Meghalaya

Meghalaya in India (disputed hatched).svg|Map of Meghalaya, Republic of India

Meghalaya (Abode of Clouds in Sanskrit) is one of the seven North-East (India) |Northeastern states of India. Famous for its high rainfall, subtropical forests and biodiversity, it is abutted by Assam in the north and east and byBangladesh in the south. The River Brahmaputra (or Luit as called locally) forms the border in the west.

The state's territory constituted the Khasi-Jaintia Hills and Garo Hills neighborhoods of Assam until 1972. Most of the terrain is hilly and experiences heavy rainfall during monsoons.

Meghalaya is home to three major tribal population - Khasis, Garos and Jaintias (in order of population).

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Cities

• Cherrapunji - GPS: 25.27166 ,91.73080— formerly the wettest place on Earth and still holding the all-time record for the most rainfall in a calendar month and year
• Mawlynnong - GPS: 25.20176 ,91.91603—
• Ampati - GPS: 25.47073 ,89.93453 — South West Garo Hills
• Baghmara - GPS: 25.19349 ,90.63463 — South Garo Hills
• Jowai - GPS: 25.45090 ,92.20891 — Jaintia Hills
• Mawkyrwat - GPS: 25.36253 ,91.45555 — South West Khasi Hills
• Nongpoh - GPS: 25.89978 ,91.88032 — Ri Bhoi
• Nongstoin - GPS: 25.52000 ,91.27000 — West Khasi Hills
• Resubelpara - GPS: 25.89433 ,90.59978 — North Garo Hills
• Shillong - GPS: 25.57877 ,91.89325— East Khasi Hills
• Tura (India) | Tura - GPS: 25.51407 ,90.20321 — West Garo Hills
• Williamnagar - GPS: 25.53139 ,90.59200 — East Garo Hills

More Destinations

• Balphakram National Park - GPS: 25.24593, 90.81988 — located in the Garo Hills in Meghalaya, a well known park in India for its scenic beauty and various species of flora and fauna
• Nokrek National Park - GPS: 25.44307, 90.44552

(Nokrek Biosphere Reserve) — a small population of Red Panda reside in this park. It is habitat for the Asian elephant, species of cats and primates. It is also an important area for birds. Rongbang Dare Water Fall and Nokrek Peak are located in this park with tall thick forest

Meghalaya Halal Explorer

The British came to Sylhet in 1765. At that time the Khasis used to come at Pandua on the border of Sylhet to trade in silk, cotton goods, iron, wax, honey and ivory in exchange for Rice, salt and dried fish. Limestone from the Khasi hills used to fulfill the demand in Bengal then. Soon British officials of the East India Company began trading in limestone and thus came in contact with the Khasis. In 1824 and the Burmese invaded Cachar and also appeared at the border of the Jaintia Hills. The British sent a small force to reinforce the Jaintia Rajah’s troops. On 10th March 1824, a friendship treaty was signed by the Rajah accepting the protection of the British. Other Khasi chiefs also allowed the passage of the British troops through their territories. After the Burmese invasion was over and the British demanded a corridor through the Khasi and the Jaintia Hills to connect Assam valley with Surma valley. Most of the Khasi chiefs agreed, and the road was completed in March 1829, but only after quelling an upheaval by U Tirot Sing. The story that followed after putting down the uprising by U Tirot Sing was the signing of several treaties with different Khasi chiefs. In 1862 the Jaintias revolted under U Kiang Nongbah. By virtue of these treaties and the British gradually took control of the mineral deposits and side by side subjugated the chiefs and also took control of judiciary.

Local Language in Meghalaya

Garo, Khasi & Jaintia are the major languages spoken in addition to English, which is spoken all over the state and all urban areas.

Travel to Meghalaya

Buy a Flight ticket to and from Meghalaya

The Shillong Airport, located around 35 KM from Shillong is the only airport in Meghalaya where commercial flights operate from. A limited number of AirIndia flights (ATR42 type) are available from Kolkata per week. However and the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport at Guwahati, serves as the closest airport to Shillong. It is connected by daily Flights to all Indian cities and also to Bangkok.

By helicopter

The Government of Meghalaya operates a twice-a-day helicopter service from the Guwahati Airport to the Shillong Heliport, located 10 kilometers away from the downtown. Tickets are modestly priced at ₹1500. A 4 hour long journey by road from Guwahati to Shillong (and vice-versa) is cut down to just a 20 minutes flight if travelling by helicopter.

By Rail

There are no railway lines in Meghalaya. Guwahati is the nearest train station located around 104 KM from Shillong.

By road

Shillong is connected with Guwahati by NH 40. Various modes of transport including Shared taxis, Buses and private cabs ply on this route. Shared sumos are available from right outside Guwahati Railway Station to Shillong for ₹160 per seat.

Visa and Restricted Area information

No Inner Line Permit or Protected Area permit is required to enter Meghalaya. Meghalaya government maintains a very useful site which contains a lot of resources for tourists

How to get around in Meghalaya

Any Meghalaya excursion should start from Shillong or Guwahati for convenience. Local non-AC buses, share sumos connect several parts of Meghalaya and other destinations of the North-East. Though cheap and these buses are infrequent and inconvenient for both domestic and foreign travelers. Best is to hire a taxi for a day and cover your destinations. Standard Maruti 800 taxis cost about ₹1200 (with fuel) for standard day excursions (Mawsynram, Cherrapunjee, Nartiang) as of Nov 2008. Bargaining|Bargain if you want to explore places other than regular tourist sites. Shillong City Tour costs about ₹500-₹700. Since Meghalaya is a small state, destinations are not very far apart in the regular tourist circuit, so retaining a vehicle is not a cost effective idea. If one visits Orchid Lake Resort or Cherrapunjee Resort, cars are not readily available from these offbeat spots. So plan your itinerary in advance and accordingly make arrangements from Shillong for pick up from the resorts on the return leg. Otherwise, you may have to face delays. As tourism initiatives are mostly limited to Shillong and East Khasi Hills, Muslim travellers to Garo Hills (Tura, Williamsnagar), Jaitia Hills (Jowai) and West Khasi Hills (Nongstoin) should plan their route/itinerary considering the lack of proper tourism infrastructure (food/lodging/transport/roads).

What to see in Meghalaya

• Balpakram National Park
• Cherrapunji
• Elephant Falls
• Lady Hydari Park
• Mawlynnong
• Nokrek National Park
• Shillong Peak
• South Garo Hills, Pitcher Plant sanctuary, Siju Caves

• Umiam Lake
• Wards Lake
• Living Root Bridges

Top Muslim Travel Tips for Meghalaya

Meghalaya is a caver's delight. The area around Cherrapunji has quite a few limestone caves that can be visited, such as the caves at Mawsmai near Mawsynram. Earlier in 2018 and the world's longest sandstone cave has also been discovered in the area at Krem Puri. At nearly 25km long, its length is almost three times the height of Mount Everest. Some dinosaur fossils have also been found in this cave.

Apart from caving, you will also enjoy visiting the beautiful waterfalls around Shillong and Cherrapunji. You should also not miss visiting at least one of the Living Root Bridges. These are natural bridges, created by the local tribals by training the roots of trees to grow in certain directions and weaving them together with mud to create a passable bridge over a stream.

Halal Food

Rice is the staple food and different varieties from the red Rice to the sticky glutinous Rice are grown and eaten in Meghalaya. The red Rice from the Sung Valley is known to be particularly delicious. Pork in every form is enjoyed by all three communities. The Khasi and Jaintia cuisine are similar and use black sesame seeds to add a distinctive taste to the Beef and other dishes. A cold salad of shredded Beef with onions and ginger is also very popular.

During the early monsoon, different varieties of mushroom sprout all over the Jaintia and Khasi Hills and these make their way to the local markets. The mushrooms are either cooked in combination with the Meat dishes or just fried lightly on its own. Rice is cooked either plain or in combination with onions, ginger and turmeric, giving it the characteristic yellow colour; this is known as 'jastem'. Another variation is the 'jadoh' which is Rice cooked with Meat (namely Beef). Rice cakes called 'putharo and the drier flaky 'pumaloi are prepared from Rice flour. Another variety is the deep fried jaggery sweetened pukhiein and steamed pusla usually eaten as Snacks with tea.

The Garo cuisine is simple to cook with different variations adding richness to the flavour. One of the most popular dishes among the Garos is the Nakham Bitchi dish, which is prepared from special dry fish, chillies and a pinch of soda. This is a hot spicy soup and is usually served with Rice, together with some other fish or Meat dish, usually boiled with yam, pumpkin, gourd, chillies and a dash of bamboo ash water. These dishes are sometimes cooked wrapped in leaves or in fresh bamboo cylinders over an open fire and thereby infusing the food with the flavour of the leaves and green bamboo. Also popular among the Khasi, Jaintia and Garos is fish and Meat preserved either by drying in the sun or smoking over fire. A variety of chutneys prepared from different types of herbs, fermented soya bean and fermented fish always accompany the meals.

eHalal Group Launches Halal Guide to Meghalaya

Meghalaya - eHalal Travel Group, a leading provider of innovative Halal travel solutions for Muslim travelers to Meghalaya, is thrilled to announce the official launch of its comprehensive Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Meghalaya. This groundbreaking initiative aims to cater to the diverse needs of Muslim travelers, offering them a seamless and enriching travel experience in Meghalaya and its surrounding regions.

With the steady growth of Muslim tourism worldwide, eHalal Travel Group recognizes the importance of providing Muslim travelers with accessible, accurate, and up-to-date information to support their travel aspirations to Meghalaya. The Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide is designed to be a one-stop resource, offering an array of invaluable information on various travel aspects, all carefully curated to align with Islamic principles and values.

The Travel Guide encompasses a wide range of features that will undoubtedly enhance the travel experience for Muslim visitors to Meghalaya. Key components include:

Halal-Friendly Accommodations inMeghalaya: A carefully selected list of hotels, lodges, and vacation rentals that cater to halal requirements, ensuring a comfortable and welcoming stay for Muslim travelers in Meghalaya.

Halal Food, Restaurants and Dining in Meghalaya: A comprehensive directory of restaurants, eateries, and food outlets offering halal-certified or halal-friendly options in Meghalaya, allowing Muslim travelers to savor local cuisines without compromising their dietary preferences in Meghalaya.

Prayer Facilities: Information on masjids, prayer rooms, and suitable locations for daily prayers in Meghalaya, ensuring ease and convenience for Muslim visitors in fulfilling their religious obligations.

Local Attractions: An engaging compilation of Muslim-friendly attractions, cultural sites such as Museums, and points of interest in Meghalaya, enabling travelers to explore the city's rich heritage while adhering to their values.

Transport and Logistics: Practical guidance on transportation options that accommodate Muslim travel needs, ensuring seamless movement within Meghalaya and beyond.

Speaking about the launch, Irwan Shah, Chief Technology Officer of eHalal Travel Group in Meghalaya, stated, "We are thrilled to introduce our Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide in Meghalaya, a Muslim friendly destination known for its cultural richness and historical significance. Our goal is to empower Muslim travelers with accurate information and resources, enabling them to experience the wonders of Meghalaya without any concerns about their faith-based requirements. This initiative reaffirms our commitment to creating inclusive and memorable travel experiences for all our clients."

The eHalal Travel Group's Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Meghalaya is now accessible on this page. The guide will be regularly updated to ensure that Muslim travelers have access to the latest information, thus reinforcing its status as a reliable companion for Muslim travelers exploring Meghalaya.

About eHalal Travel Group:

eHalal Travel Group Meghalaya is a prominent name in the global Muslim travel industry, dedicated to providing innovative and all-inclusive travel solutions tailored to the needs of Muslim travelers worldwide. With a commitment to excellence and inclusivity, eHalal Travel Group aims to foster a seamless travel experience for its clients while respecting their religious and cultural values.

For Halal business inquiries in Meghalaya, please contact:

eHalal Travel Group Meghalaya Media: info@ehalal.io

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