CHAPTER 30: THE LAST CANYON

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

“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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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