Travel
Under the bounties of the rain gods
Cascading waterfalls, roots that work as bridges and nature in abundance make Cherrapunji a sanctuary for the oxidised city soul. For the traveller on a budget this is paradise not too far away from home. Shahriar Feroze writes on his trip and how it rejuvenated him and left the melody of the waterfalls in his ears. It all began during the pre-Eid period in the latter half of October last year, when I chose to be a recluse in the mountains instead of 'gossipy gatherings' for my Eid vacations. Intended to be the wettest place on earth, it is called Cherrapunji, meaning 'land of oranges'. It is the largesse of the rain gods. My second journey to Meghalaya, inspired by the first, was one of a kind of searching wilderness for an overall revival. My brief excursion for a week far away from distressed Dhaka seemed as a renewal of senses. For it is in the midst of undulating grassland, lush green patches of shrubbery, desiccated waterfalls cascading over deep ravines, trails of dried and damp streams with rocks and pebbles towards the direction of the southern plains followed by early November chills; one could almost feel the infinite blessings that nature tenders. The scenic splendours of Cherrapunjee (Sohra local name for Cherrapunji) have thrilled many a nature enthusiast of all ages, over time immemorial. Such splendours of Meghalaya begin from Tamabil check post, which is also the zero point for both Bangladesh and India. Tamabil also holds the record for being the friendliest among all Bangladeshi border check posts. It is located 55 kilometres from Sylhet town. I was already getting irregular glimpses of the distant misty mountains that awaited innumerable awe struck moments. In the lead of my arrival in Dawki in November last year I boarded a Tata-Sumo jeep along with a group of locals who frequented between Shillong and Dawki. Meghalaya began to expose its charm from the Shilling-Dawki River crossing point scrupulously with river Umngot with its green emerald blush water. The river links two districts together- the Jaintia Hills District with the East Khasi Hills District. Upon standing closer to the Dawki suspension bridge built by the British in 1932, I could well spot the creek dotted with flimsy local fishing boats. Umngot --- the Emerald River My plans were to take a trip 90kms straight ahead to Shillong, spend the night and take another journey of 55-60 kms to Cherrapunji the next day. Within the limited sphere of my travelling experiences Shillong appeared as a cosy hill station like Darjeeling which is becoming densely populated, but this time I had plans to explore greater Cherrapunji in particular, which would also include parts of the southern Khasi hills, Mawsinram and village Shella located 110 KM down south of Shillong . The next morning I boarded a taxi from Shillong for Cherrapunji (currently the historical name Sohra, local name of Cherrapunji, is more commonly used by the locals) and reached my destination in a matter of a little over three hours. It was during this journey that I had categorized the roadside landscapes of Meghalaya, which are of two distinct types. First, the Dawki-Shillong road ascending through sharp, narrow and steep bends en route for an altitude of 4500 feet and above. There is a quick ascension of a 10 km section that awaits the brim of the vast green Pamshuti canyon amid waving betel nut palms and mildly picturesque Khasi villages like Pontung and Mawsun .The second, the Shillong-Cherrapunji road, is one of the exotic roads in the undulating parts of north east India. This highway is embellished with bursting pine trees, flowers, orchids, picturesque valleys, small streams, viewpoint stopovers on regular intervals. With steep and rapid ascension I could feel the kick of the 'blue northerner'. Ahead of my arrival at Cherrapunji, I discovered a sleepy town with almost empty roads, with a few scattered dwellers. Cherrapunji is also home to a large variety of fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants. Due to a private family event the much renowned 'Cherrapunji Holiday Resort' was fully booked but I managed a couple of hours' time inside the hotel and treated myself to a number of breathtaking views of the plains of Bangladesh with the surrounding wilds. The frequently turn-off road to this hotel with interesting signposts to promote tourism and conservation of wildlife was an off-beat thing to notice. I had booked a room with the 'Coniferous Resort' the previous day. The small roadside inn like hotel may have no resemblance to its name but the owner along with his family members and staff literally shed hospitality like a coniferous tree upon me. Built upon a piece of a wasteland, this is a small, pleasant place located in lower Cherra, a few kilometres south of Sohra town. It is really expediently located with respect to Sohra's main attractions - like the Kynrem falls, Mawsmai caves, Eco Park, Nohkalikai falls, Thangkharang Park, Dainthlen falls with a few other places of note. Interestingly, a landmark was positioned almost in the face of the hotel pointing all of these to be located within a radius of 15 kilometres. Much of the afternoon was spent on strolling with brief stop-overs for shots of places and views. Signs of excessive rain washing away the topsoil of the hills seemed too exposed through huge chunks of open, dry and barren like terrains. Valleys and steep slopes in and around Sohra are covered with lush and very diverse plants, containing numerous endemic species of plants which is even enriched with patches of the Meghalayan subtropical forests. Sudden outer shells of vegetative wraps in the form of dense woods made me ask, 'How would Sohra look, excluding land erosions, deforestation, mining and human encroachments?' it is pure rapture for those who want to sneak a look into the history of mankind through the limestone caves ranging between Sohra and Mawsynram. The heterogeneous flora of Sohra needs to be seen with appreciation in order to believe and it is a botanist's paradise for scrutinizing north east India's nature at its zenith. With evening descending I decided to retreat back to my hotel and planned my private exploring. I cut some of the names of places from my adventure list where I had been before. While drawing back the soft pastel purple hue in the western skies, piercing sprays of blended colours amidst tiny pieces of clouds flowing around lazily with evening chills striking a chord, how much I missed the allure of the sky lines in the city! Climate conditions during November are chilling and below 12 degrees with nightfall. Much of the first evening was spent planning which places to explore and how to get maximum pleasure out of my short holiday. I had less than a week for my travelling around and once I had finished my excursion period, realised that even a span of ten days wasn't enough to scrutiny the southern fraction of Meghalaya, let alone the complete state itself.
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