Meghalaya: Famous for Its Bamboo Craft

BAMBOO: ART AND CRAFTS

Meghalaya is richly covered with the bamboo forests.The Bamboo forests has diverse species of 36 bamboos that are found in Meghalaya. The important species that is Dendrocalamus strictus, Dendrocalamus hamiltonii, Bambusa arundinacea, Bambusa pallida, Bambusa tulda, whereas Melocanna bambusoides is one of the important species of the bamboo.

Bamboo usually grow wild and in abundance. The bamboo play a essential role in the socio-economic and cultural life of the tribal state. It is used for various purpose for fishing,agriculture and cattle rearing and also for household items like utensils, furnitures and so on. The bamboo is a significant purpose for the population who are dependent on the handicrafts made by bamboo.

There are a wide variety of crafts found in  Meghalaya and the most famous craft is the cane and bamboo work, artistic weaving and wood carving. The most hindrance work is the use of bamboo from Garo Hills and the transportation of the bamboos.

The bamboo crafts  of Meghalaya plays a crucial part in the life of Meghalaya. The artisans of the region mainly attend to the craft when they are free from agriculture. The Khasi people are famous for its craft for creating beautiful cane baskets and sieves. Garo Hills is also rich for its bamboo and cane and are also famous for its crafts. In Garo hills the baskets made of cane are known as meghum khoks and also valuable items like clothes, bamboo houses, stools, tray, comb are some of the major products made by bamboo in Meghalaya. 

Art and Craft:

Meghalaya is one of the north eastern states known for its bamboo and cane products, wood craving and weaving. The three communities in Meghalaya the Garos, Khasis and the Jaintias have a skill of crafting and making various traditional bamboo and cane products.

The art and craft has a uniqueness of its own as its made very beautifully to make it look attractive. Tourist from various places are mainly attracted to see the art and craft of Meghalaya. The products made of cane and bamboo have received a lot recognition in the national as well as in international market which are high in demand.

Bamboo Houses:

The Meghalaya is also for its bamboo the houses are built usually by Garo tribe of the Garo hills by using resources like bamboo, timber, cane.

These serves as a variety of purposes like granaries or bachelor's apartments. The houses are usually knitted by the Garo tribe to build the houses which are locally available resources such as cane, bamboo, timber, wood from rubber plant and also dried leaves of palm trees. The bamboo houses are usually found in the district of West Garo Hills, Rongram region, Sadolpara Village and also in the Sasatgre.                                              

Some of the Famous Handicrafts:

• Closed Weave Carrying Basket
• Open Weave Carrying Basket
• Baskets
• Small Storage Baskets
• Coiled Cane Containers
• Rain Shield and Headgear's
• Winnowing Trays and Fans
• Mud Shovel
• Shield Made of Bamboo Plints
• Khasi Bamboo Comb
• Khasi Bamboo Pipes

Bamboo Weaving:

Bamboo is also used for making instruments like mouth organ, tobacco pipe, flute and the tribal weapons. There are around four bamboo based industry units in the state such as the Meghalaya Bamboo Chips Limited, Meghalaya Plywood Industry, Timpak Pvt Limited and M/S Roka Cane and Bamboo Works. The bamboo forests are under the control of Autonomous District Council (ADC) of Meghalaya.

Culture of Meghalaya

Meghalaya is rich in its culture and tradition and is one of the most beautiful state. The people of the region are very fond of music and dance. The state of Meghalaya is extremely divine and beautiful.

Tribes of Meghalaya:

A tribe is a group with certain qualities and characteristics that make the society a unique culture. A tribe generally has common languages,customs,rituals,social and religious beliefs. Meghalaya has some of the tribes that have their own characteristics.

Khasi People

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The khasi people are the native people of Meghalaya and are the largest ethnic group in the region with the population bordering the state of Assam and Bangladesh. The language of khasi is categorized as the most Austroasiatic language. And also a small population of khasi live in Bangladesh. The traditional dress Jymphong is the khasi traditional male dress and Jainsem or Dhara is the traditional female khasi dress.

Garo People

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Garo is mainly a tribe of Meghalaya and neighboring areas of Bangladesh and it is the second largest tribe in Meghalaya. The Garo Language mainly belongs to Tibeto-Burman Language. They usually call themselves A-chick Which mainly means the ' hill people'.

Jaintia People

The Jaintia is also know by Pnar a tribe in Meghalaya. The word Jaintia mainly derived from the Jaintia Kingdom known as Syntengs. The origin of Jaintia religion tribe is named as Niamtre.  The Jaintia Hills was established in 1972.

Dance and Music

Meghalaya is the home of music and dances. The dances are mainly associated with festival and are enjoyed throughout the year. The state has a passion for western music and also many rock bands are from this part of the state. And the state has also hosted some of the rock concerts of various national and international level. The instruments which are mainly used by state is drums, guitar and also flutes, pipes and cymbals which are also played.

Nongkrem Dance

Nongkrem dance is a religious festival in Thanksgiving to the God for Peace and Prosperity of the tribe. This is generally held annually during October to November at the Smith, the capital of the Khyrim Syiemship near Shillong.

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Ka Shad Suk Mynsiem

It is a colorful festival which is mainly celebrated during the spring season. It is generally performed by the unmarried girls and have permission to take part in the dance. The girls and boys are usually attired with heavy jewelries during the dance performance.

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Lahoo Dance

Lahoo dance is performed by the female and male for entertainment and are attired in the costumes and are  generally performed by holding arms together for dance step.

Festivals of Meghalaya

Meghalaya is famous for its dance and music as it one of the integral part of their life. The state celebrates many festivals from different races and tribal groups. Some of the festivals that mainly celebrated are

Shad Suk Mynsiem

This festival is celebrated in April of the year. The rituals are mainly conducted by  the family or the Khasi (Hima). The dance signifies the matrilineal and Patrilineal structure of the khasi and is performed by the unmarried girls dressed in their traditional attire and the steps that are performed are mainly slow steps, where as the man circles the women with their swords and whips. It mainly signifies the  man is protector of a woman. The dance is performed at Weiking grounds which is in the city of shillong.

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Nongkrem Dance Festival

It is a festival which is held annually in November and is a five days festival which is celebrated for the harvest of thanksgiving by the khasi tribe. It is one of the most important  festival of the Khyrim state and is held at Smit which about 15 kilometers to the shillong. In this festivals drums and pipes are played  for the occasion for five days.

The main part of the festival is that the women should be virgin and unmarried, who comes to dance for the festival field. The women are usually dressed in their traditional costumes with gold ornaments. The traditional dance is performed by the young men,kids and women of the tribe.

Behdienkhalm Festival

This festival is celebrated by the people of Jaintia Tribe of Meghalaya. Behdienkhlam is generally celebrated to chase away the Demon Of Cholera. 

               

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This festival is one of the most celebrated festival among the Jaintia tribe. This festival is celebrated annually in July. And it is also celebrated for blessings of god for a better harvest. In this festival  Women do not participate in the dancing and the festival is held at Jowai and is one of the most well known festival in Shillong.

Meghalaya (Abode of Clouds)

Meghalaya (meaning Abode of the Clouds), is easily the most accessible of the Seven Sister states of North East India. It is surrounded by the hills- East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills and Garo Hills. Meghalaya offers an incredible natural beauty. The fascinating close relationship that can be observed when humans live alongside and in tune to the natural environment can be observed in the lifestyles of the people of Meghalaya. From building bridges out of living roots and some of the most cleanest villages to be found in Asia. Meghalaya delights with plenty of secrets for travelers who seek an adventure off the beaten path. Some of the best places to visit which must seen by the travelers who love to explore.

Meghalaya

The cultures of Meghalaya have a materilineal society where the inheritance is passed to the women. The agriculture is the main source of livelihood of the people and also the other sources which includes are industries, forestry, horticulture and        cottage houses that promotes the traditional arts and crafts. 

The flowers of Meghalaya are re owned all around the world and also in the recent years  it was mainly used to approach the organic and sustainable farming of various produces has been promoted in the state.

The climate of Meghalaya is generally mild in the august and the weather of Meghalaya is  70 degree and in falls the weather degree is about (21-23 degree Celsius) in January. Meghalaya is one of the wettest region in country.

Meghalaya is a mountainous land with rich geographically that streches the valleys and highland plateaus which is  laced with caves, waterfalls and forests. There are also many rivers in the state.

                                                                     Meghalaya Orchids                

    Orchid is one of the most found  species in Meghalaya. And it is also known as the "home to Orchid Species". There are around 1,331 orchids species in Meghalaya and consider to be declaring of at least 20 forests as "Bio type Sanctuaries". Many of the orchids species are mainly present in Nokrek Biosphere in the Garo Hills, Four Wildlife Sanctuaries, Reserved Forest and around 125 sacred groves all over the Meghalaya.

Almost every part of Meghalaya is richly covered with beautiful forests and is considered to be the most richest among the botanical habitats of Asia. The state mainly consists of dense and open forest lands which mainly fall under reserved forests, protected forests and National parks. And also there is a rich diversity of forests like sub-tropical pine forests, grasslands, bamboo forests, evergreen forests and moist deciduous forests. Due to the excess rainfall, there is a variety of floral and fauna biodiversity. One of the highest point in the state of Meghalaya Shillong Peak is at the center of Khasi Hills with the highest point in the state at 6,434 ft. 

The Nokrek Biosphere Reserve and the Balphakram National Park are considered to be the most biodiversity-rich areas of Meghalaya. There are also three wildlife sanctuaries; such as Nongkhyllem WS, Siju WS and the Bhagmara WS  which is famous for its carnivorous pitcher plants.
Meghalaya has a wide variety of bird habitat bird that is more than 600 which are surrounding  the areas. There are around 34 species of birds in the state which are listed as worldwide threatened and 9 species which are endangered such as the oriental white-backed vulture and slender billed vulture.  

The most famous birds of the state mainly include greater spotted eagle, hornbills, blithe kingfisher, white cheeked hill partridge, grey peacock pheasant and the tawny breasted wren babbler. And also there half of India's butterfly species can be found in this states.

ASIA'S CLEANEST VILLAGE 'MAWLYNNONG' IN MEGHALAYA

ASIA’S CLEANEST VILLAGE ‘MAWLYNNONG’ 

Living my whole life in urban jungle and surrounded by people, Meghalaya is one of the secluded place which is engulfing lots of different natures miracle. Meghalaya is called as a ‘Scotland of East’. Here, with this blog I will share amazing information some fewer known facts about a place which is in previous years getting hype due to its beautiful uniqueness.

Getting There:

Hiring a taxi from Shillong is a good idea for the day long excursion unless you want to stay over in Mawlynnong in one of the several homestays. In that case, you can check with Meghalaya Tourism’s bus services that can drop you here. 

About Mawlynnong:

Away from noisy city, population, cars and traffics. It is a small village named as Mawlynnong. Its a small village located in the East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya has begged the title of being the cleanest village in Asia in 2003 by Discover India magazine and also known as the God’s Own Garden. It is located around 90 km from the capital of Meghalaya i.e. Shillong.

                                                Asia'sCleanestVillage   

This village has a population of 500 inhabitants belonging to the Khasi tribe, the dominant tribe        in Meghalaya. It sets a perfect picture of cleanliness and reflects perfect harmony between man and nature. The people of this village put everything to an Eco friendly use. They take turn to clean the roads and public areas, pick up the leaves and collect the garbage in dust bins made of bamboo and then transfer it to pits to use as manure later.

Strictly Followed Rules:

Rules regarding sanitation and cleanliness are set by the Village Panchayat and are followed by each individual. Lessons on cleanliness are imparted as curriculum in the local schools. Here, plastic usage is strictly banned and smoking is prohibited. Tourists are also urged not to throw the plastic waste in the dust bins and are asked to carry them out of the village themselves.

Attraction points in Mawlynnong:

This place is not only renowned for its cleanliness but also provides a picturesque beauty and in monsoon it is a treat to eyes being surrounded by the lush green beauty of the nature. Places to visit in Mawlynnong are-

·     Sky View/ Sky Walk: It is a viewing gallery built on top of trees; a tower made of bamboo with a height of 85 feet. This site offers a panorama view of the plains of Bangladesh Border.

·    Balancing Rock: A unique natural phenomenon where small stone is balancing a bigger boulder. This structure was worshipped as an ancient shrine before the introduction of  Christianity.

·    Church of Epiphany: This church has an old-world charm, it is 100-year-old structure. Premises of the church are eye soothing with lush green leaves and flower blossoming around it.

      Living Root Bridges: These bridges are unique to Meghalaya. Natural bridges are made by connecting the aerial roots of one massive rubber tree with another. These roots slowly grow to form a cantilevered and intertwined mesh that is used as a bridge over waterways making it easy for villagers to commute.

      Best Time to Visit:

Mostly, people ask in google when to visit Meghalaya. This blog will answer all your questions and will quench the thirst of yours. The best time to visit Meghalaya and specially this village is monsoon, because at this time greenery is at its peak and people will love the weather as its almost rainy all the time. Visit a neighboring Sacred Grove which are forests protected by the local communities and are believed to be the abode of deities. The groves are a treasure trove of plants, trees and animals.

                                                                              Mawlynnong

Many things to learn from Mawlynnong: 

Due to people are visiting Meghalaya since 2003, people of the village are employed on the rotational cleaning basis. They have their own waste management system and help their village to be the best in Asia.

MAWJYMBUIN CAVE ( MEGHALAYA)

 MAWJYMBUIN CAVE

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India is one of the homes for thousand of caves which attracts a lot of Tourist. Mawjymbuin cave is one of such cave of India which is known for its geographical and also for its exquisiteness. Mawjymbuin cave is situated in  Mawsynram cave which is in East khasi hills  of Meghalaya. The weather of the village is one of the wettest place in the earth (Cherrapunji)is wettest place).
The cave carries immense religious significance and it is 209- meter high cave and is also known as Krem Mawjymbuin. The cave is located at a distance of 56km away from Shillong.

It is a place for nature-lovers people who can frequently visit and can take the pleasure in sliding slopes, the fresh air, and  the green mountains and also the sound of  beautiful waterfalls. Because of many years due to the weathering and the dripping of mineralized solution and also deposition of calcium carbonate, has given rise to some of the most beautiful stalagmites in the cave. The stalagmites of the Mawjymbuin cave is shaped into a Shivalinga.

The unique stalagmites makes the most interesting thing for geologists, the impressive fact of the cave is the formation of cave and also the giant rock inside the cave, which is made in the form of Shivalinga and has turned the cave into a worship place for Hindus. This place attracts a lot of tourist who have a passion for nature and for the photography

Mawjymbuin cave

To reach this place :

This place can be accessible by road through a taxi's or buses which are available from Shillong to Mawjymbuin cave. It usually takes around 1 hour to visit this place from Shillong.

The reason why the cave is famous because of its Giant Stalagmite in the shape of a Shivlinga and it is constantly bathed in the water . The serenity of the cave and backdrop of Mawsynram Village with green mountains and waterfalls add a vision to the place. The cave  is in an adventure for the nature seekers and also the tourist, pilgrims and historians has made the cave one of the most attractive tourist attraction in Meghalaya.