Every year in November, Meghalaya's Eastern Khasi Hills come alive under the dusty pink hues of the Himalayan cherry blossoms.
Nature, a sky full of stars and spectacular waterfalls are all that comes to mind when you think of Meghalaya. But the state has more to offer. In my recent trip to run away from civilisation, I decided to visit the ‘Adobe of Clouds’ to witness a specific rare bloom which can only be witnessed for two weeks every year during the onset of winters in the North East mountain ranges, the cherry blossoms.
“The combination of the Ward's lake with the cherry blossom trees make you feel as if you are enroute to Himeji Castle (of Japan) itself. ”
Select cities in Meghalaya nurture the blossoming of these Sakuras throughout the peaks of the East Khasi hills. The view is simply majestic. It’s a wonder of nature in itself. Something that the same time is held to attract more tourists during this season is Shillong’s cherry blossom festival which is held in Ward’s Lake. The combination of the water body with the trees make you feel as if you are enroute to Himeji Castle (of Japan) itself.
The Cherry blossom festival celebrates music, featuring several international celebrities, a local music competition where you get a chance to hear their traditional folk music which is often an ensemble of rums, bamboo flutes and small hand-held cymbals. One could sit under these trees for hours and admire the glowing pink among the green leaves while the cold wind blows and hear the timber of the traditional instruments faintly playing behind. It is truly dreamy.
While the cherry blossoms attract a huge crowd to Meghalaya and boost their economy via tourism, the state is divided into three major tribes; the Garos from the Garo hills, the Khasis from the East Khasi hill range and the Jaintias from the Jaintia hills.
As expected from any local tribe, they do not like others encroaching their areas. “They do not want progress and development, they prefer the rawness and culture that they currently have in these hills.” said my driver (who was a Khasi) with a smile on his face. Make no mistake, they are not unwelcoming, they are courteous, warm and sweet; they just do not want you to stay as it would interfere with their ecosystem.
A rich part of this ecosystem are the Sacred Forests that form a core part of their tradition. Of more than 50 sacred forests spread across the state, tourists are allowed only in one of them. Mawphlang’s sacred grove is a small detour from Shillong to Cherrapunji and is the protector of the Lyngdoh clan. It is believed to house their local deity ‘Labasa’. To date the forest is known for performing sacrifices whenever their kingdom needs it.
While their culture and beliefs are great to hear, they also enforce certain rules for everyone. The one that I found fascinating was ‘One can neither leave a footprint in the forest nor take a footprint out’ i.e. you cannot leave any outside material in the forest while also not taking anything (except consumables like fruits) outside. The one who dares to do the same has met ill-fate in future. That’s how they preserve these forests.
As you go deeper into the forest, you are advised to only imbibe positive thoughts as negativity, as the tribes believe, may anger the deity leading to a curse. It is also said that an encounter with a leopard is good luck if you encounter a leopard and extremely bad luck if you come across a snake. I didn’t come across either.
The forest also is home to 2, 3, 4 and 5 ‘Mukhi Rudraksh’ that are offered to the deity first and then sold by the tribe. There are specific preparation zones to conduct the sacrifice ritual on monoliths. Before the main ritual is performed deeper in the forest, there’s a practice ritual and until it’s completed no one’s allowed to leave the space.
During the hour long tour of the forest, you get to hear great stories of the tribe, experience the beauty of the forest and hear the hustle of the leaves while the birds go singing around from branch to branch. It portrays a rarely sited side of Meghalaya, not among the clouds but among the trees.
Picture Credits: Author
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