with a heavy flow of water. Our next stop was at Mawsmai Caves which was just a 15-minute distance from the falls.

We had to hike a short distance before entering the cave. It had water sipping and dripping in some spots, and certain interior rocks had changed their shape due to the water dripping for years. We also had to restrict our bodies and move in some places. The cave had a lower oxygen level than the outside although no breathing issue was experienced by me. Crossing the caverns was almost like an adventure due to the tiny passages.

Mawsmai Caves

It was dark in there, and nothing would have been visible if the artificial lighting would have been absent. There were numerous fossils, and the caves beneath our feet were an incredible world. Only a few areas of the cave received natural light; the remainder was lit by artificial lights. This cave is an excellent example of nature's creation.

A hundrerd kilometres from Mawsnmai we reached the Jighmaham living root bridge. We began walking to the direction board as we arrived at the living root bridge's parking lot, and after descending the stairs for a while, we arrived at the living root bridge. It was naturally made up of rubber fig roots. The roots intertwined, and the bridge was strong enough to support humans. The feeling of walking across the bridge was incredible. One could easily run and jump over the bridge.

Living root bridge

There was a river running beneath me, and the roots provided natural support. The river flowed by the sides of the trek route. The place had calmness and the river flowing below had clear water. We even stepped down into the river through the huge rocks present in between. On our way back from the root bridge, we came across a small tree house from which we could see the area around with unique bird species chirping on the tall trees. Our next destination was 40 kilometers from the living root bridge.

Mawlynnong is Asia's cleanest village, and after arriving there, we explored the area. The area was immaculately clean, and each house had a small garden with lovely and colorful flowers. Women were swiping through the village's narrow streets. I did not see a single garbage piece around the streets and homes. There were dustbins kept at regular intervals which were solely made up of wood with a unique conical shape. I found these dustbins quite interesting, initially, I did not even think them to be dustbins.

Street in Mawlynnong with a typical dustbin

After dwelling around the village we went for lunch at a neighboring eatery, where they served traditional Meghalayan salads and steamed veggies, as well as organic vegetables produced by the farm run by the family eatery themselves. The weather in the village was lovely although a little misty.


We headed off for Dawki, a tiny village in the Jaintia Hills on the Indo-Bangladesh border. To mark the border, a small mound of stones was kept. On one side, I observed our country's army, and on the other their army. On their side of the border, there were Bangladeshi visitors too. We went boating on the Dawki River, and the water was so clean that the boats appeared to float in mid-air. I could see the riverbed and tiny pebbles since the water was clear.

Dawki

Rowing the boat around was incredible, and the boat rower also led us to a mountain cliff, which made me feel like I was in some dream place. We also encountered an excessive amount of truck traffic owing to the Indo-Bangladesh border. We ended our Northeast India journey with this location which seemed like something out of a fairy tale.

With nature's wonders amidst the thick rainforest, I found Meghalaya to be a very serene place and enchanting. No wonder Northeast India is a true gem of our planet.

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