We, the working lots, look forward to long weekends or a holiday or vacation. While at work, glancing at the academic calendar from time to time is a must, to contemplate a trip for the travel lovers.
Thankfully this time it was a five days holiday on the occasion of Durga Puja in early October. Not enough for somewhere far. I was mentally all set for Darjeeling this year. But just five days wouldn't be enough to have a proper tour of Darjeeling.
It has to be somewhere a bit nearer. That's why Shillong! Luckily got terrific companies for Shillong.Both of us were on the wheels, so "no Dhaka-Sylhetair ticket available" couldn't come in way, we whizzed off by our Toyota Axioat Thursday midnight.
After immigration at Dawki we settled down in a white Sedan. The first day it was Sylhet - Tamabil-- Dawki-- Unitemised Falls --Mawlynnong Village---Shillong: almost 20 hours in car. Our driver Daniel, a young mid thirty something Khasi boy was enthusiastic enough all the while to make our trip a memorable one till the end.
The arrangement was, we would stop by at places for sightseeing on the way to Shillong. And he did it most dedicatedly. We're riding uphill mostly amid breathtaking landscape.
The vastness of the mountains is hard to capture. So wonderfully scenic! So is it to view the spectacular valleys between the mountains. Before reaching Mawlinnong Village we stopped a few times to viewnatural surroundings and the beautiful Unitemised Falls, and were charmed.
But the Mawlynnong Village is a great discovery! I will eternally be thankful to the driver for suggesting and taking us there. A life time experience to stroll along the small picturesque village with its quaint houses that serve either as guest houses or restaurants, run mostly by the females of the house.
An impressive church came is view. It's visibly matriarch.I also learned that the society is matrilineal as the inheritance is passed to the daughters through the mothers. Years ago I watched a movie "Leap Year" set on Scotland. Now I witnessed some similarities between Mawlynnong and Scotland though Shillong is called "The Scotland of the East".
Though flocks of tourists of all features, creed and castewerehanging around the place yet so tranquil. The residents of Mawlynnong so intelligently and artistically made use of their minimum resources to bring vibrancy to the place: a tree house to have a view of Bangladesh, simple souvenir shops, a Living Root Bridge, falls etc.
The population in this village of Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya is mostly Christian with 90% education rate. It's notable for its cleanliness and was declared as the cleanest village of not only whole India also of Asia.All against our will we had to put us into the car making an end to our errands. By then Shillong was calling us too.
It's dark when we entered Shillong. Our hotel, the Heritage Club, Tripura Castle is an exotic one. Main sightseeing will happen tomorrow. Excited, it's after all 'the Scotland of the East'. Sources say, Tripura Castle was built in the early 1920's by the then maharaja of Tripura who came to Shillong and fell in love with the place.
It became the summer retreat for the royal family of the Manikya dynasty. After the Mikados of Japan, the Tripura royal family, the Manikya dynasty is the world's second unbroken dynasty of 186 rulers in chain.
It's a unique hotel atop a hill on 9 acres of land with 7 wings, 38 rooms, 3 restaurants -bars-cafes, also club carts for taking the guests from one wing to the other. It has rich natural ambiance to enjoy. Just five minutes from the city but secluded and serene.
Next day was for Shillong city tour. Now I could understand the significance of calling Shillong "Scotland of the East". Small identical cone-shaped cottages built up on the hills at intervalssignificantly resembled the ones there.
It was drizzling, sometimes raining. We started our sightseeing after an enormous breakfast that included masala dosa, poha along with other usual breakfast delicacies. It started with a tour of Tagore's Shillong residence in Rilbong. Amazing, isn't it? At this far off place, our Nobel laureate, our pride, used to take refuge.
It's where he penned one of his masterpieces "Roktokorobi". Some might wrongly think that Shesher Kabita was written here as the initial setting is Shillong but the fact is Shesher Kabita was written in Bangalore. Unfortunately the house is sold out to someone and now is under renovation. No more open for public. With the help of our Bengali driver we managed to enter and take a few snaps.
We were little bit turned down to know that Shillong Peak was restricted for foreign visitors for some time. After a quick round of a park called Lady Hydari Park adjacent to Tagore's house, we dashed off towards Umiam Lake which is around 15 kilometers from Shillong city.
Google says, "Umiam Lake, commonly known as Barapani Lake is a reservoir in the hill. It was created by damming the Umiam River in the early 1960s." The lake is a major tourist attraction of Meghalaya state.
Tourists visit this spot for kayaking, water cycling, scooting, and boating. One will simply be spellbound while viewing the heavy fog floating in big chunks above the lake. Ignoring the rain we convinced our driver Dipok to drive us to the lower part of the lake reserved for water sports, also a few tourist bungalows are also perched up there. It's unbelievably beautiful. Soon the drizzling turned to heavy rain, so we had to put an end to that exploration and run back to our Sedan.
We were driven back to City Hut, a Punjabi restaurant well known for its haute cuisines. It was worthy standing in the queue almost for an hour for our table because the vegetable biriany and chickenkarai were more than delicious.
In the end of the day we were captivated by an hour-long shopping spree at Police Bazar doing some thrift shopping. The bazaar was crowded but so clean, especially when I compared it to Kolkata New Market area which is very similar to that of Police Bazar. It was past evening when we reached back to our hotel and definitely a matter of great regret to not be able to enjoy an afternoon tea at our room balcony.
The view there was mesmerizing.In the faint light we could have the sight of innumerable houses nestling at the heart of the mountains.So next morning we didn't miss the chance to sit with a cup of Assam tea and view the splendor of the surroundings from our cottage balcony before we had to rush for our return journey back home via Cherrapunji.
That last day was Shillong - Cherrapunji - Sylhet-Dhaka. It was again a fabulous fairy-tallish uphill-downhill daylong ride. Maybe my plain land root finds mountains this enchanting and exciting. After a quick breakfast of bread, omelet and coffee, we checked out and started for Cherrapunji. Danielhad already reached from Dawki.
He was the one who had driven us to Shillong the first day, so he kind of worked on our taste: he played superb music all day.It's around 2 hours' drive from Shillong to Cherrapunji. On the way we couldn't resist stopping one or two times to have photos and breathe in fresh air.
It was a cloudy day. Might be the effect of Bulbul. The sight of fleeting low clouds all around was mesmerizing. What a boundless gift of nature! I silently but repeatedly thanked the Creator for letting me enjoy the great opportunity.
In two hours we reached Cherrapunji called Sohar in Khasi and stopped to see the Seven Sisters Falls. Nature donned here too so mightily.A crowd ofdispersed tourists was already there. The appearance of Cherrapunji is completely different from that of Shillong's. The small cottages are scattered all over the valley.
Our driver Daniel remained the same enthusiastic company that he has been since the first day. He volunteered to take a few snaps of ours. Then he and my travel partner, the very brave lady, Farida bhabi cajoled me to do the most challenging act of my lifetime. We explored a cave for the very first time, the Mawsmai Cave. It still gives me goose bumps.
Though Cherrapunji is well known for highest rainfall, amazingly when it has been raining hard in Dhaka, Kolkata, even in Shillong for last two days due to Bulbul, Cherrapunji was completely dry with no sign of rain at all. We're laughing so much for this. We stopped again at an appealing roadside dhaba to sip at tea and enjoy last round of mountain seeing.
In next one and a half hour we reached Dawki border. The immigration process there was so opposite Benapole. No hustle bustle. No checking. Relaxed. With the help of BGB we quickly walked into Tamabil. That time that's home. My driver Delowar with the car anywhere is my home. Journalist Nobel bhai both ways helped us, in fact accompanied us. So Sylhet for lunch at Panshi and back to Dhaka with a new realization:
dekha hoi naichakkhumelia,
ghorhoteshudhu dui paafelia,
ektidhanershisherupore
ektishishirbindu…
So was the trip to Shillong, Megalaya. So near but so bountiful. My especial recommendation for visiting this Hill Districts if not for anything for their commendable cleanliness and aesthetic sense.
The writer is Head of Section, International Hope School Bangladesh Uttara Preschool
& Primary Section
---Nazmun Nahar
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