Nature's pentad in Assam and Meghalaya

The clouds, the rains, the sky, the mountains and the forest - 

Nature's pentad in Assam and Meghalaya 

I was planning for an abroad tour at the end of the year, but decided to take the children along with me for a journey inside India itself. The children were growing up, reaching higher classes and acquiring responsibilities. Moreover, familiarising inside the country would help them in their academics and career choice. Finally, we decided to travel to Meghalaya, also covering some tour spots in Assam. The previous day of the journey was filled with packing and planning for the 8 days away from home. By the time the decision for mother and kids was made, we had already travelled in the same manner previously two times. So, there were less confusions on how to manage and how to adapt to the unprecedented events.

On day 1, the flight from Trivandrum was on time. We boarded the aircraft and started our routine photo clicks, discussions and sky view through the window. The stopover at Bangalore was for a long time and we had our breakfast, sulked for the rest of the time before boarding for the aircraft to Guwahati. There were beautiful arrangements of plants, flowers and other decors to be seen and photographed. We spent some time observing the hanging plants wondering how it's maintainence process is carried out. I resorted to arranging the vehicle for our road trip from Guwahati to kaziranga, while the kids spent their time sleeping on the recliner seat and playing games on the floor.

Finally we reached the Guwahati airport after 2 hours, hurried to our minivan which took us to the Kaziranga stay place. The minivan reminded me of the school days when non maintained vehicles pop up in our busstop when the large vehicles are on repair. The initial hurdles were somehow managed with calls to the trip agency and some talks with the driver. Finally, after half an hour we took pace with accompanying background songs and mostly dozing. In between we had dinner and reached our cozy inn at 9 at night. The next day was planned at the Kaziranga National park and we had to wake up early enough to have breakfast, board the arranged Jeep and reach the park early to arrange the tickets and clear the checking. We slept fast because of the tiredness but to wake up early to freshen ourselves for the second day.

We woke up early next day, dressed up for the open safari in kaziranga National park. I did not forget to get some photos clicked at the inn where we stayed. Water and other essentials were carried in a bag. Me and one son travelled together while the elder son was in another jeep. The open jeep in which we travelled was comfortable for viewing animals very near us and gave us goosebumps at the thought of it. But I put myself together with all the courage I had in me and boarded the Jeep. It was just 10 minutes travel into the forest. The region we traversed was more clear and less dense so that the view was more of animals in barren land. We spotted deers, elephants, various birds, large lizards, storks, eagles, but the main attraction was the herd of one-horned rhinoceros, the endangered animal typical of the State of Assam. Other than that, we also spotted tiger paw, of the tiger which could have traversed the region at night. Apart from these, the forest, the brooks, the small bridges acroos the brooks and large water bodies where herd of rhinoceros and elephants were spotted and also the flock of birds were seen bathing, fishing and resting, were some of the scenery we enjoyed watching in the early hours of the day. I also cherish the breeze which touched upon to awaken me and the dews which gave me chills, while trying to find out the animals and birds in the far distance of the unpaved road. We received the aid of binoculars during the hours of the wild journey. 

Finally, after a light breakfast, we moved to the bus arranged for us, the same one as the previous night's to take us to Shillong. It was a whole one day journey, almost 10 hours. I was doubtful as to how I can survive the sitting posture throughout, with my spine and muscular debilities. But the journey seemed smooth with background songs, chit-chats, snacking and enjoying with learning. and exploring the views outside. The break for lunch and dinner was kept short so that we reach the destination fast. The group was diverse, serene and also resilient to differing situations. There were families, couples and kids. There were no loud talks or interactions, but the self hushed up group was more fitting for a person like me who required space and time to imbibe the essence of the journey - the views, the emotions, the interactions and the adjustments.

We reached at night and I slept immediately after arranging the bag for the next day. We were supposed to check-out from the stay place, the early morning next day and start our tour again. 

The third day was filled with sight-seeing the nearby areas of Shillong. It may be called the Day of waterfalls view. We visited Elephant waterfalls, seven sisters waterfalls and nokinikalai waterfalls, all beauty and science in one view. The winter months gave elephant falls a water deprived look except for the collection points at each basin below the three-levelled waterfalls. The main attraction for me was the handwoven eco-friendly dry-leaf-made wastebaskets. There was also provision for wearing the Meghalaya attire and clicking photographs. But, we focussed on viewing everything and returning back on time as the rest of the tour sights remained to be covered. The crowd was high, but the decorum and cleanliness maintained were beyond the expected level for the number of visitors. Everyone assembled early enough to the bus, so that we could reach our next destination Mawsmoi caves at the earliest. On the way to the caves was the meandering, narrow mountain road with one side deep valleys. The beauty of the alternating mountain peaks, valleys with clouds and sky above and narrow paths replaced by brooks at some areas. The Mawkdok Dympep view point was one such corner on the road from where the merging, overlapping and colourful terrains and contour could be enjoyed. We captured the, otherwise imaginary or dreamy scenes and views in our cameras before continuing the journey to the caves. 

Arwah caves are human-made caves with limestone walls and naturally occurring stalactites and stalagmites. The creek inside the cave echoed it's gurgling and flowing sound. The coolness inside gave chills to me and the progressively narrowing path gave a shudder. The sight of elderly cohort of people continuing forward gave me renewed energy to complete the tour inside the cave. The kids ran in front, clicking photos and enjoying the crests and troughs of the spooky way. There was a point where we have to sit, bow and slide on the molded stone path to reach a walkable way to the other open end of the cave. The concern on the difficult terrain with my health issues faded with talking to people and capturing the images in the camera. It took one hour starting from the ticketing process to completing the cave tour slowly, calmly and enjoying every breath. 

Waterfalls are lush and rich with water with heavy flow during rainy season and after the rainy season. In December, it was more of cloud and most falls were of clouds and mist rather than waterfalls which were seen in seven sister and nokinikalai waterfalls, probably due to the non rainy season and winter months. The most beautiful "Seven sisters" was seen as strips of misty clouds moving from the mountain peak to below reaching a point beyond our vision. It was the same with Nokinikalai waterfalls, almost feeling like the highest point where we stand is at the level of clouds. At some points it defies natural laws of gravity and the sights of water and mist moving upwards can be seen.

Mawsmoi caves on entering feels like you cannot move forward further. But, it is a short and small cave which can be toured in ten minutes. The ambience around the caves give it a different vibe and a festive mood. The food stalls, shopping stalls, the background live music on stage, a corner for trying the traditional Meghalaya attire were other attractions. We grabbed the chance to try the Jansaim dress on the kids and jymphong dress on me and click some photos. It took around 20-30 minutes wearing the dress, posing in different poses with the flower basket held by me and the sword and the shield by the kids. I bought some gifts and Meghalaya special souvenirs for reminding the beautiful journey and experience. 

The rest of the day was spent in travelling, dinner, clicking photos, sharing experiences and also few games like cards and ludo. We had decided that the next day will be a free day for us, resting in the accomodation provided. My health condition was not suited for a 6 hour trekking the next day, even though the kids were excited to explore the trekking experience. Anyway, finally we decided to remain in the room, have adequate rest and sleep with hydration, warmth and nutrition. The climate in Shillong was good for a deep sleep and rejuvenation. It was cold, breezy and chilling. The accomodation had a warmth matching the body temperature and the food was delicious. I ordered a traditional khasi recipe which would be served only on the next day dinner and ate lightly before sleeping.

On the next day, we stayed in the hotel as planned while the other group members went trekking. We woke up late, but I woke up early enough to have breakfast and save some food for the kids to eat when they wake up. I had a tour of the resort,which had beautifully maintained gardens and a pool with a pet cat all the time wandering around. The senior person in the group had also stayed back because of his health issues,which I came to know after watching him wait for the breakfast as I did. We talked about the tour, food and family as we retreated back to the rooms. I slept off again and woke up along with the kids. The kids always had trouble remembering the plan made the previous day and woke up finding themselves enquiring about trekking time. Finally, they cleared their heads, had breakfast and took a tour of the resort and beyond, videographing and also observing the scene around.

The day passed quickly and the group returned from trekking dissatisfied. The crowd was high and the views were blurred due to rains. Anyway, the dissatisfaction turned into a vibrant evening with games, talks, snacks, and food. Somehow, I was not drawn to my philosophical self and remained grounded merging with the group activities. 

There was an apparent quickening of time when we are in the mountainous - cold regions. Likewise the days passed by, very fast and the next two days had a more relaxed schedule. But, more exciting was the approach of New year's Eve and the new year 2026.

The fifth day was very exciting as we were visiting something related to human work on nature and also the amazing river of Dawki with its crystal clear water. The travel was started early in the morning with almost everyone completing the deprived sleep in the bus by napping. There was road development happening and had time schedule crossing certain regions of the mountain. On the way, we crossed many institutes and buildings of importance including hospitals. 

Finally we reached the root bridge, an old tree with its massive roots outgrown above the ground, breathing- respiring roots and hanging roots showing off their elegance but simultaneously forming a bridge to cross the river on whose banks it was nurtured. It was an amazing experience touching a structure more than 300 years old and experiencing the nature's heritage with its supports in glance of an human eye field. The photo clicking was forgotten, since I was lost in thoughts and imbibing the nature's wonder in its wholeness.

Next, we reached the Mayllynong- the cleanest village in Asia and the first sight itself proved the worth of its title. The roads and houses were clean. Inspite of the heavy burden on visitors, people lived in their huts, maintained the cleanliness and observed calm and peace. The trees and plants with flowers and fruits, the air around and the fauna which were part of the village expressed their content with the ecosystem they lived in by way of calmness, chirping, strolling around and touching us with the same energy and positivity. We had noodle soup as our lunch and completed a quick glance at the stalls before moving to the bus.

It was decided to skip our next visit, which was planned to the balancing rock where the nature defies the law of physics or rather a new theory to the physics was to be created on how a round huge round rock balanced on a small round rock. The probable reason could be molding and adherence to each other and the other could be the balancing of the huge rock on the point of energy balance by the weight of solid huge rock, atmospheric pressure, gravity and the weight of small rock. There maybe many more theories and possibilities, but nothing crossed my mind as we were moving to Dawki river with observing the views outside.

The way to Dawki river was a narrow mountainous road through the India- Bangladesh border. There were large fenced gates and armed personnels moving in big vans or guarding the border gates. On the way we crossed a bridge over a tributary of Brahmaputra, the narrow line between two countries. In the midst of all the chaotic thoughts of the events at the borders, the emotions were simple and blunted with concern but of curiosity. The banks of the Dawki river was crowded. There were stalls for refreshment, but our limitted time took us directly to the ticket counter. Me and kids took a boat. The excitement was concealed because of the soothing sight of the river, mountains with their shadows, the bridge above and the isolated molded rocks scattered in the river and it's banks. It was a 30 minutes time sitting inside the slow moving boat, reaching a small island, clicking photos and returning. The first sight itself was exciting, the sun and the moon on the same sky and our boat in between the two, on the river. The sun set as soon as we started and the glow of the moon with its reflection guided us throughout our tour. The human activities around were disturbing with the loud echoing noises. But giving a deaf ear to any disturbance, we enjoyed the short boat ride in our own way. The rare and unique captures like the moon over the bridge and the large crevices of the mountains which hide darkness if not so for the glow of moon and also the gravels and molded rocks which harbour stories of turmoils of the nature, were the passtime for the few minutes. Even though, the river is known for its crystal clear water, probably the rain or some human activity had caused disturbance in the water and the soil below. Even after the disruption of the clear water, the reflections it gave held the pride and glory of its known clarity mirror like reflection.

The return journey was tiring, even though we reached early to the stay place. The group members were arranging small celebration for the New year's Eve. But I knew I would celebrate it by sleeping like any other New years Eve. We talked with each other, the ladies took a short stroll outside and we had snacks. The rest of the night was spent sleeping but the sound of celebration resonated in my ears during the sleep.

On Day 6, there was a choice for us whether to go to the Laitlum canyon or roam around Shillong in the day time. It was New year and nobody was sure on how the experience would be for both plans, but wanted something different, vibrant and festive. Unanimously it was decided that we move to the scheduled destination. After touring through the meandering roads of the mountains we reached the already festive and celebrative Laitlum canyon. There were people already crowding and enjoying the site in their own way. Vendors of snacks and beverages were present everywhere and we had our share of appetite filler as soon as we reached. There were songs echoing from the mountainous walls actually played from music system, augmented by speakers from the ground near the canyon. From the edge of the canyon, the sight of depth was scary but thoughts of its formation and mysticism replaced scare with curiosity. We spent half an hour enjoying and watching others' celebrations. It was the most different new year I had ever experienced with people, kids and surrounded by nature's beauty.

The return journey was hectic with the same views outside, songs played in background and long time viling in the bus. The only excitement was of the preparation for the next days' spiritual site and return to hometown. I slept early after reaching the stay place, but the kids were talking with each other and slept late.

The last day was occupied with travel, spiritual visit and hassles of the return journey. The four hours journey downhill through the winding roads was exciting in the midst of the thought of unhappiness which is probable at the end of the tour, one was the clouds, near sky experience and another was the sight of forest outside with drizzle and breeze. The breakfast was completed before the start of the journey so that the four hours with beautiful and enthralling nature could be imbibed fully. Finally we reached "Maa Khamkhaya" temple after dropping three persons at the railway station and saying never ending goodbyes. 

The temple was situated midway uphill where the bus dropped us at a 100 metre walkable distance. After a short distance on the road, we walked a narrow path with shops which sold pooja materials and offerings on its either sides. The temple was an old structure retaining it's heritage by the conserved architecture, stories and narratives on its existence and also the womanhood rituals it is associated with.

We took a quick round around the temple observing the architecture, pond and the rituals performed. Goats, pigeons and other birds crowded the temple premises alongwith the people. The deity was a reincarnation of durga, the fierce goddess who killed the demons, but only part of her harboured in this temple. The rest of her parts had fallen in different parts of the country where temples were hoisted. This temple was dedicated for fertility and sexuality. My eyes were on the pigeons, which had attracted me always and whenever possible would go behind the flock on ground to touch them.

The above narrative was more on the places visited according to the itinerary, but there are more sceneries, terrains, culture, people and observations which cannot be explained by words alone. The beautiful landscapes and the peoples' attitude have a background hardwork and perseverance, which is evident by the sustained conservation of the beauty. The dwellings are humble like the people and the way of life is modest, but with pride. It is a lesson of patience, perseverance, modesty and humbleness in the midst of harshness of nature and cruelty of humans. 

The most difficult terrains maintained by humans humbled by experience!

Any life associated activities or sector which is prone to repetitive destruction but molded by understanding the harshness, cruelties, hindrances, resilience and acceptance of changing scenario!