Bewitched By The Beauty of Rewai Living Root Bridge!

Meghalaya is home to several Living Root Bridges and our first glimpse of it was in Rewai Village, not to be confused with the one in Cherrapunji. Though we had read a lot about the Living Root Bridges and had seen a few pictures, we were not quite prepared for the magnificent Living Roots Bridge. We climbed down steep rock cut steps and there it was- One of the best natural engineering feats by man of course with generous help of Mother Nature. Years of patience and meticulous planning has resulted in this man made Natural wonder.

Running across a large water body connecting two villages is this wonderful natural bridge. The bridge and the calm waters below it are perfect for an artist to take out their paint brush and start filling colors in their canvas. A perfect place for meditating or even soul searching. The stillness and calmness around could be the best anti depressant or the perfect de-stress that one could ask for.

A small hike up the hill on the other side leads you to Nohwet view point which provides beautiful views of the surrounding hills with a bamboo bridge taking us over the edge to open up scintillating views. This village is home to few families and has a school and a small church.

A valuable lesson that the Khasi tribe teaches the rest of us is that we have to leave behind a sustainable and healthy Earth for our future generations. The brains behind the ingenious idea of root bridge may not have lived to enjoy the fruits but that did not stop them from creating something selflessly for the benefit of their future generations.

It was an amazing once in a lifetime experience to walk on the bridge. The natural roots are so strong that for years it has been taking massive loads and ferrying people. The bridge is so awesome that we ended up trekking to the bridge again the next day crossing another village on the way.

While trekking down the steep rock cut steps to get to Rewai Root Bridge, do try the organic fruits being sold on the way from the local farms. They are perfect energy boosters and of course the sweetest fruits that you would get to eat.

Life here at Rewai Village is simple at the same time filled with happiness. You can see all cheerful faces around with children enjoying and playing outside with whatever makeshift stuff they can find rather than cribbing over any gadgets. The saying necessity is the mother of all inventions is so true. Here, we saw kids happily play with a completely deflated football, make shift trolley made of wood including the wheels. This could just be used for entertainment for the kids or could be used as a trolley to move around heavy material. It was a nostalgic feeling reminding us of our childhood where we used to gather in the colony streets and play with just mud, sand or one football. This laid back and beautiful village is self sustained and does not seem to be pressed by time. The happy villagers never seemed to be in a rush.

A sense of achievement post the trek and of course stopping to admire the natural beauty surrounding you is the best joy and the perfect way to de stress. During one of our walks to the Rewai village, our legs took us to the not so explored paths that led us to a small water body and a bamboo bridge over a dry riverbed. We also came across a bamboo made bridge leading to a different path to one of the many bamboo fields hidden and definitely would not be visible from the road. Also, we came across a natural staircase made of stones and rocks- a beautiful sight. We even ended up spotting a dead snake on the road. It looked like it was killed while it was trying to cross over to the other side by one of the speeding vehicles.

This village is just 2 km from Mawlynnong the cleanest village in Asia. Though most of them tend to hire cars and try to club both the cleanest Village and Rewai root bridge as a day trip from Shillong, we would strongly recommend against it.

Of course, to save time it would be ideal to club them as a day excursion from Shillong. However, the true essence of the village and understanding the history behind growing these bridges would be totally lost if we do not have time in hand. To do complete justice to these places, we would recommend staying over at least for 1 night at the village and visiting the Root Bridge by foot. Though the walk could be tiresome, it would be worth it as you would also cross another village Rewai- neighboring village of Mawlynnong and has taken inspiration from them to keep their surroundings clean.

The charm of staying in the cleanest village makes it a perfect relaxing vacation. The icing on the cake would be the short trek to the root bridge.

Magical Deep Blue Reflection of Umngot River At Dawki!

Meghalaya, aptly named as "Abode of the Clouds," is a gateway to paradise! The abundant natural beauty of this state surely takes one's breath away and makes one want to settle down here. It is a perfect dream destination with forests, mountains, valleys, caves, rivers, lakes and above all brilliant roads leading to numerous treasured corners.



One such natural wonder of Meghalaya is Dawki, which is known for its crystal clear blue water of Umngot river. Having seen a picture of a lone fishermen on his shikara or fishing boat on crystal clear turquoise blue water, we learnt that it was taken at Dawki, a border town in Meghalaya. This picture was fresh in our minds while planning our North East trip and we were dead sure that this place would definitely be in our travel itinerary.

The drive to Dwaki from the state capital Shillong is a blessing with beautiful curvaceous roads that provide stunning views of valleys and waterfalls on the way. The condition of the roads is unlike other North Eastern states which makes them less accessible.

Throughout the journey, tall, thin Betel Nut trees bearing bright orange fruit which is the main ingredient of North East folks favorite pastime "Chewing Pan," can be found in abundance. Betel nut cultivation seems to be pretty lucrative as not just the locals in North East India consume it in large quantities but it is also exported widely.

We definitely were not disappointed on reaching Dawki. Lying on the India Bangladesh border is Dawki, home to Umngot river which is an absolute natural wonder. No pictures can do justice to this place offering a view of the Umngot river. There are many rivers where we take a glass boat ride to enjoy marine life or natural beauty and then there are few pristine rivers like Umngot river, where the river itself is like a glass boat. Hiring a boat for a short ride on this stunning river should be in the to do list of any traveller. The river is so charming and charismatic that it attracted us like a magnet and provided a crystal clear view of the river bed and marine life. The deep blue river elegantly snakes through the deep gorges and the tiny wooden boats fishing here are a breathtaking sight.

We could draw parallels to the amazing experience we had in Phuket while canoeing hidden lagoons. The only thing missing were the amazing caves.

Umngot river marks the separation between Khasi and Janatia hills. The river was more a natural border separating India and Bangladesh. An age old small suspension bridge runs above the river connecting the two countries. The amateur bridge can accommodate only one vehicle at a time and the road leads to Bangladesh.

A short drive from the bridge we reached the International border check post separating India and Bangladesh. The friendly BSF personnel patrolling the border were kind enough to let us in the no man's land giving us great assurance of the Indian Army having our backs. It was indeed nice to take a peek into Bangladesh, once part of Incredible India and then briefly married to Pakistan ended up getting an ugly divorce and since then has been consistently contributing mass illegal immigrants into India.

Considering the number of illegal immigrants in our nation from Bangladesh, it was quiet surprising to see this border pretty relaxed. The border towns here seemed to happily co-exist with not too much of security or fencing across the border. However, the reality seems different and of course the number of illegal immigrants speak a different story altogether. 

This town also hosts a weekly market where people from both the countries come and sell their goods. It becomes difficult to keep a tab of the number of locals crossing the border to attend the market and also it seemed pretty easy to cross over the Umngot river and enter India with few officers manning the banks of the river. Wish we had stricter laws and more security at the border that would avoid illegal immigrants crossing over.

There is no reliable public transport to and from Dawki so it would be a wise idea to hire a private taxi from Shillong to Dawki. Also, keep in mind there are no places to dine or stay in Dawki. At a distance of 90 km, it can be done as a day trip from Shillong. On the other hand, you could also do what we did. Head to Mawlynnong, dubbed as the cleanest village in Asia, which has plenty of stay options and is only 40 km from Dawki.

The Artisans Village- Andro

Known for its pottery skills, Andro Village, 25kms from Imphal is an upcoming lovely little artisans village. The star attraction of the village is an age old temple, Panam Ningthou, which is considered to be one of the most sacred sites by the locals. Inside the temple is a small fire that has continued to burn for years and the source is unknown. Responsibility of ensuring that the flame does not die is entrusted to each family in the village. The villagers believe that if the fire dies it would be the end of the world.

The village is also known for is scenic beauty and one such attraction is Santhei Natural Park which is around a lake. This beautiful park is more like a lovers park. It is disheartening to see alcoholic beverages being sold right outside the park. Instead of developing it into a family park all we could see were broken alcohol bottles and cigarette buds. Such a scenic place with amazing backdrops should ideally be a peaceful environment but it gave us a eerie feel and we left in a couple of minutes.

The Village also has an artisans corner called the Mutua Cultural Heritage Complex that displays their traditional tribal homes and carvings on artifacts. This complex is open only on weekends as there is not much tourist activity on other days.

Imphal- Gem Of The Jeweled Land Manipur!

The drive from Kohima to Imphal is captivating and we were greeted by charming step cultivated paddy fields and a clean countryside. It was a sight to watch the streams flow into the paddy fields and farmers toil hard and the entire journey provided a beautiful glimpse of villages and churches. The land of Manipur is definitively a jeweled Land providing us with a perfect picture of hills in the background and light shower adding more charm to the fields while the wind whistled melodiously in our ears. On reaching Imphal, the capital of Manipur we were pretty amazed to see the scale of development Imphal has witnessed.

Imphal is steeped in history and has a lot to offer a traveller. We started by visiting the War cemetery. Battle of Imphal and Kohima are one of the greatest battles in World history. This cemetery is the final resting place of more than 1600 World War II soldiers. The place is well maintained and is a must visit to pay respect to the brave soldiers.

Imphal is also famous for its one of a kind market- 'Ima Market' or 'Khwairamband Bazaar.' This market is a stunning example of awesome women power! It has over 4000 shops and all are run by women. Everything from groceries to clothes, tools, fruits, vegetables, poetry, baskets, household items, meat products are available under one roof. The striking aspect of this market is that the stalls are compact with each not more than 4 feet by 2 feet. 

The polo ground in Imphal has rich history behind it as this is the oldest polo ground in the world. The modern game of Polo seemed to have been derived from Manipur. Almost everyone in Manipur is in love with this sport.

The Manipur state museum which is right behind the polo ground would be an ideal place to understand Manipuri culture. The massive 78 feet long 'Royal Boat' stationed here is a marvel. Also, there is an iconic Chevy Impala that was used by top bureaucrats which is very interesting but in a very sorry state as the classic car has been left to rust. Though the museum has been a very good initiative by state government, the maintenance is at its very low. Despite that, it definitely should not be missed especially if you have keen interest in history.

Bang in the middle of Imphal city is the Kangla fort complex. Kangla was the ancient capital of Manipur kingdom. It was considered a sacred place and indigenous beliefs were practiced here. The fort that was once the home of Royals of Manipur was taken over by the britishers then later by the Assam Rifles and it was only in 2004 that the fort was handed over to the people of Manipur.

Centuries Old Artifact In Ruins!

The fort complex is more of a massive park to put it in perspective with a mediocre museum, ruins, polo ground and places of worship. Two massive royal boats are displayed in a glass house and the boats were made of a single log. Sri Govindaji Temple was built in 1846 but was destroyed in an earthquake and later reconstructed. Lord Ibodhou temple is dedicated to the ruling deity of Kangla. Two Dragon statues of Kangla Sha, the state emblem stand guard at the complex. It would be a ideal place to go for long walks. When they say Kangla fort please do not expect to see something like forts of Rajasthan or other parts of India. The entry fee is Rs.10 per person and the fort is closed on Wednesdays.

Shaeed Minar stands tall as a great example of Martyrdom, pride and bravery of King Bir Tikendrajit Singh and Thangal General, the ruler and General of Manipur. After being defeated by British in 1891 at this very spot which was the women's market then, the two men were hanged to death in front of 8000 women as a sign of subjugation but the attempt to humiliate them miserably backfired when Thangal General laughed aloud just before being executed.

The women of Manipur waged two wars in history against exploitation and artificial famine induced by the britishers and a memorial Nupi Lal War Memorial was dedicated to honor these freedom fighters for standing up against the invaders. However, it is really disheartening to see places that stand as a mark of respect to our freedom fighters and ensure that the coming generations are aware of the hardships they went through are now just left in shambles and accumulate dust.

Another very impressive monument in Imphal is the 'Saint Joseph Cathedral' in Mantripukhri. The beautiful architecture and the location of the cathedral with the hills in the background make it an even more charming place.

Located on the Imphal airport road, Malom stands as one of the dark chapters in Indian history. The Indian Army in retaliation for a convoy attack opened indiscriminate fire at innocent unarmed civilians killing 10 of them who were waiting at Malom bus stop. The victims included a boy who was a National Child Bravery Award Winner. Today, a stone slab mentioning the names of the victims stands at the same sight providing a reminder of misuse of power.

Since that incident life of a young girl 'Irom Sharmila' drastically changed and she is fighting a lone battle for 15 years to repeal the 'AFSPA' until today. She has dedicated the prime of her life fighting against various Governments in true Gandhian way.

We hold the Indian Army with utmost high regards and respect. They have all rights to avenge the death of fellow soldiers but their targets should be actual perpetrators and not innocent bystanders or civilians. As as mark of respect to these 10 innocent lives a memorial has been erected at the sight of shootout.

After spending considerable time in North East India we understood the gravity of tension in this part of India and how real the threat factors are. The sheer presence of Armed Forces and men in camouflage armed with Kalashnikov and assault rifles at every nook and corner provide more a sense of fear than sense of security. We sincerely hope that all parties agree to cease fire and resolve issues through dialogue. What ever the asks or demands maybe we are pretty sure it is not worth killing for.

The Classic Group of hotels are excellent options to consider for stay in Imphal. Apart from spacious, clean and brilliant rooms, their restaurant is what makes it the best place. Savoring the local cuisine while experiencing new flavors should be an integral part of travel itinerary and their authentic Manipuri Thali will definitely not disappoint. The thali includes rice and several other accompaniments. In the non veg thali you can choose between chicken or fish.

The amazing dishes are served in cups made of banana leaves. Keep in mind a request for the thali has to be placed one day in advance. The food looks, smells and tastes amazing. The best part about the thali is their dessert 'Black rice kheer' and pineapple cubes in syrup. The black rice kheer is a very unique and authentic Manipuri dessert. This variety of black rice is available only in Manipur. We are not going to describe how awesome the desert was as the pictures speak for themselves.

Cleaned Up In Under Two Minutes

To have quick bites, head to "Pizza De Cafe," a very small outlet that can give tough competition to any western fast food joint. Their veg burger is yummy and very addictive.