A Visit to God's Own Garden

Mawlynnong  Village

MAWLYNNONG
Located at a distance of 90km from Shillong, Mawlynnong portrays the combined efforts of its people to keep their village clean.Also referred to as "God's own garden", it has been conferred the title of "Asia's Cleanest Village"in 2003.It is situated in the East Khasi Hills of the north-east Indian state of Meghalaya.The village offers a breathtaking view of how nature has spread its beauty throughout the environment. The people living in Mawlynnong belongs from two tribes; Khasi and Jaintia. Another unsual feature of this village is that, they follow a matrilineal tradition of society; that is, the families are run by females.

 There are different types flowers,trees,plants and birds present and one can take a walk through the village to observe the lifestyle of the village people. It also has several homestays and eateries where tourists can spend a day or two amidst the lush green nature.

Every people in the village make sure to keep the surroundings clean by regularly removing garbage from the roads,picking up dry leaves and putting them in bins, from where the waste is directed to the pit and then used as a manure.. These bins are made of bamboo and are present at every corner off the streets to ensure that the garbage is thrown inside them by both the villagers and tourists. Here, smoking and use of polythene is prohibited, whereas rainwater harvesting is encouraged.

Living Root Bridges
This is the most attractive tourist destination near Mawlynnong. The living root bridges have been formed in the neighbouring village known as Riwai. One has to go down through the naturally made stairs to reach the bridge.Many eateries are present alongside the path so that the tourists can take rest while having some fruits and water.It takes about half an hour walk to reach from Riwai village.
These bridges are made by the village people with the help of roots of rubber trees. The tree roots are made to grow through the trunks until they attach themselves from other side of the trees,These are then placed across rivers or streams and sticks,stones,pebbles,etc are used on them to stabilize the bridges.The living root bridges may take more than 20 years to complete,and once formed,they can last hundreds of years.

Sky Walk Bridge

Sky Walk Bridge
Sky Walk Bridge is another popular spot in Mawlynnong village,which offers a bird's view of the Bangladesh plains. The bridge has been made up of bamboo and cane structure, which is tied to a tree beside it. It is about 80 feet tall and has a narrow width which allows only one person to walk at a time. The top of the bridge has a broad base,from where the Indo-Bangladesh Border and the entire village of Mawlynnong can be seen.Though not tough,the walk through this bridge itself provides a thrilling experience to the tourists. But persons who are afraid of height or not physically fit may avoid this place.

View of Mawlynnong

View of Bangladesh plains

These are the views of Bangladesh and Mawlynnong from the top of Sky Walk Bridge.

How To Reach: Mawlyynong is located at a distance of about 90kms from the city of Shillong, which can be reached by private cars and local buses. It takes about 2.5hrs to 3hrs to reach Mawlynnong. Thus,it will be better to consider this as a full day tour.



DAWKI

It is a town in the West Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya. Dawki is located at a distance of a few kilometres from Tamabil, which is the India-Bangladesh border in the North-East. The Dawki-Tamabil road is used for coal transportation to Bangladesh. A large number of trucks cross the border everday which creates a congestion on the road.

Inspite of these difficulties, Dawki remains a favourite spot of the tourists due to the beauty of the Umngot River. The river flows through Dawki near the India-Bangladesh border.


 It is the prime fishing spot for the people in the nearby villages.The crystal clear water of  Umngot river is the main tourist attraction of Dawki. It is the natural boundary between the people of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills over which hangs a suspension bridge.This was built by the British during their colonial rule over India today serves as an important gateway to major import and export transactions across the border. 


Also,the bank of the river is a popular picnic spot for the people of Bangladesh. Apart from this, other major attractions of Dawki is the annual boat race in the Umngot River.which is held during March to April. It also provides some adventure sports like camping,scuba diving,cliff jumping.boating,etc.


 How To Reach: Dawki is at a distance of 95kms from Shillong. It can also be reached from Mawlynnong,which takes about  one and a half hours.
 Since we visited Dawki after covering the places at Mawlynnong and there was a huge chaos in the Dawki-Tamabil road due to the trucks; it was already dark when we reached. Thus we didn't get the opportunity to stay there for very long. Here are some of the pictures of Dawki taking during sunset.

 If one wishes to visit Mawlynnong and Dawki at the same day,then it will be better to start early in the morning. One can also spend a night in Mawlynnong,visit Dawki next morning and then come back to Shillong. There are several homestays present for the tourists in the village. All types of cuisines are available. 
Mawlynnong and Dawki are suitable for visit throughout the year.
 For more photos go to the link below
https://plus.google.com/collection/gvkFmB

For videos go to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0MJa27WgOM

Khoai at Sonajhuri, Shantiniketan

What comes to your mind when you hear about Khoai? Is it the “ranga matir poth” of Bolpur and Shantiniketan? Or the “amader chhoto nodi” poem of Tagore? Or the famous creations of painters like Ramkinkar Baij and Nandalal Bose? Well, all these sum up to the cultural heritage of Sonajhuri, Khoai.

Description: Located at a distance of about 170kms from Kolkata, Sonajhuri provides a region which is made up of laterite soil, popularly known as Khoai. Due to the presence of iron oxide in the soil, this region has very less vegetation; the only trees present here are Acacia or Sonajhuri. It is the wide number of acacia trees naturally arranged in rows and columns which create a picturesque in this region.

Every Saturday, from 3:30pm to 6:30pm, a “haat” takes place in the Khoai region arranged by the Santhal community where one can buy the local arts, handicrafts and the traditional Shantiniketan sarees at an affordable rate. 

Baul performance

Here, the famous “Baul” singers create a mesmerizing effect with their performance. The soulful tunes of “ektara” along with the baul songs fill the place with a soothing tranquillity.

Nearby Attractions: Shantiniketan is the nearest town, at a distance of about 8 to 9kms, which can be reached in half an hour from Khoai. Some of the places to visit here are the Vishwa Bharati University campus, Kala Bhawan, Uttarayan, Geetanjali Theatre, Chatimtala, and Shantiniketan House, Bichitra Bhawan or Rabindra Museum and others.

There is also the Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary with a wide variety of trees, animals and birds, located a few kilometres away from the town. One can also visit the Srijani Shilpagram, started in 2008, which portrays the lifestyles, houses and handicrafts of different Eastern and North-Eastern states of India.

If one wishes to see the river mentioned in Tagore’s poem “amader chhoto nodi”, then he or she can visit the slow flowing Kopai

River, which is just 10 to 15mins from the Khoai region. Other nearby attractions are the Kankalitala Temple, which is one of the Sati Peethas having the waist of Goddess Parvati; and the Amar Kutir, about 15kms from Shantiniketan, which was once a place of refuge for independence movement activists but now has been turned into a cooperative society for the promotion of arts and crafts.

How to reach: Khoai, Sonajhuri can be reached from the town of Shantiniketan either by local vehicles or private cars. Many trains are available from Howrah station which will take about 2.5 to 3hrs to reach Bolpur, Shantiniketan. 

  One can also reach by car from Kolkata by taking the Durgapur Expressway and reach Nawabhaat, just after crossing the Bardhaman Bypass and then take the road towards Ghuskara keeping the 108 Shiv Mandir to the right to reach Sonajhuri via Bolpur Railway Station.

Ideal time to visit: The months of March and December attract the highest number of tourists to Shantiniketan. Basanta Utsav in March which transforms Bolpur into a vibrant and colourful town on the day of "Dol" (the day before Holi) and the famous Poush Mela in December, from 8th poush to 10th poush (according to the Bengali calendar) attract tourists from all over the world. Khoai can be visited throughout the year except in the summer season, when the scorching heat of the sun becomes unbearable.

Lodging and Food: There are many home stays and resorts available at Khoai, Sonajhuri. Some of them are the Sonajhuri

Home Stay, Shakuntala Village resort, Banalakshmi Resort, etc which provide lodging as well as dining facilities. A perfect combination of authentic Bengali cuisine in banana leaf plates and earthen pots and “baul” music in the background pours the heart and taste buds with pleasure.

Khoai is the perfect tourist destination to run away from the hustle and bustle of the city and indulge oneself in the essence and culture of “gram bangla”..
 

Khoai,Sonajhuri

Kopai Nodi

For more photos go to the link below:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/collection/cnEnbB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIss5UBCPS8

Humayun's Tomb - a blend of red sandstone and white marble

Humayun’s Tomb or Maqbara-e-Humayun is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun. Located in Delhi, it is the first garden-tomb of the Indian Subcontinent. It was built by the orders of the emperor’s widow Bega Begum . The construction begun in 1565 and it took 7 long years to be completed at a cost of 1.5 million rupees at that time.

This magnificent garden tomb is the first substantial example of Mughal architecture in India.Inspired by Persian architecture, the tomb reaches a height of 47 metres and is 91 metres wide. The prime tomb is mainly built of red sandstone and red and white marble.The center of the hall is octagonal in shape and here stands the cenotaph of Humayun. This structure has been designed keeping in view the Iranian "Char Bagh" (four gardens) .It  is divided into four squares by paved walkways and two bisecting central water channels, reflecting the four rivers that flow in “jannat”, the Islamic concept of paradise . The Islamic architecture used in the Humayun’s Tomb is an amalgam of Central Asian, Persian and Rajasthani architectural styles.

How to reach:

•    Air connections to all major world cities and important Indian cities. Rail services to most Indian locations.
•     Nearest metro station : JLN Stadium

•     Delhi transport corporation(DTC) Buses are easily available from Connaught Place(CP) or ISBT or Nizamuddin bus stand to Humayun's tomb.
•      Private auto or car can also be hired

Open : Daily

Timing : 6am to 6pm

Entry Fee :Rs 30 ( Indians ) ; Rs 500 ( Foreigners )

Nearby Attractions : HazratNizamuddinDarga , Jahanara Begum’s Tomb , PuranaQila (old fort)  , India Gate ,Abdul Nabi Mosque , Akshardham temple , Lodi Gardens

Watch the video on Humayun's Tomb:

https://youtu.be/NxSXNromLpk

On the banks of Ichhamati

Machhranga Island (Kingfisher Island)

Description: A lush green island situated in the midst of the mighty river Ichhamati in Taki, Hasnabad of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, which has India on one side and Bangladesh on the other. 

Located at a distance of about 80km from Kolkata, Kingfisher Island can be reached by a 30mins boat ride from Taki ferry ghat , providing a panoramic view of Ichhamati  river. 

Way to Golpatar Jungle

Though some parts of the island have been destroyed by the river, one can have a short walk through the beautiful green fields of the island and have a spectacular view of the confluence of the three rivers; Ichhamati, Kalindi and Bidyadhari.

 Some villages of Bangladesh can also be seen from this island. To add to this, the boat ride on the river is the cherry on the cake.

Nearby attractions: Taki, 80 kms from Kolkata, is the nearby town to the island,situated on the banks of the river Ichhamati. It has the old remains of the zamindar houses, ramkrishna mission, Kuleshwari Kali Temple, 300 years old Jora Shib Mandir, Golpatar Jungle and General Shankar Roy Chowdhury’s adi bari. Golpatar jungle, created by the municipality is locally referred to as mini sundarbans due to the presence of mangrove trees sundari and golpata.

Taki Rajbari  remains

Zamindar House remains

Sunrise in Taki

Ichhamati River 

How to reach: Machhranga Island can be reached either by a motor boat or a launch from Taki ferry ghat. Motor boats can be hired for a one hour ride at a cost of rupees 600 to 800 while the launch provides service for a fare of rs.50 per head. To reach Taki, Hasnabad in North 24 Parganas, both rail and road services are available. Local trains are available from Sealdah station to Hasnabad junction, which is a two hours journey and from there local transports can be availed to reach Taki. By car, one can reach Taki either from science city(about 75km) through Ghatakpukur via Basanti Highway to take the Basirhat-Malancha road(approx  2.5hours) or take the Taki road from Barasat Chapadali crossing then reach Berachapa, Trimohini crossing and then Taki Thuba(approx 3hours).

Eco Park,Taki

Ideal time to visit: The best time to visit Kingfisher Island or Taki is during the Durga Puja , where one can see the immersion of idols from both the countries in the middle of the Ichhamati river. Also, winter season is an ideal time for visiting Taki as one can spend the lazy afternoons near the river side. However, the rainy season must be avoided.

Lodging and food: Taki, being a perfect weekend tourist destination provides lodging facilities facing the Ichhamati river in guest houses like Suhasini Guest House, Nripendra Atithishala(Ph No.: 03217233328) and Bidhan Saikat II(Ph No.: 9635706066/7602628877). There are two more guest houses; Amrapali Guest House and Bagan Bari,which are a bit distant from the riverside.

Taki is an ideal place for fish lovers especially Hilsa fish. As this place is located near Bangladesh, one gets the chance of tasting the mouth watering “ Padmar Ilish”.

   

Some more pictures of Taki :

     

Eco Park,Taki

 

For more photos of Taki and Machhranga Island go to the link belowhttps://plus.google.com/collection/ImWMXB