The breath-taking beauty of Shillong

This is the place where Amit and Labanya met and fell in love. Set in the picturesque hills, with beautiful pine trees and waterfalls surrounding them, this is the wonderfully romantic place where they met and vowed to be together. Their creator, Rabindranath Tagore, probably felt the same way too. For he kept coming back to this small hill town and penned immortal creations like Shillong-er Chhithi and Raktakarabi.

I suppose these thoughts creep in to every Bengali’s mind when they visit Shillong. Bengal and Bengalis have an association with Shillong that stretches back a long way. Eminent Bengalis visited the city which once had a sizeable Bengali population.

We flew from Kolkata to Guwahati Airport (or Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport, to give it its formal name). Thereafter, it was a 100-km drive down National Highway 37 that took over three hours. It was a smooth drive down the long winding road, with mighty hills on one side and gorges on the other. Interestingly, during the first part of the journey it’s Assam on one side of the road and Meghalaya on the other!

But the unmistakable signs of urbanisation were all around me, with houses cropping up everywhere and the trees being cut down mercilessly. As we drove, the air cleared up and the breathtaking beauty was therapeutic. Cheerful hill people — who have set up shops on the wayside — greeted us when we stopped at the sight of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Our first proper stop was the Umiam Lake, popularly known as Barapani. ‘Um’ means water in Khasi. The lake is supposed to be man-made but it’s tough to believe when you gaze upon the huge and beautiful expanse of water, sprawling over 5km. It is 18kms from Shillong and has been turned into a water sports complex.

We entered town when darkness fell, when the quaint town was already twinkling with lights. We made a quick stop at Police Bazar. A few hours of retail therapy and we headed towards Hotel Polo Towers, where we were staying.

After freshening up, we headed towards Platinum, the hotel’s nightclub, to unwind. Shillong has a bustling nightlife but pubs and nightclubs shut shop by midnight and alcohol is not served after 10pm. Another nightclub, Cloud Nine, is also popular.

So it’s not surprising that Shillong is now reckoned to be the music capital of east India, with bands like Scorpions and MLTR making the city a regular feature in their India tour itinerary. It’s teeming with local musicians and some, like Lou Majaw, are known all over the country.

The next day was reserved for local sightseeing. We proceeded towards Ward’s Lake. Located in the heart of Shillong, this lake was named after Sir William Ward, a one-time Chief Commissioner of Assam, who constructed it. This 25-ft deep water-body is surrounded by lush greenery. The water, though no longer crystal clear, is home to lots of ducks.

After a quick visit to the sprawling Lady Hydari Park which has lots of flowers and orchids and also houses a mini-zoo, we headed towards the Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians, the biggest church in Shillong, built in 1973. Inside, the atmosphere is serene and there are beautiful frescos and stained glass paintings of scenes from the Gospel.

Whether you are a Bengali or not, a visit to the house where Tagore had stayed during one of his trips, is a must. So, inevitably, we headed there. The bungalow is now owned by a local Bengali businessman and is well-maintained. The raktakarabi plant is still in the compound. As you enter, you’re greeted by a plaque stating that Tagore stayed there between April and June 1923 and wrote Raktakarabi and Shillong-er Chhithi. But it’s sad to see that construction is taking place all around the bungalow. The scenery that tempted the poet to pen his thoughts is rapidly vanishing.

I had once read that in Shillong, water in some form is never far away — whether as moisture-laden monsoon clouds or as waterfalls hurtling from unseen sources into deep gorges or as water-bodies. So a visit to Shillong without seeing its numerous waterfalls would be incomplete.

The famous ones include Spread Eagle Falls — named so because it looks like an eagle with wings spread. Then, there’s Elephant Falls or Kshaid Lai Pa Teng (Three Steps Waterfalls because the water falls into three steps) and Sweet Falls, which resemble a straight pencil of water emerging from a large water pipe and drops down to a depth of over 200ft.

A trip to Shillong would be also incomplete if one don’t visit the golf course. Stroll around and you’ll figure why Shillong is known as the Scotland of the East. The course is 4,750ft above sea level and is covered with groves of pine and rhododendron trees and is carpeted with an indigenous species of grass.

We rounded off the day at Shillong Peak, a towering 6,445ft above sea level. It’s the legendary abode of the Khasi deity, U Blei Shillong and offers a stunning view of the city. Dispelling popular notions that Shillong isn’t a very safe place, we stepped out for a midnight stroll, and were greeted by chilling cold and deserted streets. But it was such a romantic experience.

It was a short stay but a great break away from bustling and noisy Kolkata.




Promita Mukherjee