So Long...Shillong !

By Moumita Kundu

If you haven't yet discovered Shillong, read my experience here in this travelogue : one that I had and one that I dream of. A college excursion which has given me memories of a lifetime that will always keep me tied to my students ; and Meghalaya, which will always call me back with its haunting beauty. Get prepared to be on Cloud 9 in the ‘Abode of the Clouds,.

“Travel in the younger sort is a part of education, in the elder a part of experience.” Keeping this maxim in mind, I on the behalf of the Department of English, St. Xavier’s College (Burdwan) organised the annual excursion — a trip to the Scotland of the Northeast. It was a 5-day trip to Shillong and was scheduled from 20th March to 25th March and I had done all my bookings train tickets, hotels and bus services for our group of 30 members. The scope was to give the students of literature a wider exposure and also an awareness of the opportunities of studying English in the graduation level. . For this they were taken for an orientation programme at the NEHU university which was the main objective of this educational excursion.

The beginning:

The journey began from Burdwan station where all students and faculties had gathered by 8 a.m. All bookings having been confirmed, we were able to relax our way to the station. Our excitement began to soar as the Kanchanjunga Express to Guwahati chugged on platform number 5. The journey was a pleasant experience as the train shuttled past the changing topographies.

Day 1: Umiam Lake and Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures.

After reaching Guwahati at 6am next morning, we had to withstand quite a tedious journey of about 4 hours to Shillong, the capital city of Meghalaya. But the spacious and comfortable bus MMT had provided, helped in allaying much of the strain of travelling on the rough and hilly roads. Before we reached our destination, we stopped at Umiam lake or Barapani lake and we all were somewhat relieved of the stress of the journey.

Then we headed straight to the guest house, Hotel Ashiyana and needless to say all of us had already fallen

in love with this place.

beside the umiam lake

The freshening up and lunching being completed by 2:30pm we headed straight to the Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures. Commonly referred to as a museum, it is much more than that . It is a knowledge hub for knowing, understanding and studying the cultures of the northeast India . We spent about 2 hours visiting the 16 galleries of the seven storeyed hexagonal building. The students took keen interest in knowing the various aspects of the culture of the people there. They found the ornaments and costume section and the basket gallery section particularly interesting. Another major attraction of this museum is the Skywalk from where we all enjoyed a panoramic view of the city. The evening was spent strolling in the lanes of Police bazar where all of us did some shopping in the Souvenir shops. Of particular interest were the varied articles made of bamboo and the unique artistry of the Khasi weave.

the don bosco centre for indigenous culture Enjoying the skywalk

Day 2: NEHU , Golf Course, Ward’s Lake, Cathedral of Mary: Help of Christians

The next day was scheduled for the visit to North Eastern Hill University. The Department of English welcomed all the students and teachers of our college to an exposure program where the heads and faculties of the various departments spoke about the plethora of courses that NEHU was offering which students of literature could pursue after their graduation. The orientation programme was very enlightening for the students and they were very pleased to be able to interact with the local students there. Our students took ample pleasure strolling down the corridors of the huge buildings, visiting the well-furnished libraries and taking pictures of the gardens in full bloom. We discovered that the sprawling campus offers not only scope to study the discipline one wants to but also establish the much-required communion with nature, ‘far from the madding crowd’.

In the evening we visited the Shillong Golf Course and students enjoyed taking a leisurely stroll on the vast expanse of velvety green grass. we all relaxed ourselves before heading towards our next destination on our sightseeing list, which is the Ward’s Lake. It is a nice park built around an artificial water body. The lush garden in the middle of the city only adds to the beauty of this pristine Northeastern City and the horseshoe shaped lake offers the tourists the pleasure of boating experience – an opportunity which we did not fail to make the most of. The students enjoyed a lot boating on the placid waters before going to the next place of visit which was the Cathedral of Mary: Help of Christians. It is the Cathedral of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Shillong and it is historically significant because this was the first Catholic Cathedral Church built by the Catholic missionary in the Khasi Hills. The students were enthralled by the history associated with the church as well as the modern Gothic architecture which is both unique and interesting. The day ended with a second visit to the Police Bazar after which all returned to the hotel.

having a field day @shillong golf course

Day 3: Shillong peak, Sohra, Elephant Falls, Mawphlang trail, Mawsmai Caves, Ramkrishna Mission, Noh-ka-likai falls

The third day’s trip was to Cherrapunji or Sohra. We started quite early because we could not miss one of the must visit places there, the Shillong peak which is at a height of 6449 feet above sea level and the highest point of Shillong . It offers a breathtakingly beautiful panoramic view of the entire city. Despite clear weather, vision was obstructed by heavy fog which is a characteristic feature of Meghalayan climate : because it is after all the “Abode of the clouds” . The local belief is that the patron Deity, Leyshillon resides in these Hills and protects the city from all evils — the deiti from which Shillong derives its name. Such interesting trivia intrigued the students and they took numerous photographs of the mesmerizing view. the next destination on our itinerary was Elephant Falls . The waterfalls gets its name from an elephant shaped rock which doesn't exist anymore but the waterfall is the best near Shillong not only because it falls in three stages at three different elevations but also because it is stupendously beautiful. The students were physically exhausted climbing up and down the height of the waterfall but psychologically they were invigorated. The place also offers some great locations for photography and all of us made full use of it. the next place that we were headed to was the Mawsmai Caves in Cherrapunji .

The majestic elephant falls

The road was curvaceous but the journey was a not that physically taxing, courtesy the nice and comfortable vehicle provided by MMT. The scenic beauty on both sides of the road was more than compensation for the ordeal we took. The 16 km long David Scott trail offers a great opportunity for hiking but we only travelled along beside it enjoying the picturesque valley. The students were spellbound for the most part of Mawphlang trail, halting at a few viewoints to bask in the beauty of the sunlight on the majestic green hills. Stone quarries made for an interesting thing to see as well as the monoliths which exist throughout the length and breadth of the Khasi and Jaintia hills. The upright stones sometimes tower up to 6 m. On reaching Mawsmai Caves we had our lunch and then embarked on an adventurous expedition inside the limestone caves. The natural formations of stalactites and stalagmites within the cave held us in awe. This magnificent natural wonder gave us a fascinating experience as all of us were trying to imagine the similarities of the forms inside the cave with lifeforms outside. The experience was really worth the risk and trouble we took to crawl through the long cave. We then headed to Noh-ka-likai Falls which is one with a tragic story behind its nomenclature.(Read the story here) The students were enthralled by the sublimeness of the tallest plunge waterfall in India. Though the volume of water was less its brilliance was seen in a different light as the setting sun aided in setting up an extraordinary ambience for all of us to savour and take home . The fading sun failed to fade the enthusiasm of the students and the last place to visit that day was still left.

We paid a short but fulfilling visit to the Ramakrishna Mission Cherrapunji as the students could stand witness to the elaborate evening prayer which was going on then. As much as we would have loved to spend some more time engrossed in the meditative spirit that was surrounding us, we had to hurry because the long journey back to Shillong was left. All of us, though tired kept all our spirits up by singing some peppy numbers on the bus . After reaching the hotel it was time for us to do the packing.

The return (of the native) :

The next morning we left the hotel very early and stopped for breakfast at Lake Umiam viewpoint to catch one last glimpse of the soothingly beautiful blue lake. The next part of the journey to Guwahati was filled with lively conversation and some dancing on the bus. We reached Guwahati at around 11 a.m. well in time to catch the Saraighat Express . With full hearts and fuller bags, all of us trod our weary way to the platform. Since our group was pretty large and the travellers mostly uninitiated to the outside world, we the faculties had to focus extra attention on them. The journey back was full of dumb charades and antaksharis ,where students and teachers participated and enjoyed alike. We reached Bardhaman station at around 6 a.m. the next day .

This short trip to Shillong is to be cherished by all for many years to come. The trip was hugely successful in the sense that not only were their horizon of knowledge illuminated but also understandings of life sharpened. The students learnt moral and social values from first hand experience. As Euripedes had said "Experience, travel — these are education in themselves " we need not say anything more.

My future dream trip:

I am not much of an adventure-seeker but I would like to try out river canyoning, trekking and mountain biking. Also, I would like to fulfil my dream of sailing on the crystal clear waters of River Dawki and walk across the living root-bridges – pleasures which I have missed during my trip with my students. There are several other options of adventure sports for which you can check out traveltriangle.com

Our lives are full of struggles and travel can be the therapy. It helps us break the monotony. The charming valleys, the crystal blue skies and the inviting lakes of Meghalaya are sure to rid you of all your negative vibes. They will ensure that peace, happiness and a sense of fulfilment take over you.

By Moumita Kundu