Meghalaya Tour Package

The Scotland Of The East
When the Scots first came to the hilly side of Meghalaya in the North-East of Indian land, met and intermarried the handsome Khasi people and delighjted in the mists and deep valleys, they felt very nostalgic. So they called Shillong, 'The Scotland of the East'.

The pleasant hill station of Shillong, derives its name from the deity Shillong or "Lei Shillong", which is worshipped at the Shillong Peak, 10-km from the main town. This is the highest point in the state and commands a panoramic view of the valley. In the evening, the city lights below glitter like a giant Christmas tree. One of the first places that a newcomer to Shillong should visit is the Lewduh Bazar. Cheerful women dominate this market, the largest of its kind in the Northeast. Oranges, Pineapples and other fruits; vegetables, meat and Fish are on sale here as are consumer durables.

The Tribal History
The tribal hill people trace their origins to pre-Aryan times in India. They accepted nominal British rule in the 19th century. Included in the state of Assam, the area received special protection under the Indian constitution. With the introduction of Assamese as official language, agitation for autonomy began, and the area was made a state in 1972. Most of the inhabitants are of Tibeto-Burman (Garos) or Mon-Khmer (Khasis) origin. The predominately rural population is mostly Hindu and Christian, with some Muslims and a few Buddhists also inhabiting the state.

Female Domination
In Meghalaya, mothers know best. This is a matrilineal society - property and wealth are passed through the female rather than the male line. Majority of the Khasis, (the dominant tribe) are archers, though agriculture is the main occupation. Crops include rice, millet, corn (maize), pepper, potatoes, chilies, cotton, ginger, betel nuts, oranges, mangoes, bananas, pineapples, and numerous varieties of vegetables. Forests are the source of commercial wood: teak, bamboo and cane.

The main shopping areas are Police Bazar, Bara Bazar and Laitumkhrah. At Bara Bazar one can have an interesting experience of seeing people of different tribes in colourful traditional attire. For hand-woven shawls, handicrafts, orange flower honey and cane work, one can visit the emporia namely - the Meghalaya Handicrafts, Khadi Gramodyog and Purabshree.

All its charms are made doubly attractive by its climate; on the whole, cool and temperate, right round the year. For instance, Cherrapunjee is known to receive the world's heaviest rainfall, but most of it in three or four months of the year. Its climate makes Meghalaya that rare hill-resort-country that is a pleasure to visit round the year, even in the middle of winter.