One of the many things that make Delhi’s historical architectural heritage so interesting is just how easy most of it … Continue reading Delhi Overlooked Part 4: (Possibly) The Tomb of Bahlol Khan Lodi
It rarely gets bitterly cold in Northern Delaware/Northeastern Maryland. The temperature may dip below freezing at night, but a normal … Continue reading Frozen Fair Hill
Satpula, or seven bridges, is one of the few surviving remnants of the almost completely eradicated 14th century city built … Continue reading Delhi Overlooked Part 3: Satpula
The Konyak settlement of Longwa is on the beaten path. It’s one of the few places in northeastern Nagaland which … Continue reading A walk Among the Konyaks Part 3: Longwa
14th century Khirki Masjid, or ‘window mosque,’ is one of the most atmospheric Sultanate Period monuments in Delhi, but it’s … Continue reading Delhi Overlooked Part 2: Khirki Masjid
Longzang is not a famous village. To my knowledge, its name never appears in any of the well-known 19th and … Continue reading A Walk Among the Konyaks Part 2: Longzang
The early 16th century mausoleum of Sufi saint Sheikh Yusuf Qattal is a classic example of Delhi’s forgotten heritage. Though … Continue reading Delhi Overlooked Part 1: The Tomb of Yusuf Qattal
In the winter of 2023, I took a long walk in the hills of northeastern Nagaland. For three and a … Continue reading A Walk Among The Konyaks Part 1: Shangnyu
As someone raised worlds away from the milieu of Meghalaya’s ancient spiritual traditions, it can sometimes be hard to empathize … Continue reading CHAPTER 29: FROM THE ROCK GOD TO NONGHULEW
“I think that is not possible,” said Rothell as the two of us sipped early morning tea. The shop had … Continue reading CHAPTER 28: NOT DONE YET
I never did reach Mawlat. Didn’t even get close. Rita had been quite right to warn me that it was … Continue reading CHAPTER 27: DISCOVERY IN DISAPPOINTMENT
I stood at the top of a 600-meter stone stairway, thousands upon thousands of steps above the village of Nongkwai. … Continue reading CHAPTER 26: TOWARDS MAWLAT
It’s said that centuries before the advent of British rule in the Khasi Hills, the founders of Nongblai village fled … Continue reading CHAPTER 25: GOD’S VILLAGE
Once again, I found myself descending into a steep gorge. Once again, the sound of a stony river below rose … Continue reading CHAPTER 24: THE WRONG RIVER
The village of Wahkhen may be separated from Kongthong by a mere 3.5 kms in a straight line, but the … Continue reading CHAPTER 23: BEYOND THE ROAD’S END
Beyond Kshaid, the road into the center of the Umrew gorge winds at a comparably gentle slope over the ridges … Continue reading CHAPTER 22: RETURN TO THE SINGING HILLS
I chose correctly. Arriving in Kshaid a few hours before sunset, I made contact with the village headman and was … Continue reading CHAPTER 21: THE HYBRID
Dawn comes extremely early in Northeast India. This is because the whole country falls within the same time zone, which … Continue reading CHAPTER 20: ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Upon reaching Sohra I gave myself three days to rest. The 25th and 26th of February were cloudless and warm. … Continue reading CHAPTER 19: HALFWAY
It’s undeniable that the Khasi world is undergoing cataclysmic change, yet even as the 21st century filters ever deeper into … Continue reading CHAPTER 18: MAWPHU
The task ahead was to reach the village of Mawphu before sundown. This meant heading north from Nongsteng, at first … Continue reading CHAPTER 17: THE PRISON OF THE 16 VILLAGES
The paths that lead away from Thieddieng either go straight up or straight down, and the ones that head down … Continue reading CHAPTER 16: NONGSTENG
Long ago, the two daughters of the God of Shillong Peak, Ka Ngot and Ka Iam, decided to have a … Continue reading CHAPTER 15: TREE ROOT VILLAGE
A distinct and much commented upon aspect of Khasi culture is that a person’s surname comes not from their father’s … Continue reading CHAPTER 14: THE MATRILINY
Phlangwanbroi was a place I knew nothing about and was deeply looking forward to reaching. Having trekked for hours up … Continue reading CHAPTER 13: PHLANGWANBROI
That night I became terribly ill. For the next 24 hours, my life consisted of stumbling between my bed and … Continue reading CHAPTER 12: SICK
The good people of Mawpdai Village have pinned much of their hopes for the future on a single tree; a … Continue reading CHAPTER 11: TREE SPELUNKING
The next morning dawned grey and sullen. A flat dark cloud ceiling hung over Nongnah and all the West Khasi … Continue reading CHAPTER 10: THE ROAD TO BALAT
After two days of hiking up and down, into and out of the valley of the Lyngon, I needed a … Continue reading CHAPTER 9: IT’S DIFFERENT
Even by the high standards of the Khasi Hills, Ngunraw, the village in the sky, was a remarkable place. This … Continue reading CHAPTER 8: THE TROUBLED PLATEAU
The next morning Professor walked with me as far as the start of the trail to the plateau-top settlement of … Continue reading CHAPTER 7: THE PAINFUL DOWNHILL
Emerging through a small gap in the broom grass, I was confronted with one of the most dramatic landscapes in … Continue reading CHAPTER 6: THE LIVING LADDER OF NONGNAH VILLAGE
The next morning, the trek began. After one last meal in Ranikor with Biplab and his family, I hefted my … Continue reading CHAPTER 5: TO BIG ROCK VILLAGE AND BEYOND
The previous day had ended well. Following a bit of confused wandering around Ranikor after dark, I managed to snag … Continue reading CHAPTER 4: MEGHALAYA MASALA
The next day was a long one. As I would soon find out, locals rarely travel all the way from … Continue reading CHAPTER 3: JUST GETTING THERE
I was standing on the edge of a cliff near the town of Sohra one hazy evening in early February … Continue reading CHAPTER 2: THE ROAD AHEAD
In early 2019, I walked across the Khasi Hills of Northeast India. It wasn’t easy. But where are the Khasi … Continue reading CHAPTER 1: THE KHASI HILLS
Howdy folks, and happy new year! So, I just wanted to send out a short update on my book Through … Continue reading UPDATE ON THROUGH THE CANYONS OF LIVING BRIDGES
I’ve been posting about the 1700 acre tract of public land bordering Fair Hill State Park Maryland, just across the … Continue reading Big Elk Creek State Park
There really aren’t many waterfalls within an hour’s drive of Newark Delaware. Go due south, and it’s all Delmarva flatlands … Continue reading A QUICK LOOK AT MILL CREEK FALLS
Hey there Just writing to say that a new edition of my book The Green Unknown: Travels in the Khasi … Continue reading GREEN UNKNOWN UPDATE 2
Howdy! So, these past few weeks I’ve been working on getting a new edition of The Green Unknown: Travels in … Continue reading GREEN UNKNOWN UPDATE
Or: Maryland’s newest state park. It’s always exciting when a new chunk of public land opens up in my neck … Continue reading BOHEMIA RIVER STATE PARK
It was among the hardest walks I’ve ever taken, and among the most beautiful. Morningglory, his dad, the ever-boisterous John … Continue reading CHAPTER 13: TO THE SINGING HILLS
At about the halfway point on the car ride from Shillong to Sohra, just after the village of Mawjrong, the … Continue reading CHAPTER 12: BLOOD HUNTERS AND BABY GHOSTS
Now for the third and final post of my series on the Khasi Hills’ architecturally unexceptional, yet inarguably scenic, steel … Continue reading SUSPENSION BRIDGES OF MEGHALAYA: PART 3
One day while searching for a living root bridge hidden deep in the canyon system of the Umrew river, I … Continue reading CHAPTER 11: THE FEARFUL BRIDGE OF MAWSHUIT
‘Slap’ is one of my favorite Khasi words. It means ‘rain,’ and if you’ve spent any time in Meghalaya during … Continue reading CHAPTER 10: RAIN
It’s getting on toward the end of spring here in Delaware. We’ve just started having our usual midyear hot, muggy, … Continue reading MOUNTAIN LAUREL
Patrick Rogers 