The abode of clouds

It’s been long, since many of us have gone for an outing. Be it a short or a long vacation, a weekend getaway or a leisure holiday. Each looking forward to an exciting, enticing? holiday.

Since there had been lot of happenings in the North East India, especially the infrastructure development, that gives us one more reason for a visit to the North Eastern Himalayas. The best choice one can think of is “The Majestic and Mystical land of Meghalaya.” It has lot to offer from the nature trails to the mouth watering cuisine, temples, heritage sites, flora & fauna, the myths and belief to be explored and many many stories and, yes of course “The Tribe” too.

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• You might have you heard about “Cherrapunji” the wettest place on earth,
• Have you heard about “The cleanest village in Asia” which won the award by Discover India.
• Have you heard about “Living Root Bridge” which has been added as an Heritage site by UNESCO
• Have you heard about Umngot River, the cleanest river in India?
• Have you heard about “The Tribe” Garo, Khasi, Jaintias tribes of Meghalaya?

The Majestic & Mystical land “Meghalaya”

Enter into the ‘Abode of Clouds’, also know as ‘The Scotland of The East’ because of the remarkable similarity between the landscapes – the clean rivers, the roads, valleys, hills, waterfalls and a lot more to keep you mesmerized.

Let’s visit the mystical little village of Mawlynnong, about 72km from Shillong is this popular destination known for its award as the “Cleanest village in Asia’ by Discover India in 2003. The tribes here live a sustainable lifestyle by using solar power, recycling waste, rainwater harvesting and other eco-friendly practices.

Meghalaya is also home to exotic flora & fauna, the world-renowned “Living Root Bridge” one of Meghalaya’s most beautiful heritage site. It has been added to UNESCO world heritage site list, they are made of intertwined roots. These bridges have been built for centuries by the native people of the land. Naturally built, it is used to cross the overflowing rivers during the monsoon season, it symbolizes how connected they are to the nature and it’s cultural significance. There are approximately 100 or so known living root bridges across different villages. Some of the most popular of these living root bridges are in Nongriat, Cherrapunji, Nongbareh and other nearby locations.

The “Nohkalikai Waterfalls”, A straight plunge of over 1000 feet gives Noh Ka Likai unbeatable status amongst waterfalls in India. A mesmerizing scene with the backdrop of the spectacular cliffs and the thick forests at the bottom. Noh Ka Likai has a significance culturally – it bears a most tragic story that is still told today. it is believed that once their lived a woman who ate her own son, killed and served by her evil step father. Mad with guilt, rage she plunged herself to death “Noh Ki Likai” means “Where Likai Jumped”

?“The Church of The Epiphany” which is more than a century old.

?Nartiang Durga temple

“Dawki”, another gem of a place, truly a visual delight of "Umngot River" which is ?one of the ‘cleanest rivers in India’.

Another incredible place is the Nongkhnum the biggest “RiverIsland” ?in the state and the second biggest river island in Asia, after Majuli in Assam. You can access by road from Shillong.

Shillong is the capital city, of Meghalaya, a State of India.

Many more such treasures in Meghalaya to be discovered... Feel The THRILL

The Tribe

a thrilling and an adventurous story of the Tribe & Weretigers

Have you heard about? “The Weretigers”?

The Garos, a tribal group who live in India in the western highlands of Meghalaya and the southern foothills of Assam are noted for their diverse beliefs on weretigers. Human beings with the ability of turning themselves into ferocious tigers and subsequently back to human form.

Weretigers are known as “Matchadus” half-men and half-tigers conceived as a creature living in a ‘cross-species’ state, as both tiger and man, and therefore occupying the liminal space between human and beast living deep in the forest.

D. S. Rongmuthu, a Garo himself also a scholar of Garo folklore affirms in one of his works explains that Matchadus possessed a secret, magical method for transforming themselves to tiger form and back. The mysterious techniques inherited from one’s family, is not to be disclosed by those who knew them (as did Rongmuthu himself, according to his claim). Rongmuthu goes so far as to affirm that matchadus are not just legendary characters, but form an actual secret community of weretigers who still live today anonymously, in close proximity to Garo villages. There are various researched reports on this myths and belief.

The work also refer to an immortal female being, who resided in vast caves and, in accordance with the matrilineal structure of Garo society, was conceived as the ‘matriarchal’ ruler of tigermen (matchadus), as well as the queen of tigers and tigresses – hence her appellation Matchama, ‘Tiger Mother’.

In the epic lore of the Garos she is described as a female tyrant who exercises absolute power of life and death over matchadu warriors. The bravest, most heroic, and most famous matchadu generals were her descendants.

Francesco Brighenti,?Independent Researcher, Venice

Dr Francesco Brighenti is an independent Italian scholar of Indology and the tribal cultures of South and Southeast Asia. He holds a PhD from the Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, India. He started his research work as a student of Hindu goddess-cults, and then gradually moved to the study of the mutual interactions between Hindu and tribal cults in the Indian subcontinent through history. His current research focuses on tribal beliefs and oral narratives of tigermen, weretigers, and ‘tiger-shamans’ throughout Monsoon Asia.

there are several scholarly research reports with the claims...

The Tribe - a thrilling and adventurous story

Read a compelling and exciting thriller, an adventurous story of the tribes of Meghalaya. Set in ancient times a thrilling story of a brave princess of Khasi tribe, who in men’s world dared to challenge the kings and fought alone for her tribe. Her aim was to save her tribe and her children who were the target of Garo Tribe. A daredevil princess, it was just next to impossible to win her or trounce her in warfare skills, Garos had a difficult time under her rule. Who sabotaged and killed her?

The spell-binding story of Garo tribe which can send shivers to your spine. The people known to possess mystical & spiritual supremacies. Ruled by a queen with invincible power. “Since 500 years we had been waiting for this day, for "Him”.

All hopes on one man to change, to bring peace and development. But the Garo tribe will never agree as they wanted supremacy over all tribes and they had been waiting for “Him”

Devastated, bruised, wounded and left to die, Anand working in an huge establishment in Shillong, the capital city of Meghalaya, manages to reach Judy (resident doctor) for help. His body seemed as if it was mauled by wild dogs or bruised by sharp weapons.

Judy loves Anand and she knows he is the only hope to rescue others from this hell, hence he must live... "a hero deserves to live" She helps him escape...

?The thrilling & adventurous story of “Anand & Judy” “The “Weretigers” and “The Tribe” of Eastern Himalayas...

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