Tag: Khasi Hills
CHAPTER 29: FROM THE ROCK GOD TO NONGHULEW
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
CHAPTER 28: NOT DONE YET
“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
CHAPTER 27: DISCOVERY IN DISAPPOINTMENT
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
CHAPTER 26: TOWARDS MAWLAT
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
CHAPTER 25: GOD’S VILLAGE
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
CHAPTER 24: THE WRONG RIVER
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
CHAPTER 23: BEYOND THE ROAD’S END
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
CHAPTER 22: RETURN TO THE SINGING HILLS
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
CHAPTER 21: THE HYBRID
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
CHAPTER 20: ON THE ROAD AGAIN
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
CHAPTER 19: HALFWAY
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
CHAPTER 18: MAWPHU
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
CHAPTER 17: THE PRISON OF THE 16 VILLAGES
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
CHAPTER 16: NONGSTENG
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
CHAPTER 15: TREE ROOT VILLAGE
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
CHAPTER 14: THE MATRILINY
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
CHAPTER 13: PHLANGWANBROI
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
CHAPTER 12: SICK
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
CHAPTER 11: TREE SPELUNKING
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
CHAPTER 10: THE ROAD TO BALAT
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
CHAPTER 9: IT’S DIFFERENT
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
CHAPTER 8: THE TROUBLED PLATEAU
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
CHAPTER 7: THE PAINFUL DOWNHILL
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
CHAPTER 6: THE LIVING LADDER OF NONGNAH VILLAGE
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
CHAPTER 5: TO BIG ROCK VILLAGE AND BEYOND
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
CHAPTER 4: MEGHALAYA MASALA
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
CHAPTER 3: JUST GETTING THERE
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
CHAPTER 2: THE ROAD AHEAD
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
CHAPTER 1: THE KHASI HILLS
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
CHAPTER 13: TO THE SINGING HILLS
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
CHAPTER 12: BLOOD HUNTERS AND BABY GHOSTS
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
SUSPENSION BRIDGES OF MEGHALAYA: PART 3
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
CHAPTER 11: THE FEARFUL BRIDGE OF MAWSHUIT
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
CHAPTER 10: RAIN
‘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
SUSPENSION BRIDGES OF MEGHALAYA: PART 2
This is the second part of my series on the architecturally unexceptional, yet often spectacular, conventional steel and wood suspension … Continue reading SUSPENSION BRIDGES OF MEGHALAYA: PART 2
CHAPTER 8: KWAI, AND THE EXQUISITE IMPORTANCE THEREOF
Kwai, otherwise known as betel nut, paan, and, occasionally, Khasi lipstick, is as important a part of life in Riwar … Continue reading CHAPTER 8: KWAI, AND THE EXQUISITE IMPORTANCE THEREOF
CHAPTER 7: THE ROOT BRIDGES OF RANGTHYLLIANG
The most extraordinary places in Meghalaya are all hidden. The darker vales of Riwar abound in secret waterfalls and deep … Continue reading CHAPTER 7: THE ROOT BRIDGES OF RANGTHYLLIANG
THE LIVING LADDER OF NONGNAH
The term ‘‘jingkieng jri” (sometimes “jingkieng dieng jri”) in the Khasi literary language is generally rendered into English as “root … Continue reading THE LIVING LADDER OF NONGNAH
SUSPENSION BRIDGES OF MEGHALAYA: PART 1
There’s a good reason why Northeast India’s incredible root bridges have captured the world’s attention. While living architecture has been … Continue reading SUSPENSION BRIDGES OF MEGHALAYA: PART 1
THE SMALLEST ROOT BRIDGE
Or, perhaps a better title might be: “The smallest root bridge I’ve ever clapped eyes on, though there could be … Continue reading THE SMALLEST ROOT BRIDGE
CHAPTER 5: THE CANYON OF THE FALLS
The Khasi Hills were made by rivers. Coming to know the lay of the land in Meghalaya is therefore a … Continue reading CHAPTER 5: THE CANYON OF THE FALLS
A QUICK LOOK AT HOW A ROOT BRIDGE DEVELOPED OVER TIME
Today I thought I’d share a few photos of a small root bridge in the Khasi Hills that I was … Continue reading A QUICK LOOK AT HOW A ROOT BRIDGE DEVELOPED OVER TIME
CHAPTER 4: FOOD
What a group of people eats is a big part of who they are. That means it’s not a good … Continue reading CHAPTER 4: FOOD
CHAPTER 3: ON BEYOND NONGRIAT
Nelson Nongbri had helpfully made me a rough map of the network of trails west of Nongriat. It looked basic, … Continue reading CHAPTER 3: ON BEYOND NONGRIAT
THE ROOT BRIDGES OF NONGRIAT OVER THE YEARS
It was over a decade ago, during the monsoon season of 2011, that I first ventured to the spectacular Khasi … Continue reading THE ROOT BRIDGES OF NONGRIAT OVER THE YEARS
CHAPTER 1: THE RAGGED EDGE OF INDIA
India, as a political entity, geographical concept, or civilization, is often described as a world unto itself. If that’s the … Continue reading CHAPTER 1: THE RAGGED EDGE OF INDIA
How are Living Root Bridges Made?
HOW ARE LIVING ROOT BRIDGES MADE?* The Khasi people of Northeast India create living root bridges using the pliable aerial … Continue reading How are Living Root Bridges Made?
Preface
PREFACE This work is about my travels in a little corner of the Northeast Indian state of Meghalaya. If you … Continue reading Preface
What are Living Root Bridges?
The following is a short excerpt from my upcoming book Through the Canyons of Living Bridges What are living root … Continue reading What are Living Root Bridges?
Patrick Rogers 