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Places to see in Cherapunjee

• Dain-Thlen Falls

•  Noh-Kalikai Falls

•  Noh-Sngithiang Falls

•

Mawsmai Cave• Thangkharang Park 

• Khoh Ramhah• Living root Bridge

Places to see in Shillong

Shillong Peak  Bara Bazaar  Sweet FallsSpread Eagle

Fall

BotanicalGarden

Ward’s Lake Lady Hydari Park  Iewduh

State Museum Elephant Falls Churches District Court

Laitkor Peak  Polo Ground Seng Khasi Hall Shillong Club

Museum of 

Entomology

Shillong

centenaryMonument

Don Bosco SquareState Central

Library

Crinoline

Swimming Pool

High Court

Premises

King Edward VII

Memorial Pasteur 

Institute

Old State

Assembly

 premises

Shillong Peak: Shillong peakis located at a distance of 10 kms from the center of the cityat the scenic southern limits of Shillong. It is an Ideal picnic spot situated an altitude of 6445 feet above sea level. This is the highest point in the state. The peak is considered to

 be the abode of the Khasi deity U Blei Shillong--the creator and protector of the

Kingdom. A magnificent view of the Himalayas can be seen from the peaks when theskies are clear. A panoramic view of the scenic landscape and the city can be seen from

the peak. In the evening the city lights from the top appear like a star-studded abyss.

Bara Bazaar: This sprawling market offers a vivid glimpse of Khasi tribal society. The

stalls are piled high with produce from the surrounding villages - honey, pineapples, piglets, dried fish, wild mushrooms, raw betel nut and nut and bamboo basket. The

market is dominated by Khasi women, who run most of the stalls. Dressed in their 

traditional tunic like Janise’s and tartan checked shawls, these cheerful matriarchs candrive a hard bargain.

Sweet Falls: The sweet falls are sited at a distance of about eight kms from Shillong. The

fall is known for its simple though beautiful elegance. The water falling from the fall

resembles a straight pencil of water flowing out from a huge water pipe. The water dropsat a vertical distance more than 200 feet. The creek on which the fall is located is a

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 profound narrow upstream of the fall. The isolation and beauty at the base of the fall

makes it an ideal location for natural relaxation. The region is frequently visited by

adventure lovers and picnickers who trek a considerable distance to reach here.

Spread Eagle Fall: The eagle falls are located within the boundary of Shillong

Cantonment at the out skirts of the city. The dazzling waterfall give an impression of aneagle with wings spread open and hence it is known as the Spread Eagle Falls. There are

steep cliffs on the three sides of the fall with a huge pool of water below. The Eagle Fallis locally known as Urkaliar or the falls into which Ka Liar slipped.

According to an ancient folk tale a female named Ka Liar while wondering and admiring

the beauty of the place along the steep cliffs missed her steps and fell into the water andsince then it was named Urkaliar.

Botanical Garden: The Botanical Garden is located downstream of the main wards lake.

The Botanical Garden was built in the early 1900 and has a well-off and diverse

collection of striking as well as indigenous plants and trees. There at the garden one can

also find a wide collection of beautiful, colorful and rare species of birds particularlyTragopan, Pheasant and Wildfowl. The well laid paved walks, the serenity and isolation

at the garden makes it a favorite option for city residents as well as for tourists who wishto exercise their limbs in encouraging natural environs.

Ward’s Lake: The beautiful lake located in the heart of the city, known as the Ward`s

Lake was built in the memory of Sir William Ward. The horse shoe – shaped Ward Lake

has pleasant boulevard paths around it, paddle boats for hire and a café. There are a largenumber of fishes in the lake and feeding them from the bridge is a favorite activity done

 by the people of all age groups. The arched bridge also provides a view of the picicultural

wealth of the clear and deep waters of the lake which are full of shoals of golden-yellow

moan. The undulating grounds of the lake are edging in by the lush green campuses of the Shillong Club, Shillong Raj Bhavan, Hotel Pinewood Ashok, the State Legislative

assembly and the Shillong Botanical Garden. Several Bollywood movies are shot at the

 picturesque lake.

Lady Hydari Park: A short distance from the Wards Lake is lady Hydari Park, with a

 pretty Japanese garden and a mini zoo which includes fauna native to Meghalaya’s

forests, such as hornbills, leopard cats and the aptly named slow Loris, a ferret – likecreature that crawls around as though heavily drugged. The park is situated between the

huge grounds of Pine Mount School on one side, the Shillong Rose Garden and the

Shillong Civil Hospital campus on the other. The park extends over an area of about a

kilometer in length. The park was named after the Lady Hydari, the wife of an erstwhileGovernor of the composite state of Assam. The park is abounding with roses and flowers

of the most fragile kind and shade.

Iewduh: Iewduh is the largest and the traditional market of Khasis located in the center 

of the Shillong. Iewduh is often compared to Chandni Chowk of Delhi. Every eighth dayis the main Market-Day and on this day, the goods from all over the Khasi region are

 brought to Iewduh for both retail as well as wholesale purpose. Most of the products on

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sale are agricultural whereas all sorts of yard goods, hardware and consumer goods, along

with other essential merchandise are sold at Iewduh by the trading communities.

Iewduh market is run and managed by the Syiem of Mylliem (head of the traditionaldemocratic institution of Syiemship). The most distinguishing feature of the market is

that the retail trade is done totally by the Khasi women. The Iewduh Khasi-Pnar 

Association is also women dominated organization which reflects the matrilinealcharacter of the Khasis.

The State Museum: The State Museum is also located in the premises of the State

Library. The museum has a nice and huge collection of artifacts of Meghalaya and of 

north-eastern India in general. There is a martyrs` column in the museum which isdedicated to the sacred memory of the State`s eternal martyrs--U Tirot Singh, U Kiang

 Nangbah and Pa Togan Nengminja Sangma.

Elephant Falls: Theexquisitely beautiful waterfall is located at a distance of about 300

mts from the city, off on the Shillong-Mawphlang Road, and about ten kilometers off city

center. The elephant falls are the most frequently visited waterfalls and is a major touristspot in and around Shillong. At a very short distance from the fall, there are two smaller 

falls Wei Iaplam Falls and the Wir Phang Falls which are equally beautiful andcharismatic. All the three fall are easily accessible by a well paved footpath and a small

wooden bridge. The three falls are surrounded by the lush greenery and the streams have

thick moss, lichens and ferns covering the stony banks.

Churches: The Britishers who founded Shillong wanted it to be a mini England so as to  justify their desire they constructed several churches and cathedrals, large and small

everywhere in the city. Some of these churches and cathedrals are spacious enough to

accommodate a few thousand worshippers at a time. The Shillong Cathedral, the

Mawkhar Presbyterian Church, the Jaiaw Presbyterian Church, the LaitumkhrahPresbyterian Church and the All Saints` Cathedral are among some of such large

churches of Shillong. All of these churches are functional ones packed to capacity during

Sunday mass. The churches are prominent attractions of Shillong and mark the religiosityof the Shillongites.

District Court: All the roads of Shillong converge at the District Court campus where

the office and court of the Deputy Commissioner are located. The stately premises of thecourt were built over a hundred years ago around 1876. Increase in the number of the

district officer`s functions made it necessary to replace the old premises with a larger one.

The present District Court building was recently built over the same site and is elegant

and spacious. The campus is a landmark in itself and has a distinctive style andarchitecture.

Laitkor Peak: The Laitkor Peak is located on the ranges which have Shillong peak. A

spectacular view of the Shillong and the adjoining Shillong-Cantonment area, Happy

Valley and Assam regimental Centre can be seen from the View-Point. During theevening and night the countless city lights transform the view point into an absolute

fairyland for viewers. The Laitkor pea is well connected by roads.

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Polo Ground: The recognized and renowned Polo Ground at Shillong was set up by the

British sports enthusiasts. The Polo Ground is located at the Umkhrah valley. The ground

 by constructed by diverting the Umkhrah Stream for a considerable length of its course.The game was new for the people of Shillong but it soon got known and drew significant

interest of the locales of Shillong. The game lost his popularity soon after the Second

World War and India`s independence. Since then the polo ground is used to play hockeyand soccer. Today the Jawaharlal Nehru Complex has been set up on one portion of the

Polo Grounds.

Seng Khasi Hall: The Seng Khasi hall is located at Mawkhar in Shillong. The hall was

made by the Seng Khasi, an organization of the Khasis which was founded in 1899 by acommittee of sixteen members. The annual Thanksgiving Festival of the Khasis, Shad

Suk Mynsiem, is celebrated here during the spring time every year.

and institutions is largely due to the ceaseless work and endeavours of the Seng Khasi.

Shillong Club: The club is well known and is said to be as old as the township of 

Shillong. It served as the centre of relaxation and social-interaction of British officers and planters of Assam. It came into existence during the last century of the British Rule. The

club is located on a knoll which overlooks the fine-looking Ward`s Lake. There areexcellent tennis courts at the Club. The grand and the old premises of the church were

destroyed in a fire in 1970’s. The new club provides all the facilities which are provided

 by other clubs.

Museum of Entomology: This small private museum, north of Bara Bazaar, wasestablished in the 1930’s by the Wankhar family and boasts a collection of rare butterflies

and insects found in Meghalaya. Among them are the huge stick insects, iridescent

 beetles, and the giant yellow and black birdwing butterfly which cloaks itself in a deadly

 poison to protect itself from predatory birds. The family also runs a breeding centre for rare species.

Shillong Centenary Monument: Shillong is also known as the educational and cultural

center of the north east of India. It was made a British seat of administration of Assam in1874. Colonel Henry Hopkinson, Commissioner of Assam and Agent to the Governor 

General of India designed the centenary. During the Centenary Celebration, the Shillong

Centenary Monument was erected as a neat triangle of elegant monoliths and a largealuminum-globe. There was as arrow which pointed out towards the sky, in order to

exclaim-the sky is the limit! The monument is located in between the magnificent and

high-flying buildings of State Secretariat, the artistic state Library premises and the All

Saints` cathedral. The Centenary reminds the people of the transition of Shillong from being a seat of colonial glory to the cot of a vibrant capital of Meghalaya

.

Don Bosco Square: Shillong is an extensive hill station comprising of several localities.

Some of those localities are much larger in size than small hill stations somewhere else.A number of such localities have their own identity in terms of a local-body, market place

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and educational institutions. Laitumkhrah is amongst such localities and is the largest and

 best of all in Shillong. Laitumkhrah is known as the educational district of Shillong.

There are several prominent educational institutions are all located in and aroundLaitumkhrah which includes St. Edmund`s College, St. Anthony`s College, St. Mary`s

College, Loreto Covent and Don Bosco`s. The innermost patio of the area around which

these centers are sited is known as Don Bosco Square. An elegant statue of Don Boscoset on a high podium is located at the centre of Don Bosco Square.

State Central Library: The Central Library is located opposite the State secretariat

Building which is also the central landmark of the city. The library has well maintained,

spacious lawns which add beauty and charm to the city. A rich and varied collection of  books referring to North Eastern India are kept in the library. There is a spacious and well

appointed auditorium in the Library premises where all important regional and State-level

functions are conducted. A larger-than-life bronze statue of late Mrs. Indira Gandhi withan outstretched arm which symbolizes generous and affectionate blessing was erected

recently at the centre of the lawns of the Library.

Crinoline Swimming Pool: Crinoline swimming pool is the premier pool of the state

situated at a walking distance from the Lady Hydari Park. It is located near the base of the Crinoline Falls, hence it is known as the Crinoline Swimming Pool. The small,

 beautiful and recurrent Crinoline Falls act as a natural and idealistic background for the

 pool. The pool was initially developed for the purpose of relaxation of the recuperatingsoldiers, during the Second World War. After the war, it was made open for the use of the

 people of Shillong and was run by a private agency. Later on after some decades the state

sports` authority took charge of the pool. Swimming is one of the favorite sports activity

 participated by Shillongites and the Crinoline Swimming Pool is the most frequented place-of-interest at Shillong.

High Court Premises: The Shillong Bench of the Guwahati High Court is housed in the

superlative grandeur of the premises of the former Assam State Legislative Council. The

court premises are located adjoining to the State Assembly premises in downtownShillong. Before the Indian constitution came into being the state of Assam had a

 bicameral legislature having the Legislative Council as the Upper House. On the adoption

of our constitution the Upper House come to an end in the composite state of Assam. TheCouncil premise was then used for four decades as the Shillong Station of All India

Radio. The premises are now utilized as the seat of the Shillong Bench of the Guwahati

High Court.

King Edward VII Memorial Pasteur Institute: The Pasteur institute established in theend of 20th century is located on the northern border of Shillong. The Institute was

named King Edward VII Memorial Pasteur Institute in the memory of the King Edward

VII, Emperor of British India. The original structure has now been replaced by a new andmodern building but it still bears its original name. The Institute was constructed for 

general medical research and analysis. The institute is known for producing anti-rabies

vaccine and meets the vaccine requirements of Eastern India.

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Old State Assembly Premises: The daunting State Assembly Premises is situated in the

focal of the downtown Shillong. It was constructed in 1920’s and till 1972 it housed the

Legislative Assembly of the composite state of Assam. But when in 1972 when capital of Assam was recognized as Dispur and Meghalaya was formed the legislative assembly of 

Assam was shifted. Since then the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly has been using it.

The Architecture of the state assembly is distinctive in its own style. Beautiful andintricate woodwork is done at the Assembly chamber. The assembly marks the testimony

to the wonderful craftsmanship of Chinese master carpenters.There is a well appointed

Library and an orchid house comprising a wide array of rare north east’s orchid’s species.

Places to visit in Guwahati:

• State Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden

• Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra

• Saraighat Bridge

• Planetarium

•

All India Radio• Guwahati Refinery

• Sarala Birla Gyan Jyoti

• Kamakhya temple