MESMERISING MEGHALAYA - PART 5 - SHWETA SUBRAMANIAN

அன்பின் நண்பர்களுக்கு, இனிய காலை வணக்கம். இந்த நாளில் மீண்டும் ஒரு பதிவுடன் உங்கள் அனைவரையும் சந்திப்பதில் மகிழ்ச்சி.   

நேற்று வெளியிட்ட கதம்பம் பதிவை படித்து கருத்துகள் தெரிவித்த அனைத்து வலையுலக நண்பர்களுக்கும் மனம் நிறைந்த நன்றி.  இந்த நாளை நல்லதொரு வாசகத்துடன் தொடங்கலாம் வாருங்கள். 

TRAVEL DOESN’T BECOME AN ADVENTURE UNTIL YOU LEAVE YOURSELF BEHIND.

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நண்பர் சுப்ரமணியன் அவர்கள் எழுதிய மேகங்களின் ஆலயம் மேகாலயா பயணத் தொடரை அவரது வார்த்தைகளில் நீங்கள் வாசித்திருப்பது நினைவில் இருக்கலாம். அந்தப் பயணக் கட்டுரைகள் தற்போது மின்னூலாகவும் அமேசான் தளத்தில் கிடைக்கிறது.  அவர் எழுதிய சமயத்திலேயே அவரது மகளிடமும் பயணம் குறித்த எண்ணங்களை எழுதித் தரச் சொல்லி இருந்தேன்.  பணிச்சுமைகள் காரணமாக அப்போது அவரால் எழுத முடியவில்லை. தற்போது அவர் எடுத்த படங்கள் மற்றும் அவரது அனுபவங்கள், பயணம் குறித்த எண்ணங்களை எழுதி அனுப்பி இருக்கிறார்.  அவரது வார்த்தைகளில் - ஆங்கிலத்தில்!.  முதல் பகுதி இங்கே! இரண்டாம் பகுதி இங்கே! மூன்றாம் பகுதி இங்கே! நான்காம் பகுதி இங்கே!  சுட்டிகளைச் சொடுக்கி பதிவை படிக்கலாம்!

வாருங்கள் அடுத்த பகுதியை படித்து ரசிக்கலாம்!

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Friends felt happy to read the responses to my travelogue’s earlier parts, published through this blog. Let me continue to take you to the Land of Clouds further!

KRANG SHURI FALLS

Located in Jaintia hills, this place is blessed with visuals in every angle. The way to reach the waterfall was beautiful with a narrow unparalleled path in the midst of dense forest on both sides and a stream of water flowing in between.

The water was a shimmering blue color, more like a shade of copper sulphate blue with a tinch of emerald green. Rays of sunlight sparkling on the water with surrounding greenery made it look like an imaginary cinematic universe.

Krang Shuri is indeed nature’s wonderland that rejuvenates the soul. You have to be physically present there to see how amazing this place is because not even high resolution pictures can do justice in defining the serenity of this place.

LAITLUM CANYONS

Situated at the edge of a cliff, this place showcased a complete unique beauty of Meghalaya. The word ‘Laitlum’ literally translates to ‘end of hills’, being true to its name. The hills over which this canyon lies shows a jaw dropping edge that was enough to make our breathing rate even faster. But that edge makes this place even more breathtaking and thrilling.

The view here consists of hills with bright green grasslands covered in mist with fainted sunlight peeking through the clouds with villages visible from bird’s eye view residing on the edge.

This view suddenly reminded me of the sceneries we used to draw in our childhood and all the windows XP wallpapers.

This place is really one of a kind where nothing or no one will interrupt you and interrupt you and your thoughts; not even the herd of tourists. Sitting on the grass covered meadows while you take a sip of your tea enjoying the view of far away mountains as the wind gushes through your hair and face, nothing could get better than this.

The scenery, greenery and above all warm and humble locals are everything we need to be surrounded with. A place of eternal peace and serenity. A place of eternal peace and serenity.

THE PEOPLE

Meghalaya’s biggest flex, if you ask me, aside from its ethereal beauty is its people and their culture, the Khasi  tribe, in particular.

The warmth, kindness, innocence can be visible in their faces and their gracious smiles from far away, enough to melt anyone with a heart.

Khasi is a well-known tribal community around the North-east and are literally way ahead of us in every sense.

According to their culture, once two individuals get married, the husband inherits the last name of the wife and is supposed to relocate to his mother-in-law’s house. Even their property gets passed on their matriarchal line of the family.

Keeping aside the women above men and vice versa debate, in the villages and the places we stayed, we observed that both partners of the family were equally participating in the household and managing their business hand in hand. Really goes on to show that none of the traditions or work has anything to do with gender unless certain people made it look that way to feed their fragile ego and superiority complex. Empowerment and equality is possible if people are willing to do it.

Meghalaya has a lot to offer to the traveler than just mesmerizing views and natural treasures. This journey really helped me a lot in branching out my perspective on nature.

There was this heavy burnout about life and everything going around us that struck really hard when I was at Laitlum canyons. Sitting by the hills and time passed by, at that very moment all of a sudden I started to think how sometimes we are letting go or wasting our lives without even realizing. Fighting over things that shouldn’t even matter in the first place; constantly running towards something even if that’s not what we want, just to get validation from society and some people.

Everything we do in our lives is constantly connected to pride and ego to the point that if we fail to deliver anything that we were expected to, we are not worthy of even being acknowledged for their efforts. 

We don’t see it and we never will, unless we take a pause now and then.

We are just a tiny dot in this vast universe. Just like every living being that came and disappeared before us, we too will eventually go to dust. But despite having the intelligence to understand that, here we are, causing nothing but destruction. And somehow, we will realize this after it’s too late.

Meghalaya is not only one of India’s best places with abundant biodiversity, but also proof of how many things we can learn from nature and put it to use and its ability to keep us from going insane. Nature was here before us and still going to be here after us. It’s completely upon us whether we understand the gift of nature we have and preserve it or let it perish for our selfish deeds and let nature do its job. 

This journey is something I am forever grateful for and undoubtedly, the North-east will forever remain India’s treasures. 

Thanks for the encouraging comments shared by you all. Though this series about travel to Meghalaya has ended now, I will come back and share my experiences about my travels as and when it happens.  Till then…

Shweta Subramanian.

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நண்பர்களே, நண்பரின் மகள் எழுதிய இந்த பயணக் கட்டுரைத் தொடர் குறித்த உங்களது கருத்துகளைத் தெரிவிக்கலாமே. உங்கள் வார்த்தைகள் அவரை மேலும் எழுதத் தூண்டும் ஒரு தூண்டுகோலாக இருக்கட்டும்.  நாளை மீண்டும் வேறொரு பதிவுடன் சந்திக்கும் வரை…

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