Welcome to Mawlynnong or 'God's Own Garden' reads a simple metal board on the edge of a curve as we drive along the serpentine roads of East Khasi hills. All along the way, tall trees standing guard on the side, the odour of earth in the breeze, the serene silence, and emerald green pastures fringed by pine trees seemed so apt as an introduction to Mawlynnong, billed as the Asia's cleanest village.
On Jake's instructions (who I met on way from Guwahati to Shillong), I boarded the Tata Sumo at Shillong's Bara Bazaar market, packed with a bunch of smiley khasis who immediately took me under their collective wing. A ride of about two hours with a midway halt for tea and kwai (Meghalaya's betel leaf) at Pynursla village brought us to a place that looked like a picture of a garden in some fantastic fairyland.
Mawlynnong resembles a painter's canvas, splashed with a bounty of colours, lives and elements. For a city slicker like me, who yearns to see a clear skyline and is always engaged in a desperate search of nature's green basket, Mawlynnong is a gift. Cobbled streets bordered by manicured lawns and gardens leading up to typical khasi bamboo stilt houses with riotous flowers blooming in the gardens, bamboo dustbins never too far to reach, the soothing ambience of photogenic green, and curious faces breaking into hospitable smiles as they pose for photographs and occasionally yelling out 'good morning' cheer the heart of any itinerant. Add to it the delight of living in a tree house.
First on my list in Mawlynnong was to get a sky view, which was gratified by standing on a viewing floor built on the branches of the highest tree in the village. No nails have been used in the construction of this 60-feet-high platform. The sky looks down on the canopy of Meghalaya's forests seguing into the plains of Bangladesh. The platform has been constructed by building a bamboo bridge that connects five trees. It slopes upwards; all the bridges and even the ladders are all made of bamboo fibres. And as you ascend the precarious bridges and ladders to reach the platform, adrenaline sets in. Above the trees, overlooking the borders of two countries meeting, while standing on a platform that seems like a seated Aladdin's carpet is surreal.
A 15-minute walk away downward along the stream is another marvel, the living root bridges-a feat of bio-engineering where organic bridges were built by locals by intertwining the roots of fig trees, which would not deteriorate with time but will only grow stronger. A stone path from the Riwai village, with dense growth of foliage on either side, looking like a perfect set of Sleepy Hollow, leads you to these bridges. The path is called the King's Way and helped the villagers to maintain trade relations. With its sinuous turns and sharp inclines, it's quite a walk to remember.
I was told that in the monsoons, the river used to become full of fury and crossing it even for trade was impossible. To build a bridge, secondary roots from the hollow tree trunks were extended to reach the other side. Once they became entrenched, they were interwoven and then supported by vines and handnails. Some root bridges are hundreds of years old, and with their twisted tentacles, now filled with concrete rocks to look like a constructed bridge, they are nature's objets d'art.
From there, back to Mawlynnong for tea and ,conversation and maybe some more Kodak moments. This time I did gather some strength to try the kwai. Over tea, I expressed my wish to learn the story of this small village which has carved a niche for itself on the globetrotter's map. The village follows a zero-litter policy. Heavy fines are imposed on anyone littering or destroying forests. Children are taught from a very early age the value of cleanliness and conservation. But it isn't just these which makes it Asia's cleanest village-clean cobbled roads leading to every home, an eco-friendly lifestyle with rain-water harvesting and effective waste disposal have made the impossible-sounding feat possible.
Following the tradition of living local, I had lunch in a homestay. Walking down Mawlynnong's roads, looking at the quaint thatched houses, waving to the hospitable, enterprising locals, inspiration was in the air.
So when people ask, "What's so interesting about it, it's just another village, although clean?" I reply, "Go there and you will start living life differently."
Fact file
Mawlynnong is 90 km from Shillong, Meghalaya. You can take a shared taxi or mini-bus from Bara Bazaar, Shillong, or reserve a taxi from Police Bazaar for around Rs 2,000.
Stay: Mawlynnong has three homestays and the rates are negotiable. You can also book a treehouse. More than 20-feet-high, overlooking a waterfall and a placid lake, it is a dream stay. The treehouse has two bedrooms, a living room and a machan-a comfortable sitout option to enjoy a windy evening and clear, starry night listening to birds, cicadas, the babbling streams or simply the wind rustling in the leaves above. A treehouse will cost Rs 2,000 a day.
Food: Eat local. In Mawlunnong itself, there are many small places to fill you up with. Chicken laden with local herbs and spices is a must-try for non-vegetarians. The cha (tea) sans laut is a speciality.
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