Tryst with Asia’s Cleanest Village

Mawlynnong 
Would not it be a proud moment for anyone to be in a village that is no only beautiful   but the cleanest in Asia? Mawlynnong in East Kahsi Hill district, Meghalaya  has earned this reputation being the cleanest village not only India but in entire Asia in 2003 and  continues   to be the one. the  village is well connected  by  smooth  road.   This  place is around 90 km away from Meghlaya's  beautiful capital Shillong.

Way  To Mawlynnong

Once you reach the  village, you are under the  spell of the   word cleanest and  become extremely conscious not to  dirty it intentionally or unintentionally.

Hard working and welcoming people, women in Khasi traditional dress and beautiful place,  also known as God's own Garden immediately impresses by its beauty and   cleanliness. Well  maintained  cemented pathways leading to one house to another make any visitor what if my  village was like this; cleanest and beautiful! refreshing green plants both   flowering and  non-flowering and  eyes pleasing  creepers on wither sides of the path adds an extra beauty  to the  village.

Proud villagers are  still sticking staying in traditional houses. they  are not yet ready to replace their conventional houses with modern cemented and concrete ones. Though every household is provided electricity facilities but the villagers have also started  using  solar power.  Many solar light poles are erected  along the the pathways to  light the street  during the night.

Helpful  and friendly villagers,  always  willing  to help the  visitor is an example how responsible hosts they are. most  of them  speak   English language as the  village is   100 percent literate. Besides this, they  also  speak  Khasi Language and broken Hindi.

Bamboo Sky Walk

Bamboo Skywalk
One's curiosity and happiness inside the cleanest village in Asia does not  end  here. Beside enjoying in and around the village, one must  not miss the experience of  sky walk constructed using local bamboo and ropes which is erected around 100 feet above the ground. the  sky walk excitement does not even come any closer to tower houses of the cities and towns. 

The panoramic view of the place leave the visitors stunned for seconds.  

Vista of pure and  unpolluted thick green clean  village untouched by the disturbances of the urban metropolis blended with peaceful and tranquil environment makes one calm and relaxed. another  distinct  feature of this sky walk is view of clear plains of the neighbouring country BanBladesh. one can use binocular to bring the country's plains  closer.

Tired and hungry of rounding up the village, stop  for delicious  food served in a small but hygienic  thatched hotel. it serves both vegetarian and non-vegetarians food at reasonable price. Your taste buds surely miss and crave delicacies once you reach back home.

Once Mawlynnong, don't  miss to see balancing rock-a  nature's  strange wonder. One wonders  how a small  stone endures weight  of huge rock- a huge  rock is miraculously resting upon  a small stone. 

Balancing Rocks

Riwai and Nohwet
Visit neighbouring village-Riwai. Riwai village boasts of having Living Roots Bridge. Thousands  of tourists from  across the world visit the bridge every year. it is surprise to see villager's creativity to  connect the villages using tree roots. It is believed that the villagers intertwined tree  roots growing on  either sides of a small river and  allowed to grow further which in passing of time turned to a beautiful Living Roots Bridge.  The  soothing  ambiance of the river flowing under the bridge with chirping of  birds everywhere periodically disturbed by visitors is relaxing. Everyday more than 200  tourist come to this place and is one of  the  sources of earning.

Living Roots Bridge

The bridge connects Nohwet village to other end but one has  to  climb few steps up which the tourist mostly miss to see because they immediately return after being  here for sometime clicking few photos, recording videos without having any idea that  there lies another beautiful village beyond the bridge.

Bamboo sky walk here is the most thrilling. one gets  an impression as if  he/she is hung between the earth and sky in the middle of the valley.  From here one can see better view of parts of majestic Meghalaya and panoramic view of Bangladesh plains. Little swaying of the structure while on sky walk might be a bit  scary and frightening to many but the thrill  of this unusual walk is priceless.  

Along the Clouds
It is not the  destination but the journey that matters is apt to journey to Mawlynnong. While on the way to Mawlynnong and  returning, there are  chances of getting  an opportunity to face thick moving  cloud all around in the middle of the journey  hypnotizing and tempting to jump over those moving  cloud makes one realise why the  state is called Meghalaya- the abode of  clouds. However, the driver has to remain alert all the time due to  thick foggy road.

View of  River that Flows Under the Living Root Bridge

Finally, just plan and visit the place and come back with pleasant memories of a tryst with an enchanting journey you made along the cloudy  road to cherish for forever!

The Black Hill: A Review

The Black Hill, a novel by Arunachal Pradesh's noted author Mamang Dai, is another must read. Unlike her previous novels, The Black Hill is juxtaposition of the recorded documents of Jesuit priest’s visit to Tibet blended with imagined invented story. It takes the readers back to mid-nineteenth century when the British had started gradual entry into the tribal’s hills territory; the present day Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and its consequences.

It is a story of a daring Abor girl, Gimur; a brave Mishmee man Kajinsha; a French Jesuit priest Father Nicolas Krick and their dreams, their aspirations and the tragedy that follows. It is a story how Krick’s entry into tribal territory affects and what were its consequences. Though it’s a story of a man, a woman and the priest but it also deals with:

True love. Gimur falls in love with Kajinsha hailing from Mishmi Hills of Dau Valley near Tibet border. In spite of belonging from different tribal communities they decide to live together. Gimur leaves her native place to spend rest of her life with Kajinsha whom she loves more than life and god. Both endured the difficulties and troubles together crossing many streams, rivers, hills and mountains and their fate unfolds as the story progresses.

Missionary. This has been illustrated through Father Nicolas Krick’s sole aim to reach Tibet and start a mission there. He was willing to sacrifice everything to accomplish it. In spite of being cautioned, he treks the difficult and deadly route to reach Tibet. He reasons: “I come with no soldiers, no guns. I am alone.  My wish is to travel to Tibet. I will not disturb anyone on the way. I only seek passage through the territory of the Mishmee chiefs.” His presence creates misunderstandings among the natives. Bonding between Kajinsha and Krick, though silent, was very strong.  

The novel also thoroughly deals with how coming of outsiders create an unprecedented tension and restlessness among the natives. This is illustrated through Gimur’s thought: Wherever the migluns-the British  go they bring death and outrage. It justifies her extreme fear, doubt and confusion. “They are armed with an evil wind that starts blowing the moment they set foot anywhere.” Migluns are too determined to give up their plan and it is illustrated though Moi’s words when she says, “They are very clever people, when they want   something they will never leave until they get it. Mark my words I know them.”  Sometimes the novel also reminds the readers of Chinua Achebe’s Things fall Apart. There is some parallel connection between The Black Hill and Things Fall Apart. 

Tribal custom, rituals and superstitious beliefs are appropriately described in the novel. It also explains what happens if their tradition, custom and their superstitious beliefs are disturbed. 

Kajinsha never opposes Krick visits Tibet with an aim to start a mission there. He was for religious harmony.  Kajinsha says, “I believe in life. There may be a chief God, yes but it is better to be friends with all gods. I do not pray like you everyday. But we honour our gods when the kambring tells us. At other time we live. We have a life and our lives are also ruled by gods.”

Treachery, greed and deceit :

The tragedy would have been averted had there been trust, understanding and honesty among the different community and clans. Marpa was cunning and never trusted Kajinsha. Lamet was mean, greedy with grudges against Kajinsha and his clan. He betrays Kajinsha and helps the British arresting him accused of murdering Krick.

Love for land gets an ample space in The Black Hill. Love for land and its importance is frequently illustrated many times. 

For example, the shaman said: “The land belongs to us. It is the soul of our ancestors. Where would we be, what would we   do, without this land?” Kajinsha says: “We read land. Land is our book.

True Friendship and trust is portrayed through minor characters. Though Kajinsha’s own community from different clan has some grudges against him but he has good friends in Chowsa and Zhumsa. They were always with him during the time of his thick and thin. In the earlier days too they were together during hard times. Yong, Lendem, Lasong were all honest which is an evidence of hill people’s true friendship and trust.

Status of women in the past is another theme of the novel. Not only in tribal society but the European women also did not enjoy high status during those time. It is evident when it is said: “Among the migluns too, a woman’s name is forgotten so soon.” 

Written in a beautiful poetic language, the novel will certainly leave an impression upon readers’ minds. The author has used a lot of vernacular words ( Adi and Mishmi) with their meanings and  such use of words has added an extra beauty  to the novel.  Sometime the novel creates some kind of fear and suspense.  And other time they are mesmerized by the beautiful description of pristine   natural beauty of the hills. Though The Black Hill is a juxtaposition of recorded history blended with imagined invented story but, as it says in the prologue, the readers can decide whether this story be true or not. The reader can decide whether to believe, or not. But the narrator believed is that after everything is laid to rest, all that matter is love; and that memory gives life, and life never ends.

Published by  by Aleph Book Company, the novel was released in 2014. This 294-page novel book costly  only Rs 395 and is an interesting reading.