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Meghalaya

AI-drafted · awaiting admin review

State · Capital: Shillong

Key facts
TypeState
CapitalShillong
Formed21 January 1972
Official languagesEnglish, Khasi and Garo (associate official languages)
Population (Census 2011)29,66,889
Andaman and Nicobar IslandsAndhra PradeshArunachal PradeshAssamBiharChandigarhChhattisgarhDadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and DiuDelhiGoaGujaratHaryanaHimachal PradeshJammu and KashmirJharkhandKarnatakaKeralaLadakhLakshadweepMadhya PradeshMaharashtraManipurMeghalayaMizoramNagalandOdishaPuducherryPunjabRajasthanSikkimTamil NaduTelanganaTripuraUttar PradeshUttarakhandWest Bengal

Known for

  • Sohra (Cherrapunji) and Mawsynram, among the wettest places on Earth
  • Living root bridges grown from the roots of rubber fig trees by Khasi and Jaintia villagers
  • Matrilineal Khasi, Jaintia (Pnar) and Garo societies, in which family name passes through the mother
  • Shillong, the hill capital, and its strong music scene
  • Long limestone caves such as Krem Liat Prah in the Jaintia Hills
  • Clean villages such as Mawlynnong and sacred groves such as Mawphlang
  • Lakadong turmeric, Khasi mandarins and pineapples

Main sources of income

Most rural families depend on farming and horticulture, often shifting (jhum) cultivation in the Garo Hills and terrace and bun farming in the Khasi Hills.

  • Services: Trade, transport, government services, education in Shillong and Tura, and tourism to Shillong, Sohra and Dawki
  • Agriculture and horticulture: Rice and maize, with cash crops such as potato, ginger, turmeric, areca nut, bay leaf, black pepper, pineapple, oranges and broom grass
  • Mining and quarrying: Limestone for cement, and coal; coal mining has been restricted since 2014 by orders of the National Green Tribunal and is moving to licensed, scientific mining
  • Manufacturing: Cement plants in the Jaintia Hills and industries at Byrnihat on the Assam border
  • Forestry, handloom and crafts: Bamboo, cane, eri silk weaving and broom-making by village families

Top 5 specialities

  1. Lakadong turmeric: A turmeric from the Lakadong area of West Jaintia Hills, known for its high curcumin content; grown by small farmers and sold through women’s groups and processors
  2. Khasi mandarin: GI-tagged oranges grown on the southern slopes of the Khasi Hills and sold in markets across the North East
  3. Pineapple: Sweet pineapples grown with few chemical inputs in Ri Bhoi and the Garo Hills, a major cash crop for village farmers
  4. Ryndia (eri silk): Warm, soft cloth hand-spun and woven by Khasi women, especially in Ri Bhoi, from the silk of eri silkworms fed on castor leaves
  5. Bamboo and cane crafts: Baskets, mats and the traditional cone-shaped carrying basket (khoh) made by families across the State for home use and sale

Best practices

  • Community-protected sacred groves: Khasi, Jaintia and Garo villages protect sacred forests (law kyntang and others) where by custom nothing may be taken out; these groves keep rare plants, springs and soil safe and are among the best-preserved forests in the region.
  • Living root bridges: Villagers guide the aerial roots of rubber fig trees across streams over many years to make strong bridges that grow stronger with age, a model of building with nature.
  • Village cleanliness by community rules: In villages such as Mawlynnong, every household follows shared rules on sweeping, bamboo dustbins and composting, keeping the village clean without outside funding.

Dance & performing arts

  • Shad Suk Mynsiem
  • Wangala

Festivals

  • Wangala
  • Behdienkhlam
  • Shad Nongkrem

Food

  • Jadoh
  • Dohneiiong
  • Tungrymbai

Crafts & heritage

  • Living root bridges
  • Lakadong turmeric (GI)
  • Cane and bamboo work

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More from Meghalaya

Traditional recipes (17)

  • Jadoh

    Red or local rice cooked with pork, ginger, onion and turmeric. The best-known Khasi dish, eaten from breakfast to dinner.

  • Dohneiiong

    Pork cooked in a dark, nutty gravy of roasted black sesame seeds, a signature Khasi dish.

  • Dohkhlieh

    A Khasi salad of boiled pork mixed with raw onion, ginger and green chilli.

  • Tungrymbai

    Fermented soybeans cooked with pork, black sesame and spices. A pungent, much-loved Khasi dish.

  • Tungtap

    A strong chutney of fermented dried fish ground with onion, chilli and ginger, eaten in small amounts with rice.

  • Pumaloi

    Soft, fluffy powdered rice steamed in a special pot, eaten with meat curries.

  • Putharo

    Soft steamed rice-flour cakes, a Khasi breakfast eaten with tea or with meat curry.

  • Pukhlein

    Sweet fried cakes of rice flour and jaggery, crisp outside and soft inside, made for festivals and celebrations.

  • Jastem

    Rice cooked with turmeric, ginger and onion until golden, a simple Khasi rice dish.

  • Pudoh

    Steamed rice-flour cakes filled with spiced minced pork, a Khasi snack sold in tea shops.

  • Sha saw (red tea)

    Strong black tea with sugar and no milk, the everyday drink of the Khasi Hills, served with rice cakes.

  • Khasi black sesame chutney

    Roasted black sesame ground with onion, chilli and salt into a smoky paste served with rice and meat.

See all 17

Traditional dances (4)

  • Shad Suk Mynsiem

    The ‘dance of joyful hearts’ of the Khasi people, a spring thanksgiving dance in which women and men dance in two circles.

  • Nongkrem dance

    A harvest thanksgiving dance held during the Ka Pomblang Nongkrem festival at Smit, the seat of the Khyrim chiefdom near Shillong.

  • Wangala

    The post-harvest thanksgiving dance of the Garo people, offered to the Sun God Misi Saljong, famous for the ‘100 Drums’ celebration.

  • Behdienkhlam

    A Pnar (Jaintia) festival of Jowai held to drive away plague and disease, with dancing, giant decorated structures and a ball game in a pool.

Festivals and New Years (1)

  • Wangala (100 Drums Festival)

    The post-harvest thanksgiving of the Garo community to Saljong, the sun god. Dancers in feathered headgear move to the beat of many drums.

Pilgrimages and sacred places (1)

  • Nartiang Durga Temple

    A Shakti Peetha at Nartiang, West Jaintia Hills district, where Sati's left thigh is said to have fallen. The Goddess is worshipped here as Jayanti.

Famous places (7)

  • Shillong

    The hill capital of Meghalaya, with pine forests, lakes, waterfalls and colonial-era buildings, and a lively music culture.

  • Sohra (Cherrapunji)

    A plateau town known for extremely heavy rainfall, deep gorges, waterfalls such as Nohkalikai and limestone caves.

  • Living root bridges

    Bridges made from the living roots of rubber fig trees, guided across streams by Khasi and Jaintia villagers over decades, including the double-decker bridge at Nongriat.

  • Mawlynnong

    A Khasi village near the Bangladesh border, famous for its cleanliness, flower-lined paths and community way of life.

  • Dawki and the Umngot river

    A border town where the Umngot river runs so clear that boats seem to float on air over the stones of the riverbed.

  • Mawphlang sacred grove

    An ancient forest near Shillong protected for generations by Khasi custom, where nothing may be taken out of the grove.

  • Balpakram National Park

    A wild plateau and deep canyon in the South Garo Hills, rich in wildlife and sacred in Garo belief as a resting place of departed spirits.

Sources