Meghalaya, one of the Seven Sisters states in the northeast region of India, is not only geographically beautiful, but also is a place full of powerful legends. Have you heard of the legend of Thlen** or the blood-sucking serpent? There are some who believe it and some who don’t calling it an evil conspiracy of a psychopath. We will never know for sure.
Let’s turn from the supernatural to the geography of the region, the people who live here. Meghalaya is vibrant in its own way, the attire—peculiar to the place, the locals’ love for betel-nut (locally known as kwai), houses with high flying and symbolic red flag with a rooster on it which signifies that the family is still Seng Khasi or Khasi Hindu (note: Meghalaya is predominantly a Christian state), stories about Lum Symper or Living Hill (the Khasi Hindus perform their rituals there in order to “make the hill come to life”), the locals’ love for archery, the rock formations, ritualistic monoliths, famous waterfall with a tragic story. Meghalaya—the abode of clouds (in Sanskrit), is not just about the Asia’s cleanest village or the state’s reputation as a matrilineal society or the highly debated Uranium mining. You have to travel across the state to understand what Meghalaya is about.
This pictorial essay is to help you plan.
(** Thlen is a legendary blood-sucking serpent that has a master. It’s on the lines of black magic where the Thlen demands blood sacrifices in order to fulfil the wishes of the believers.)