 Meghalaya
means "Adobe of the Clouds".
The state was created in 1971, with
its capital at Shillong. At an altitude
of almost 1,500 metres the town is
built in an area of pinewoods and
meadows. Because of its topography,
the British in India often described
Meghalaya as the "Scotland of
the East". Since Shillong originated
as a market town, perhaps the best
place to begin exploring it is Bara
Bazaar, the hub of the old city. Hills
people come here with their local
ware , utensils and baskets, vegetables,
chickens, fish and spices. Ward Lake,
well-landscape and set in the Botanical
Gardens, is close to the township,
as are Lady Hydari Park and the mini-zoo.
The park is land scraped and the pine
trees here resemble Himalayan chill
but are in fact a native species.
Another aspect of Meghalaya is the
distinctive bird life. Green downs
and conifers make a perfect setting
for some wonderful golf on Shillong's
18-hole golf course, while the archery
stakes, which probably evolved from
some ancient tribal custom, is an
interesting sport to watch. Above
the town rises Shillong Peak from
which the township got its name. There
are numerous waterfalls in the vicinity.
Shillong has two interesting museums
:the Meghalaya State Museum, housed
in the State Central Library building,
has a collection of jewellery, handicrafts,
weapons, costumes, musical instruments
and coins. The butterfly Museum has
a good display of beetles and butterflies
from the region and other parts of
India. Cherrapunji, 56 Kms south of
Shillong, is reputed to be the wettest
place on earth, receiving 1,150 cm
of rainfall a year. At Jakrem there
is a hot spring , and 16 kilometers
(ten miles) away on the Shillong-
Guwahati roads lies Lake Umian . Perhaps
the most intresting destination is
Mauphlang, 24 kilometers (15 miles)
along the road to Cherrapunji, where
there are numerous monoliths (some
up to meters high), possibly erected
as a form of ancestor worship.
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