MEGHALAYA :

     Meghalaya is to be found in the north-east zone of India.  It is bounded by Assam in the north and the east and the plains of Bangladesh in the south and west. The State is divided into three hilly regions - the Garo Hills (Western Meghalaya), the Khasi Hills (Central Meghalaya) and the Jaintia Hills (Eastern Meghalaya). Meghalaya is accurately the 'Abode of the Clouds'. The name describes the climatic phenomenon that brings torrents of rain to this region. Meghalaya is a region of great scenic beauty, a panorama of blossoming, undulating hills, fertile valleys, orchids, meandering rivers, waterfalls, sparkling mountain streams and lakes. The principal languages in Meghalaya are Khasi, Garo and English. However, the state language is English. 

      In Khasi Hills, there are more than 2,000 flowering plants in a radius of ten miles from Cherrapunjee. There are 150 species of ferns and a profusion of mosses, fungi and lichens. More than 250 species of orchids , 25 species of balsams, 20 species of palms, wild species of apples and rhlateau and 150 species of grass are available. In the upper hill regions from 1500 metres and above, in the central plateau of Khasi Hills, coniferous vegetations like pines, oaks and ferns are found. This makes a distinct and interesting natural vegetation belt. The dense jungles in Meghalaya provide a natural habitat for various wildlife - mammals, reptiles, birds and insects. Balpakram, in the East Garo Hills is the centre of wild elephants population. The other wild animals found here include: tigers, bisons, hoolock gibbons, boars, barking deer, sambars, leopards, apes and monkeys. Among reptiles, many kinds of snakes, poisonous and non-poisonous lizards are found here. There are also a wide variety of birds found in the higher altitudes. A special mention of the approximately 500 species of butterflies found in Meghalaya needs to be made, with some of them being very rare.
 

      Festivals in Garo Hills :Among the Garos, the most important festival is the Wangala or the Hundred-drum Festival held from Nov. to Dec. This is a harvest festival celebrated in honour of Saljong, the Sun-God of fertility. The festival marks the end of the period of toil in the fields, bringing a good yeild of crops. Everybody - young & old joins in the festivities. The men beat the drums and move forward in rhythmic union. Doregata Dance Festival is another interesting dance. In this dance, women try to knock off the turbans of their male partners, using their heads. Another dance that requires exquisite skill is the Chambil Mesara or Pomelo Dance. This is a solo dance form, in which the performer dangles a pomelo or any other fruit on a cord tied to his waist and then hurls it round & round.

       Festivals in Khasi Hills :The Khasis have two important festivals - Nongkrem Dance held in Oct. / Nov. and Shad-Suk Mynsiem, held in April. Nongkrem Dance is held annually for five days together. It is a religious festival for thanksgiving to God Almighty for good harvest and to pray for peace and prosperity in the community. It is celebrated in the month of November. An important part of this festival is 'pomblang' or decapitation of the goats, offered by the subjects to the Syiem of Khyrim. The Syiem is the administrative head of the state. Offerings are made to the ancestors of the ruling clan.

        Festivals in Jaintia Hills : Behdienkhlam is the most important dance festival of the Jaintias. It is celebrated after the sowing period is over. At Jowai town, this festival can be seen being celebrated in July. Youngmen make a symbolic driving away of the evil spirits by beating the roofs of every house with bamboo poles. The climax of the celebrations is the tussle, as seen in a tug-of-war, for a large undressed beam of two groups of people opposed to each other. The Jaintias have also another Dance festival for entertainment called the Laho Dance, where young men and women dance to the merriment of the audience.

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