Shillong - The Scotland Of The East

Shillong seems to be God's own canvas, with naturalthe onlooker. It is a prefect picnic spot at the areas
decorations of waterfalls, pine trees, gardens, peaksnear the lagoons.
and pleasant whether. It resembles the highlands ofLady Hydari Park:
Scotland with its natural splendor and thus was namedA beautiful park, named after the wife of ex-Governor
'Scotland of the East' by the Britishers. It is one of theof the State, is an ultimate place for rest and
most visited hill stations of India and the best amongrecreation. It preserves a beautiful Japanese garden
the natural beauties of the north-east.abundant with a rich collection of roses and other
QUICK FACTS:flowers. It also has a small zoo housing the innate
Location: Situated in the north-eastern state of India,creatures of Meghalaya's forests including Leopard
Meghalaya, at an altitude of 1496 m. It is the politicalcats and Hornbills.
capital of the state. Shillong is around 104 km awayFAIRS AND FESTIVALS:
from Assam's capital Guwahati and around 658 kmWangala Festival:
from Darjeeling.It is an annual harvest festival to collectively thank
Climate: Shillong experiences a very pleasant climateSaljog, the Sun God, for a good agricultural produce.
throughout the year, with temperature ranging from 25Prayers are offered to the Almighty, during the five
degree Celsius in summers to 5 degree Celsius inday festival, for peace and prosperity of the people.
winters.The festival is celebrated in the month of October
Known For: Peaks, waterfalls, lakes, gardens andNovember, following the age old customs and
churches.traditions of the tribes. It marks the commencement of
Best Time To Visit: October to April.winter season. People wear colorful costumes during
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS:the festival and dance merely to the drum-beats.
Shillong Peak:Other major festivals celebrated in Shillong are Shad
At an altitude of about 6445 ft, the Peak is the highestSuk Mynsiem in the month of April and Nongkrem
point of Shillong. It is a famous picnic spot of the place,Dance festival, in the month of November, both of
offering an amazing view of the natural splendorswhich mark happiness and contentment of a good
around the city and also a glimpse of the majesticharvest.
Himalayas. It is a perfect recreation spot for theSHOPPING:
tourists, as it is a convenient 10m km drive from thePolice Bazaar, Lewduh, Bara Bazaar are the major
city centre. It gives a 'not-to-be-missed view' of themarkets of Shillong where handicrafts made by the
brightly lit valley, as the Sun goes down the city'speople of tribes and small-scale industries flourishing in
periphery.the area. Bara Bazaar offers a huge variety of native
Wards Lake:agricultural produce like pineapples, honey, wild
A scenic location, just out of a bollywood movie,mushrooms, etc. Lewdah is the largest market of
Wards Lake is the famous shoe-shaped lake ofShillong with retail businesses run by Khasi tribe
Shillong. One can enjoy a wide variety of fishes playingwomen organizations.
in the crystal clear waters, from the arched bridge. TheMeghalaya Handicrafts and Khadi Gramudyog are the
green lawns surrounding the place and the diamondprominent places where you can get the specialty of
studded sparkling lake under the sun's rays withthe north-east, hand woven textiles like shawls and
Shillong's Botanical Garden and Shillong Club situated atstoles, with intricate designs of flowers and borders.
a close proximity, makes the lake a hot favoriteHOW TO REACH:
among travelers.Air: Shillong can be reached from Kolkata via flights
Elephant Falls:from Shillong Airport. Guwahati Airport, around 100 km
The lofty treasure of Shillong, Elephant falls representsfrom Shillong, connects it to major parts of the country
the name well, as it is gigantic but innocent like thelike Delhi, Imphal, Agartala, Kolkata, etc. Kolkata and
princely animal. It is located at around 10 km from theDelhi have International airports to serve travelers from
city centre. Columns of water can be seen slidingacross the world.
down the green mountains through the hills, withRail: Paltan Bazaar Railway Station at Guwahati
thundering sounds, bringing the temperature down inconnects the city to major railheads of the country.
the nearby areas and giving a breath-taking view to