Meghalaya is plateau land. It lies higher than the low-lying plains of Bangladesh. While Assam empties her rains into the Brahmaputra, Meghalaya has abundance of waterfalls and small and big rivers like Calu, Ringji, Autry, Santa, Simsong, Mintu, Digaru and Yinkhari Qinchiang which flows into Bangladesh. Places like Cherrapunji, Mawsynram and the capital city of Shillong lies at a higher plateau, above the rain clouds bringing in heavy rains which cause floods in the plains of Brahmaputra. But the same rains also bring in prosperity in the lives of farmers in the delta region. The alluvium soil that is brought down by the rains in Meghalaya makes the soil fertile and thus the people of Bangladesh and the North-Eastern states are indebted to Meghalaya.
The Indo-Bangla border markets are amazing to do shopping. Here you can buy cotton clothes, ceramic pots, garden equipment’s, Indian forest products, fruits and vegetables. Driving through the forest paths during rainy season is messy. The rivers flow over the roads. Since the sedimentary rocks have already gone down with the rains, the remaining rocks are hard and hence landslides are very few here. The roads are well built.
One can reach Shillong within 2.5 hours from Guwahati. If you are a person who loves rain, then you will find Meghalaya, a paradise. On the way along the hills, you may find boards on which it is written “sacred Groves”. These are preserved forests that are a part of the faith of Khasi tribe. People are prohibited from even plucking leaves from these forests which are spread over kilometres of land. The people of Meghalaya have an interesting pastime sports; They conduct fish-catching contest from the big ponds here. Contestants which may number up to 13, sit around a pond and try to catch fish with the fishing rod. The person who catches the heaviest fish is declared the winner. The interesting fact is the contestants have to pay money to participate in the contest.
