History of Meghalaya
As the legend goes, there were originally 16 families, nine in heaven and seven on earth. The golden vine that connected them was severed when sin polluted the earth. From then onwards, the people were divided into 16 warring families with different chiefs. These families belonged to the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo tribes. Today, they are the people of Meghalaya and this is their legendary beginning! And they do fight amongst themselves quite a bit!Tribal law prevailed until the British took over the administration in 1820 and allowed Christian missionaries into the area. Today, most people are Christians. Present day Meghalaya was incorporated into the state of Assam after the independence of India in 1947. On 21 January 1972, Meghalaya was made an independent state of the Indian Union. Meghalaya Capital is Shiilong
Recently, Khasi language has been withdrawn from the UNESCO’s Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger. According to the UNESCO website, there are currently 900,000 speakers of Khasi. Hence it is said to be no longer in danger of extinction as a language.
The Garo, Jaintia and Khasi tribes who inhabit Meghalaya have a matrilineal society. That is, the inheritance goes to the women of the house. It also means that the men are married into the women's families. They come to live in their wife’s home and the children bear the surnames of their mothers.
The Garos are of Tibetan stock; Khasis are related to the Jaintias who, in turn, are related to the Shaan tribesmen of Myanmar. The Garos live in western Meghalaya, the Khasis in central Meghalaya, and the Jaintias in eastern Meghalaya. They are said to be one of the earliest ethnic group of settlers in the Indian sub-continent, belonging to the Proto Austroloid Monkhmer race. The Garo Hills is predominantly inhabited by the Garos, belonging to the Bodo family of the Tibeto-Burman race, said to have migrated from Tibet. The Garos prefer to call themselves as Achiks, and the land they inhabit as the Achik-land.
The Garo people have their own religion known as Songsarek but, are followed by a very small population. Some Garos are Hindus whereas, others follow Buddhism. Khasi people too have their own religion followed by a large group of people and is known as Niam Shnong or Niamtre. There is also a small population of Khasi people who practice Islam. Kuki-Chen people are mostly Christians while Rabha and Koch tribes include a majority of Hindu practitioners
Economy of Meghalaya
As the legend goes, there were originally 16 families, nine in heaven and seven on earth. The golden vine that connected them was severed when sin polluted the earth. From then onwards, the people were divided into 16 warring families with different chiefs. These families belonged to the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo tribes. Today, they are the people of Meghalaya and this is their legendary beginning! And they do fight amongst themselves quite a bit!Tribal law prevailed until the British took over the administration in 1820 and allowed Christian missionaries into the area. Today, most people are Christians. Present day Meghalaya was incorporated into the state of Assam after the independence of India in 1947. On 21 January 1972, Meghalaya was made an independent state of the Indian Union. Meghalaya Capital is Shiilong
Recently, Khasi language has been withdrawn from the UNESCO’s Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger. According to the UNESCO website, there are currently 900,000 speakers of Khasi. Hence it is said to be no longer in danger of extinction as a language.
The Garo, Jaintia and Khasi tribes who inhabit Meghalaya have a matrilineal society. That is, the inheritance goes to the women of the house. It also means that the men are married into the women's families. They come to live in their wife’s home and the children bear the surnames of their mothers.
The Garos are of Tibetan stock; Khasis are related to the Jaintias who, in turn, are related to the Shaan tribesmen of Myanmar. The Garos live in western Meghalaya, the Khasis in central Meghalaya, and the Jaintias in eastern Meghalaya. They are said to be one of the earliest ethnic group of settlers in the Indian sub-continent, belonging to the Proto Austroloid Monkhmer race. The Garo Hills is predominantly inhabited by the Garos, belonging to the Bodo family of the Tibeto-Burman race, said to have migrated from Tibet. The Garos prefer to call themselves as Achiks, and the land they inhabit as the Achik-land.
The Garo people have their own religion known as Songsarek but, are followed by a very small population. Some Garos are Hindus whereas, others follow Buddhism. Khasi people too have their own religion followed by a large group of people and is known as Niam Shnong or Niamtre. There is also a small population of Khasi people who practice Islam. Kuki-Chen people are mostly Christians while Rabha and Koch tribes include a majority of Hindu practitioners
Economy of Meghalaya
Meghalaya Languages
Meghalaya is one of the north eastern states of India. People speak different languages in Meghalaya EjMB and that includes Khasi, Pnar and Garo. These three languages have emerged to be among the languages that are a part of modern Indian languages. The Khasi language is the only dialect that originates from Mon-Khmer family of languages.
People of Meghalya
The people of Meghalaya are cheerful, sociable and hardworking and have exemplary dignity of labour. Physically, they are short, muscular and robust with fair complexions. Predominantly Christian, their society is casteless. They are devout and practice their faith with fervour. On Sundays, the cities, towns and villages wear a festive look as hordes turn up in church in their Sunday best.
Religions of Meghalaya
Religions of Meghalaya are highly influenced by the cultural background of the state. The maximum quantum of Khasi and Garo people are practitioners of Christianity in Meghalaya. The people who belong to the Hajong tribe are mostly Hindus and are estimated to be around 97 percent in number.
Food of Meghalaya
The cuisine of Meghalaya is mostly rice, dried fish and meat. The food is bland but is seasoned with hot fish chutney. One of the local favourites is "jadoh", a dish prepared with pork and rice. With the food, people drink a lot of rice beer locally called `Kyat’. Alcohol features in the menu for everyday and on every festive occasion. They chew unripe betel nut with tobacco, betel leaf and lime; guaranteed to give a first timer a headache and vertigo!
Economy of Meghalaya
85% of Meghalaya's population is engaged in agriculture. Maize, rice and vegetables are grown here. Its major cash crops are oranges, potatoes, jute, cotton, areca nut, ginger, turmeric, betel leaf and black pepper. Pineapple, lemon, guava, jackfruit and bananas are its fruit products. Forest products include timber, bamboo, reed, cane, medicinal herbs and plants. It is rich in minerals like mica, coal, and gypsum and provides 95% of India’s total sillimanite produce.
How to reach Meghalaya
How to get there by Air
The nearest major airport is the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati (Assam), which is well connected by air with New Delhi, Calcutta, Mumbai and Chennai. A four-hour scenic drive up the hills will get you to Shillong from Guwahati airport. Rent a car and cab facilities are available from the airport. There are, however, no direct bus connections from Guwahati Airport to Shillong.
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How to get there by Rail
The nearest railhead is Guwahati (Assam), which is well connected to the rest of the country. There are train services from Calcutta, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Cochin and Trivandrum.
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How to get there by Road
Meghalaya is accessible by road from Assam at various points on the border between these two states. The National Highway 40 connects New Delhi and other major cities in India to Meghalaya. The roads are good and well frequented with traffic moving to and fro. However, do watch out for the heavy monsoon season which slows you down on the roads.
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