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TOURISM
The Goose of the Golden Egg
Meghalaya is known to be always in a financial crunch, desperately struggling to make the two ends meet. Yet being a small state in the back waters of North eastern India, it has certain unique potentials to boost up revenue in a very substantial manner. It is Mother Earth itself which has blessed the land with a vast green wealth of Nature. Meghalaya has a vast plain area bordering Bangladesh in the south, the greenery of the paddy fields and other cultivation, the abundance of fruit bearing trees like the papaya, jack fruit and commercial trees like rubber and also other forest products like bay leaves, black pepper, pine apples and miles of orange gardens.
These plain areas of Meghalaya are intersected with rivers, having a background of folklore and folk tales which are also a source of fish production. These therefore are potentials that should attract tourists to visit the vast plains of Meghalaya. Also in the northern side of the state, gentle undulating hills slope down to the plain areas adjoining Assam and the Brahmaputra valley, having distinctive natural features. Most people, especially the women folk are engaged in weaving and spinning the famous eri and muga silk, which are very exclusive. The tourist should come not only to visit the mulberry tree gardens where silk worms are reared but also to choose and pick the many varieties of silk garments that have found their way in many markets of the region, the country and the world.
Over and above the plain areas of the state have a cultural identity in the way of life, specially the food habits, different from other parts of the state. It is for the tourists to taste the wide range of food, from the different variety of rice grown in the plain areas in the form of rice cakes, the dishes from the bamboo plants, and other natural vegetables which form the eating habits of the people of these areas. A very high quality of rice beer, known as “Kyiad Sadhiar”, is a popular drink among the people, which have a cooling effect specially in the hot summer season. The many rivers and streams also offer the tourists to while away and spend their time fishing, which is a favourite past time.
Tourism should therefore mean a participating experience and an encounter with the grass root level people. This should be thrilling specially during the festivals, which takes place in each season.
Agriculture being the dominant occupation of the people, the festive mood rises in tempo during the sowing season and also during harvesting of paddy, rice being the staple food of the people of the state. It is from times immemorial that the scenic beauty blends with the sound and echo of drums and pipes and with music from the ‘Tangmuri’ which is considered to be the queen of musical instruments of the Khasis. It is in such festivals , that the history, culture and the matrilineal social system, finds exposition in the varied foms of dance and music, the people attired in their ceremonial dress, which are woven by them in intricate patterns.
(U Sumar Sing Sawian)
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