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A Walk in the Clouds
Cherrapunjee, a small town in the abode of the clouds, Meghalaya, known locally as Sohra, is famous for holding the position for the highest rainfall in the world. Actually, the position toggles between Cherrapunjee and a place in its vicinity, Mausynram. The place is a treasure of natural beauty, ranging from lush waterfalls to picturesque valleys. Contrary to popular perception, it does not rains perennially here and consequently not always wet and damp. It is ironically also known as a Wet Desert, because despite the abundant rain, there is no lush vegetation, mostly due to presence of lime in the soil. One can see hills with no vegetation except a layer of grass and some bushes. And yet, it is a destination that leaves unforgettable impressions in a visitor’s mind.
The best way to travel to Cherrapunjee is via road from the capital Shillong, which is about sixty kilometres away. Before planning such a trip, one should make sure of the weather forecast (at least as much as it is possible), because if it gets rainy/foggy there, one would really miss out on a lot. And, no matter what the forecast says, always remember to carry and umbrella or raincoat, because the weather in these parts is extremely unpredictable. It is not uncommon to have five minutes of overcast sky, ten minutes of hail, and fifteen minutes of heavy showers followed by clear blue sunny skies.
I was fortunate to travel on a sunny day which remained sunny throughout, almost. The road from Shillong to Cherrapunjee, is, in itself, a treat for the eyes. After crossing the city outskirts, one comes across almost empty countryside with miles and miles of green interspersed with a few houses here and there. And the road is good (most of the time) - a smooth ride. Halfway through, the countryside is replaced by gorges and cliffs - a single road meandering across kilometers and kilometers of immediate nothingness on the left, and a single wall on the right. The view is breathtaking. On the left, just across the deep gorge is another mountain of almost the same height, which has a road which leads to the border town of Dawki. On the right, it’s not a cliff exactly, more like vertical hills with vegetation. A clear blue sky with tiny patches of white promised a great day of sightseeing.
Ramakrishna Mission:
Our first destination in Cherrapunjee was not, as expected anything natural. It was the Ramakrishna Mission. Established in the earlier part of the century, this institution is a part of much larger organization which has centres all over the country and the world. Apart from the shrine dedicated to Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, it has a school complete with boarding facilities, workshops for weaving, and other handicrafts. Built in the background of beautiful untouched mountains, with the nearest city being at least an hour away, the whole atmosphere within the portals of the place is one of discipline and peace.
Nohkalikai Falls:
The next destination in Sohra was Nohkalikai falls. There’s a rather morbid folk tale associated with this majestic waterfalls – there are several versions actually; here’s one:
"Once upon a time a widow and her daughter lived in a small hut on the mountain. Then one day, a man came into the life of the widow and she decided to re-marry. As in all such cases, the step-father disliked the daughter intensely and the mother was always worried about the safety of her daughter and so never left her side. One day, due to some urgent reason, the mother had to go to the village nearby. As her husband was not there at home that time, she decided it was safe to leave her daughter there and went away. After some hours, when she came back, she found that her husband had returned and was cooking. He seemed very happy. On looking around, she found her daughter missing and upon enquiring, he told that she had left to roam around in the forest and would return later. Dreading the worst, she decided to go searching for her daughter, when he said that she could search after eating the meal. She reluctantly agreed. He served the meal; rice, meat etc. Here the story gets a little hazy; one version says that the husband, ecstatic in the success of evil maneuver, tells her the truth that he killed the daughter
and had cooked her up and had served her as lunch to the very person who had born her. Another version says that the widow found the fingers and toes of the child in the 'kwai' (local betel leaf) box and deduced the rest. The story goes that the mother was so shattered, she could not want her own life to continue. So, she jumped off the cliff, and the falls formed after in the very place she ended her existence.”
and had cooked her up and had served her as lunch to the very person who had born her. Another version says that the widow found the fingers and toes of the child in the 'kwai' (local betel leaf) box and deduced the rest. The story goes that the mother was so shattered, she could not want her own life to continue. So, she jumped off the cliff, and the falls formed after in the very place she ended her existence.”
Hence the name of the falls, as ‘Noh’ in Khasi, means dive or jump and ‘Ka Likai’ was the name of the widow, so Nohkalikai means the dive/jump point of Likai.
Anyway, the Nohkalikai falls emerges from a cliff which is a body of rock connecting two parallel mountains; very much like the road on which we traveled. Here the two mountains are separated by a smaller distance, facing each other. So, one can’t actually go to the place where the waterfalls drops, one can only view it from strategically placed viewpoints much further away. Because of the distance and height, from the viewpoints, the falls looks much smaller than the massive body of water it actually is. However, the intensity of the sound of rushing water, even at such a distance never lets anyone forget the royal splendour of the haunting falls.
Localites say that the Nohkalikai commands patience from the people who come to see it. The reason being an almost perpetual envelop of fog hovering over the valley where the waterfalls is located. That day too, everything was sunny when we reached Cherrapunjee, however as we neared the viewpoints, by some extraordinary coincidence, the weather partially became foggy. Amazingly, on the road we were on, on one side was bright sunshine, on the other (the side where the waterfalls was), sparse clouds seemed to float around, creating a semi-opaque environment. By the time we reached the viewpoint, the fog had completely enveloped the mountain and the valley below, which meant that all we got to see when we overlooked the viewpoint, was a white screen - sometimes thinning with the wind...sometimes thickening.
After a patient wait of fifteen-twenty minutes when the clouds played havoc with our eyes, a sudden wind blew in the right direction, and the fog lightened for a few minutes, revealing a little green with even smaller patches of brown, giving some indication of what lay beneath. And then, magically, the fog cleared.
The first thing that strikes you is the colour of the pool where the water flows into; it is a magnificent emerald green. Amidst all that white, to see such a brilliant shade of green in a pool of water is anything but expected. The mountains behind, the valley below, the green carpet of trees – everything seems to be placed by design to protect this precious fluid gem, where the water thunders down and then flows farther and farther away.
Nohsngithiang Waterfalls, View of Bangladesh Plains
The next place was a viewpoint which is spread over a large area on top of a mountain, where also lie the ruins of a previously built restaurant. From here, one can also see the Nohsngithiang Waterfalls on the left, which are actually a number of falls dropping from the same height and the same plateau. It is actually a set of four five individual falls which emerge at irregular distances, from the almost-vertical slopes of a mountain, across the gorge. At the distance, the falls looks more like white threads of varying width entwined among the greenery around. The volume of water in these falls depends completely on the rainfall that Cherrapunjee gets that season. So, while it is usual to find the slopes gushing with the powerful bodies of water descending to the depths of the gorges, it is not uncommon to find the same almost dry, with a lighter shade of brown indicating where the waterfalls existed. The picture I saw was luckily moderate; none of the falls were dry, neither were they really flowing with high volume. It is a saddening sight, makes one realize that the beauty of Cherrapunjee, as had been in the past, is vanishing.
From the same area,, the plains of Bangladesh are visible in the horizon. It seems like the range of mountains drastically ends, diminishing into total plains - one can even make out the rivers and flooded fields of the extensive plains. The total effect of the nature’s contrary creations; plains and heights- side by side looks really unreal.
Mawshmai Caves:
Another famous spot is the Mawshmai caves, which lies in the midst of a forest, on the surface of a rocky hill. A portion of this forest has been fenced in, full of old trees and bushes, creating a logical entry point where nominal entry fees are charged. Long flights of steps have to be climbed to reach the actual entrance of the caves. Special due to the natural lime formations of stalagmites and stalactites, the Mawshmai caves have an element of mystery and danger. Inside, though lights are placed at regular intervals to alleviate the overwhelming darkness, one feels eerie, with the knifelike structures trickling with drops of water, creating invisible puddles below and leaving the walls damp and clammy. The local guide takes one through one of the paths in the caves, crawling above and below tiny nooks and crevices, so small that it is almost unbelievable that one can wedge themselves through, to emerge at another end.
Locals claim that within the labyrinth of these caves, exists a route that actually leads to Bangladesh. Previously used by traffickers to smuggle goods across the border, this secret path is now supposedly blocked. Outside the park, several small restaurants are present, all selling local food of momos, Jadoh, fish as well as simple North Indian fare of daal, sabzi plain rice etc. Unless one has packed food with them, it is best to partake lunch in these places.
Thankarang Park:
A better and slightly nearer view of the Bangladesh plains can be obtained at the Thangkarang park, which was my last stop. It is designed on the top of yet another mountain. Besides the well maintained gardens, the highlight of the park is its panoramic view of Bangladesh as well as yet another waterfall which falls further down the road we came through -Kynrem Falls. The falls is such that it pours just next to the road (the road leads to Shella - a small town/village situated in the valley among the mountains). Since it’s much farther down the road, people usually don’t go all the way.
The return journey back to Shillong gave us a live example as to the origin of the name ‘Meghalaya’ for the state. As we and the evening progressed on the road above the gorge, we could see puffs of clouds (not to be mistaken with thick fog) rising up from below, to the surface of the mountain tops, to finally merge into the heavenly skies. The valley or gorges below seemed to actually be their abode; it was an unearthly sight - cottony masses gradually rising as if they belonged there, on the terra firma.
That vision was the curtain for the trip, a fitting closing act for the unforgettable town of waterfalls and mountains, Sohra.
