Offbeat Destinations (Part 1) - Mawlynnog
Updated: Oct 27, 2019
India is vast country with places that attract tourists in huge numbers every year. Although this means that facilities will be available easily. But for few people, the crazy flock of tourist isn't what they want to see, they want to visit places that are not so well discovered by others and the natural beauty is untouched. So here's the first part of an upcoming weekly series where I tell you about one such place every week. Today, we will visit a small village, known as the cleanest village in Asia.
MAWLYNNOG
Mawlynnog is a tiny village situated in the east Khasi district of Meghalaya in the North East Part of India. It is just 90 km from Shillong with a population of just over 500 residents.
This small village is well known around the world for its cleanliness. In fact, it won the title for the cleanest village in Asia in 2003 and also in 2005.
This cleanliness is a result of the residents forming a community and working together to maintain their own village. All the waste is collected in dedicated bins made of bamboo. Then it is put in a pit and covered to be used as manure for farming.
Smoking and use of polythenes are strictly banned here.
You might ask, "If I am going there, what are the things that I can see and what will be the best season to visit there?"
Well, here are a few things that you can see and do while you are visiting there.
First comes the village itself. It offers picturesque natural beauty in the rainy season with the lush greenery around and not to forget the local wild-flowers and the orchids there adding to the beauty of the place.
If you are a bit fit and healthy, you can trek to the nearest village Riwai to see the Living root bridges. This is a wonder in itself, how people guided the roots of the nearby trees to form a bridge across the stream. The roots are still alive and are still growing.
You can also see a sight which is known as the natural balancing rock. It is one rock steadily balancing itself over another.
This place also offers breathtaking views of the Bangladesh Plains as it is located in the Indo-Bangladesh border.
Most of the villagers are conversant in English so communication won't be an issue here. This village also offers a number of small tea shops, where you can spend some time watching the rain while holding a hot cup of tea and if you like some snacks.
Disclaimer: The pictures on this page is not taken by me and I don't claim any rights on the pictures. The credits go to the respective owners of the pictures.
