Mawlynnong Perfect Harmony with Nature
Guess where is the cleanest village in entire Asia? You won’t believe it is located in a remote part in the Khasi Hills of the northeastern India. Mawlynnong or the most appropriate term of this village, “God’s Own Country” is declared as the cleanest village in Asia by Discover India Magazine in 2003. It is a picture perfect village housing less than 90 families in the state of Meghalaya bordering Bangladesh. It is better than any of the garden resorts I have travelled till now and can be regarded one of the best places to visit in India. Travelling around 90 kilometers from Shillong, I was spellbound by the beauty of the village. Traversing through the lanes, I wondered if this village is planned in such a way. The traditional Khasi bamboo house, each with a little but beautiful garden with exotic and wild forest flower and lined with a neat hedge of either bushes or flowers is what you will find in this Mawlynnong village. With no traces of waste around, I was surprised how this village earned such a Utopian look. The children from a tender age are taught to keep the place clean by throwing the rubbish in the little bamboo basket which serve as a dustbin. You will find these baskets after every few meters. And if someone by mistake also litters the place, they are imposed fine; you won’t find traces of polythene bags there. Cleanliness is the way of life there; it is the most important factor to attract tourist from various parts of the globe. Living in India, if you have not visited this little village till now, you are missing a great treasure of this land. The picturesque landscape with lush mountains, lined on either side by green bamboo and betel nut trees on the way to Mawlynnong with definitely
make you wonder in awe. Trees and that too sturdy ones are the lifelines in this region inundated by heavy rainfall. The living root bridges in Meghalaya which links the Khasi villages are the center of attraction of the tourist. People flock to Mawlynnong to see the root bridge in Riwai. How can I miss this wonderful opportunity? Following a stone path from the Riwai village, I purchased a ticket from a young Khasi guy to see the bridges. At the first sight of the bridge called the “King’s Way”, it simply took my breath way. Just couldn’t believe if the bridge is really made of the roots. The buzz words of the modern world – eco-friendly, sustainability and recycling, the Khasi has been using these in the true sense of the term.
You will be even more amazed to know that the Mawlynnong village boasts of hundred percent literacy rates. The small kids are also very fluent in English. The people there don’t follow any Khasi rituals rather they follow Christianity. They are also known for their worship of nature and conservation of forest. Climbing up the Sky Tower, built with bamboo sticks tied together stretching branches of five or six trees gives a mesmerizing view of the place and far flung plains of Bangladesh. Mawlynnong is a place with perfect harmony with Nature. Visit to this unique place with surely be one of the memorable experiences of lifetime. The moments I spend there, I am cherishing it till now.
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