Northeastern
India
Destination:
Shillong ~ by Rajdeep Bhattacharjee
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| India
is a land of extraordinary diversity and culture that has offered the experience
of a lifetime to every single visitor who landed on its soil since time
immemorial.
The northeastern
region of the Indian subcontinent is a remote and one of the most beautiful
locations, which is yet to be explored. As communications being improved
in recent times, the region is very fast turning out to be a Traveler’s
Paradise with more and more tourists flowing in to explore the virgin landscape
and amazing tribal culture.
With extraordinary
panoramic view, dense evergreen forests, turbulent rivers, fast disappearing
wildlife, the whole northeastern region is the ideal destination for someone
looking to experience something very unique and unforgettable.
I took the
opportunity to explore the region and the first city I traveled to was
Shillong.
Shillong,
the capital of the state of Meghalaya is situated at an altitude of 1496m
and is surrounded by gentle hills, green fields and lakes .The city was
a popular summer resort for the Officers of the East India Company during
the British rule in India. |
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As it resembles
more of Scotland, you will notice big hoardings put up by organizations
saying, “Welcome to Scotland of The East” just before entering Shillong.
Khasi, Garo and Jaintia tribes are the inhabitants of Meghalaya. These
people are very much particular about the architecture of their houses
and almost every house has a garden and they are basically fun loving.
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The
society is matriarchial which put women as the head of the family. Another
interesting aspect I have noticed while in Shillong is that the Khasi girls
manage all the shops and markets. While in Shillong, you must taste the
local Khasi dish known as Jado, which means fried rice with pork. Another
thing which is favorite amongst the folks here is the Betel Leaf and Raw
Nut which in local terms known as “Koowai”. Police bazaar or PB as it commonly
known as is the buzz point of the city. With Markets, Restaurants and all
major Government as well as Private offices here, you will get the glimpse
of vibrant, modern and fun loving Shillongites here.
Lady hydari
Park, Elephant Falls, Shillong Peak, Umium Lake, Golf Club, Entomology
Museum are some of the places you must visit while in Shillong. Also, don’t
miss the opportunity to visit the wettest place on earth, Cherrapunjee
which is located at a distance of 54 km from Shillong. |
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Another interesting
place to visit is the Archery contest which held everyday at 4.15pm at
Polo ground where some 60 odd archers assemble in a small field surrounded
by ticket selling booths and small shops selling booze. At sharp 4.15 pm,
the archers began shooting where they shoot more than thousand arrows in
the next 4 minutes. The officials then count the number of arrows that
hit the target. The last two numbers after counting is the winning lottery
number. Information passed across Meghalaya.879 arrows in the target means
79 is the winning number.
The Meghalaya
Government legalized the archery lottery game in 1982, but according to
local people, the game is running for the last 100 years though nobody
knows exactly when it has started.
When To
Go:
It remains
pleasant all through the year but the best time to visit is between March
and June
Getting
There:
Almost all
the major international Air Lines fly to Indira Gandhi International Airport
in New Delhi as well as other major touchdown points such as Mumbai, Chennai,
Kolkatta, Bangalore etc. Royal Jordanian is of good value. For accurate
information on your scheduled date, please check with your travel agent
for details or you can check www.airindia.com.
New Delhi has
direct flight to Guwahati ($350 round-trip) and Calcutta ($150 round-trip)
from where a 30 minutes helicopter service takes you to Umroi Airport in
Meghalaya.
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Around:
Once in Guwahati,
you have plenty of option to avail for Shillong. If you are arriving by
Flight, there is direct-shared Taxi Service from Guwahati Airport to Shillong
(3 hours) at 200 INR ($5) Check the driver's license before you take the
ride.
There are buses
of ASTC and MTC from the ASTC bus stand next to the Railway stations on
the Paltanbazar side of the city, which run on an hourly basis. Private
bus service is also available from Blue- in Travels and Assam Valley Travels.
Both the bus stand is within 5 minutes walking distance from the ASTC bus
stand.
The more comfortable
Tata Indica share car service runs from near the Mayur Hotel at 125INR
($3) per head and covers nearly 100 km in about 2.5hours.
Accomodation:
Budget,mid-range
and top hotels cost $9-$60 per night. All hotels have cable TV and bathrooms
with hot water. |
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For Budget
Accommodation:
Youth Hostel
(Ph.# 91-364- 2222-246), Vivekananda Marg, Hotel Anand (Ph.# 91 -364- 2223-466),
Quinton Rd, Hotel Utsav (Ph.# 91- 364 -2226-715), Jail Rd, Hotel Monsoon
(Ph.# 91 -364 -2223-316), GS Rd.
In the Luxury
Range (There is a 10% government tax added onto the price of the room):
Shillong Club
(Ph.# 91- 364 -2226-938; Fax.# 91-364-2221-740), Kucheri Rd, “Royal Heritage”
-Tripura Castle(Ph.# 91-364- 2501-111,2501-149;Fax.# 91-364-2225-239)Hotel
Center Point (Ph.# 91- 364 -2225-210; Fax.# 91-364- 2227-222), in Police
Bazaar, Hotel Polo Towers (Ph.# 91- 364 -2222-341; Fax.# 91-364- 2220-090),
Hotel Alpine Continental (Ph.# 91- 364 -2220-991; Fax.# 91-364- 2220-996),
corner of Quinton and Thana Rd, Pinewood (Ph.# 91- 364 -2223-116; Fax.#
91-364- 2224-176)
Dining:
As a hill station,
Shillong offers you plenty of eating options where Burgers, Pizza and milkshakes
are available at reasonable prices. To taste Pizza, you can try out at
Pizza near the MTC Bus stand. The restaurants in the Luxury Hotels serve
tasty Indian & Chinese Cuisine but are expensive
Shopping:
Glory’s Plaza
in Police Bazar is one of the best bargain markets in Shillong. With 99%
of the stuff coming from the nearby china and other countries, you get
some cool items at a wonderful price.
Gift Center:
Located in the Hotel Center Point Market Arcade, this shop sells artificial
flowers and china made items. Good place to buy souvenir.
Emergency:
Police (2224400/100)
ISD /STD Code:
91 is the India Country code and 364 is the Shillong code.
Information:
The State Bank
of India (2223-520), Kacheri Rd, Near Shillong Club offers foreign exchange
facilities.
Post Office:
General Post
Office (2222-768), IGP Rd, Near the State Bank of India.
Telegraph
Office:
Central Telegraph
Office (2226-288), Bivar Road, European Ward. It is open 6 am to midnight.
Offers free callback facility.
Contacts:
Whether you
are opting for a tribal tour, city tour or trekking, Meghalaya is the ideal
destination to explore. Jim Perry, a Canadian who married a local Khasi
woman and is settled in Shillong runs a tour company known as Cultural
Pursuits Adventures. His website www.culturalpursuits.com is loaded with
information on the region with special interest on Adventure Tourism in
Meghalaya that has helped attract tourists from abroad. Don’t miss the
opportunity of a lifetime…Get in touch with:
James M. Perry
& Valareina Perry Syiemlieh
Cultural Pursuits
Adventures
Mawlai Nongpdeng.
Shillong 793008. Meghalaya India
Tel:
(0) 91 –364- 2550573 Mobile: 91- 0- 98630 60937
Written
By:
Rajdeep Bhattacharjee,
Freelance
Travel Writer.
Phone# +91
361 2475282 (H)
Email:
travelwriter@journalist.com
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