Among you and all the people reading this article, the probability is high that the highest proportion would be from urban areas. And if you are one among them, you would totally agree with the few further statements. There barely might be any water body around you like rivers or ponds or the jungles or mountains or some natural terraces to sit and experience cold air streams. Besides, nowadays, the cleanliness is also just limited to the boundaries of our homes and native places. A step out of our place, and you will find debris and heaps of litters and rubbish all around. And no doubt, the scenario expressed above is of our own country, India also. Yes, it is lagging behind in many things from several big nations of the Globe. Cleanliness is one of the most important affairs out of them.
You won’t believe the further fact after reading this much. But that is 100% true. There is a place and more significantly, a village in India which is the cleanest village of the entire Asian continent. Meghalaya’s Mawlynnong is the cleanest Village in Asia. Anyone visiting this village, would in one sight, be mesmerized by its beauty.
Welcome to Mawlynnong-the cleanest village in Asia!
Mawlynnong is situated at about 90 km from Shillong in the East Khasi Hills, along the Indo-Bangladesh border. This village has been declared as the cleanest village in Asia by the Discovery magazine in 2003. Later on, after two years, in 2005, Mawlynnong won the acclaim of being the cleanest village in India also. This village is cited as the ‘God’s own garden’ due to its cleanliness.
The cleanliness of this village is the sole responsibility of every inhabitant of this village. And each one of them devotes heartedly to this task. The local villagers ensure this by cleaning their surrounding areas themselves. Whether these are roads, streets, rivers, jungles or tourism places, actually everything is cleaned by these localities. If you are making your mind to visit this place, consider exploring it entirely as the whole village is picturesque.
Let’s compile here some major scenic beauties of Mawlynnong which are must to mention.
Mawlynnong’s floating rock
On the outskirts of the village Mawlynnong, there is a balancing rock which is a must to see nature’s wonder. This is actually a pair of two rocks, a huge one resting on the smaller one. This structure has remained intact from ages even after facing a number of storms and cyclones. The place in which this balancing rock resides is known as ‘Maw Ryankew Sharatia’ locally. The elder localities of the village say, “this place had been the spot where human sacrifices were made 1000 years ago to please the presiding deity”. The guides there also mentions that this pair of rocks had earlier been treated as an Ancient Shrine for the Khasi Tribe. Mawlynnong is one of the few places in the country where balancing rocks can be seen.
Living Root Bridge
Living root Bridges can be seen in Mawlynnong very frequently. There are hundreds of them in and around the village. These bridges are fashioned or maintained by the local villagers. The basic idea is to combat the devastating monsoons that the rich-drenched sites of Meghalaya receive. These root bridges take about 10-15 years to actually become functional. They still remain alive. Normally, these structures are build over small streams or river lines in order to aid the passage during heavy monsoons. These Living root bridges are declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sky Tower
If you really want to experience the dazzling heights, you must climb these sky towers created by the villagers for the tourists. At 60 feet of height in the air, these sky towers really create an absolute panoramic view. If you climb the sky tower on a sunny, cloudless day, you’ll have a breathtaking view of the valley of Bangladesh on a horizon. If you are a tea lover, you can stop by a tea stall for enjoying a cup of tea. As there is 100% literacy level in Mawlynnong, all of the tea stall keepers would be interacting with you in English. So, no communication barriers.
Crystal-clear Water
Mawlynnong has crystal-clear water bodies in there. You can go picnicking by the lakes in the luscious green jungles. Besides, you can swim under the waterfalls or take a jungle walk by the secret groves. But yeah if you are going there, just keep in mind that it would your responsibility also to maintain its cleanliness.
Bamboo Buckets(Dustbins)
Actually, this is not a place or spot to visit. It is something which is most significant while considering the perspective of cleanliness. People in Mawlynnong uses Buckets made from Bamboo as dustbin to collect their debris and other rubbish. These bamboo buckets are available on almost every corner of the streets. The debris which is collected in these bamboo buckets is used as a raw material for preparing manures. So, again the people of Mawlynnong are proving every norm of the ‘Go green, stay clean’ quote.
So, aren’t these reasons enough for a plan to visit and explore this mystic heaven?
Read Also: Rahma Haruna – The Girl Who Lived in a Bowl
