Meghalya

Meghalaya is a state in the north east of India. The name means "The Abode of

Clouds" in Sanskrit and other Indo-Iranian languages.

As of 2011, the state has a population of 2,964,007 and is the 23rd most populous in the countrry. Meghalaya covers an area of approximately 300 kilometres in length and about 100 kilometres in breadth. This state is bounded to the north by Assam and by Bangladesh to the south. The capital is Shillong, known as the "Scotland of the East“ , and which has a population of 143,007

Economy : About one third of the state is forested.

The Meghalaya subtropical forests ecoregion encompasses the state; its mountain forests are distinct from the lowland tropical forests to the north and south. The forests of Meghalaya are notable for their biodiversity of mammals, birds, and plants.

Meghalaya has predominantly an agrarian economy. The important crops are potatoes, rice, maize,pineapples, bananas, etc. The service sector is made up of real estate and insurance companies. The state has become a hub of illegal mining activity. Meghalaya's gross state domestic product for 2004 was estimated at $1.6 billion in current prices.

Religion :

Religion in Meghalaya is closely related to ethnicity. Close to 90% of the Garo and nearly 80% of the Khasi are Christian, while more than 97% of the Hajong, 98.53% of the Koch are Hindu.

Out of the 689,639 Garo living in Meghalaya, only 49,917 follow their original religion (Songsarek) as of 2001 Census (down from 90,456 in 1991). 9,129 of the Garo were Hindu (Up from 2,707 in 1991) and 999 were Budhist (Up from 109 in 1991). There were also 8,980 Muslims.

A number of minor tribes live in Meghalaya, including Hajong (31,381 – 97.23% Hindu), Koch (21,381 – 98.53% Hindu), Synteng (18,342 – 80% Christian), Rabha (28,153 – 94.60% Hindu), Mikir (11,399 – 52% Christian and 30% Hindu), and Kuki-Chin (10,085 – 73% Christian and 26% Hindu).

Culture & Society : The main tribes in Meghalaya are the Khasis, the Garos, and the Jaintias.

One of the unique features of the state is that a majority of the tribal population in Meghalaya follows a matrilineal system where lineage and inheritance are traced through women. The Khasi and Jaintia tribesmen follow the traditional matrilineal norm, wherein the "Khun Khadduh" (or the youngest daughter) inherits all the property and acts as the caretaker of aged parents and any unmarried siblings.

In the Garo lineage system, the youngest daughter inherits the family property by default, unless another daughter is so named by the parents. She then becomes designated as 'nokna' meaning 'for the house or home'. If there are no , a chosen daughter-in-law (bohari) or an adopted child (deragata) comes to stay in the house and inherit the property. The tribal people of Meghalaya are a part of what may be the world's largest surviving matrilineal culture.

Spirituality

According to legend, from the 13th century, a Shivalinga (called "Hatakeswarat") has existed in the Jaintia Hills under the reign of Ranee Singa. Several members of the Jaintia tribe even participate in the Hindu festival of Shivratri (Night of Lord Shiva).

Cuisine : Meghalayan cuisine is the local cuisine of the Indian state

of Meghalaya. Meghalaya is also one of theseven sisters and home of three Mongoloid tribes, has a unique cuisine of its own, different from other states in the north east of India. The staple food of the people is rice with spicy meat and fish preparations. They rear goats, pigs, fowl, ducks and cows and relish their meat.

The popular dishes of Khasis and Jaintia are Jadoh, Ki Kpu, Tung-rymbai,and pickled bamboo shoots, whereas for Garos they eat almost any animals besides domesticated, but in day to day life they usually have a simple foods such as rice with kapa(cook with special ingredient called karchi which is made up of filtered ash water), kapa can be of different kinds such as with various kind of meats, vegetables,etc.

Climate :

Cherrapunji

With average annual rainfall as high as 1200 cm in some areas, Meghalaya is the wettest place on earth. The western part of the plateau, comprising the Garo Hills Region with lower elevations, experiences high temperatures for most of the year. The Shillong area, with the highest elevations, experiences generally low temperatures. The maximum temperature in this region rarely goes beyond 28 °C (82 °F), whereas sub-zero winter temperatures are common.

The town of Cherrapunji in the Khasi Hills south of capital Shillong holds the world record for most rain in a calendar month, while the village of Mawsynram, near the town of Cherrapunji, holds the record for the most rain in a year. The best time to visit Meghalaya is during the months of March to July

Crops :

The state is also a horticultural State and produces substantial quantities of oranges, pineapples, peaches, pears, plums, guavas and bananas.

Marketable Surplus Horticultural Crops in Meghalaya

are given hereunder :

Flora n fauna : As per the State of Forest Report 2003, published by the Forest Survey

of India, Meghalaya has a forest cover of 9,496 km2, which is 42.34% of the total geographical area of the state. The Meghalayan subtropical forests are considered to be among the richest botanical habitats of Asia. These forests receive abundant rainfall and support a vast variety of floral and faunal biodiversity.

A small portion of the forest area in Meghalaya is under what is known

as “sacred groves” (see Sacred groves of India). These are small pockets of ancient forest that have been preserved by the communities for hundreds of years due to religious and cultural beliefs. These forests are reserved for religious rituals and generally remain protected from any exploitation. These sacred groves harbour many rare plant and animal species.

In addition, Meghalaya has three wildlife sanctuaries. These are the Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, the Siju Sanctuary and the Bhagmara Sanctuary, which is also the home of the insect eating pitcher plant Nepenthes 

Meghalaya also has a large variety of mammals, birds, reptiles and insects.The important mammal species include elephants, bear, civets, mongooses, weasels, rodents, gaur, wild buffalo, deer, wild boar and a number of primates. Meghalaya also has a large variety of bats. The limestone caves in Meghalaya such as the Siju Cave are home to some of the nation's rarest bat species. There is an interesting population of red pandas in Garo Hills.

Prominent bird species in Meghalaya include the Magpie-Robin, the Red-vented Bulbul, the Hill Myna is usually found in pairs or in flocks in the hill forests of Meghalaya, the Large Pied Hornbill and the Great Indian Hornbill, which is the largest bird in Meghalaya. Other birds include the Peacock Pheasant, theLarge Indian Parakeet, the Common Green Pigeon and the Blue Jay.Meghalaya is also home to over 250 species of butterflies.

Common reptiles in Meghalaya are lizards, crocodiles and tortoises. Meghalaya also has a number of snakes including the python, Copperhead, Green Tree Racer, Indian Cobra, King Cobra, Coral Snake and Vipers.

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