Cloud rain in the land of light

The plan to go to the Indian state of Meghalaya was a long time. The objective is to see Cherrapunji, which has fallen from childhood as the city with the highest rainfall in the world, and enjoy the Khasi lifestyle. Although I visited many places around Dauki, Sohra, Shillong, in this article today I will write only about my dream city Sohra. No matter where I go in the world, I can never forget the unearthly beauty of this city.

Sohra is only 84 km from Dawki town bordering our Sylhet. Although he arrived yesterday after crossing the borders, he spent the whole day in Dauki and Maolinong villages. Today’s main plan is around Sohra. He woke up early in the morning to the calls of his tourmates. When I opened the door, I saw the pouring rain outside and the movement of cloudy clouds. This is a heavenly morning. Some of the other members of the team are already up and starting to freshen up. As per plan today we will visit some famous falls and national parks around Cherrapunji. While everyone is ready, tourmate Mamun Bhai, I think, Along with Priyanka, I wandered along the road in front of the homestay. The design of every house here is so unique and aesthetic that one has to be impressed by the taste. And in almost every arena, shiny brand new cars can be seen. A little further along the road, following the strong sound of splashing water, I saw a huge torrent. The sound is coming from there. After not standing for a while, it suddenly started raining again. I quickly returned to the homestay. This is the specialty of Meghalaya, it rains every now and then. So Meghalaya travel plans must include umbrellas, raincoats and raincoats.

Back in the room, everyone is ready. Since we plan to stay here tonight too, there is no hassle of dragging bags. I boarded the reserve vehicle and headed to the upper stream area of ​​the Seven Sisters Falls. I reached the gate of the park in a short time. There is a cafe on the ground floor of the guest house near the main gate. Breakfast was ordered there. By the time it took to prepare, it was quite a story. After breakfast, we all went out of the restaurant with tea in hand. Clouds are flying around. It will start drizzling at any time. Come to Meghalaya and mix the clouds and drink tea, what else!

After the tea-breakfast session, everyone went out to explore the park area. As it started raining, I had to take shelter of the raincoat. There are some artificial amusements here. Apart from this there is also a view point. It took an hour to explore the entire area. Then I sat in the car to visit the most famous tourist spot of Meghalaya, Seven Sisters Falls.

I reached the view point in ten minutes. But got down from the car and was disappointed as the view of the entire falls was covered by clouds. Needless to say, this is very common in Meghalaya. So it is a matter of luck to visit all the spots during the rainy season. After waiting for a while, fortunately, when the front was a little clear, the largest waterfall of Meghalaya state, Seven Sisters, was seen. There are several fountains on the entire mountain, but not sure if there are actually seven or not. In the meantime, the clouds continued to move. We headed towards Thankarang Park when it suddenly started raining heavily.

It took a long time to reach because the road was bad. I have never seen such a bad road in Meghalaya. Finally reached Thankarang Park. In addition to the entry fee, you have to pay for the camera. Later I saw that this is the rule of almost all tourist spots in Meghalaya. Park area not too big. In the rain, everyone took a photo session at Kinrem Falls View Point. From here you can see a little of the vast Howr water body of Bangladesh’s Sylhet area. Kinrem Falls is quite a sight to behold from a distance.

Leaving Thankarang Park, I walked along the broken road towards Mosmai Cave. The distance from Sohra to Mosmai is about six kilometers. I cut the ticket and entered. Although the artificial lights inside and the huge crowds dampen the fun of exploring the cave, it is what it is supposed to be as a tourist spot. The entire length of the cave is about 150 meters. I came out through the exit point with various exercises.

By now everyone was quite hungry and without delay we had lunch at a restaurant near Mosmai Cave. Although Indian thali is not very spicy in taste, it is as good as Bengali rice. After eating and drinking, I left for Nohkalikai Falls, another one of the most visited places in Meghalaya.

Nohkalikai is probably the tallest waterfall in Meghalaya. According to popular legend, it is named after a girl named Kalikai who committed suicide by jumping from the falls. Even here the rules are left. Nothing of the waterfall could be seen in the cloud cover. After waiting for a long time, I realized that Sundari will not appear again today. I consoled myself with the thought that if there is time to leave Cherrapunji tomorrow, I can try again. Although fortunately met later in the day.

Today’s final destination is Dianthan Falls. Arrived in front of Dianthan Falls in the late afternoon. Although it is a very beautiful waterfall, this is the first time a tourist spot has been neglected. No authority to actually look after is seen here. This is basically the upper stream. From here the water continues to fall down. I made my way back after spending the evening.

Next morning destination is Shillong, a traditional city of British India. In Meghalaya travel, you have to book a car on a regular schedule. The drivers are basically the guides there. However, there is some benefit if you take a plan for your own convenience. A long list of places to visit in Meghalaya can be found by searching the internet. One day reserve car rental is 2500-3500 per car. Apart from this there are enough hotels and homestays to stay all over Sohra. Let the story of Sohra end here today. I will bring another story of Meghalaya state in the next episode.