For the love of Nature…

Incredible India! These two words are often found in newspapers or on notebook covers. Yes, our country is, indeed, a Nature’s haven. We have many Nature lovers across the world. Many of us are fans of the Discovery Channel, especially the Man vs. Wild programme. Though I don’t intend to become a journalist or an adventurer or an author, I have a little desire in my heart to enjoy these professions as side jobs. Being a Nature lover, I get jealous of Grizzly bears, for they are always enjoying Nature! Nature has always helped me compose verses, good or bad. My main aim of writing this article is to take a trip into Nature through my words.

Where do we get to see lush greenery in the midst of our busy city lives? When do we get the time to spend with Nature? For students like us, it’s difficult to take out any time for Nature. But a few days ago, I got the golden opportunity to visit Dawki, arranged, of course, by my parents. I am a Geography student, yet I wasn’t really aware of Dawki and its surroundings. Dawki is a town in the Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya. It is on the India-Bangladesh border. Dawki- Tamabil is one of the few road border crossings between India and Bangladesh. Shillong is the nearest city to Dawki. It is 70 kms. away from Shillong.

After crossing Shillong, there were green hills on all sides, as long as my eyes could see, except for the gravel road on which the vehicle was moving. Only the green hills and the blue sky, that’s it! It seemed as if Nature had hugged me and I was sleeping in her arms.

The road went on and then finally we took a right turn through the Dawki Bridge. It is a suspension bridge over the Umngot River. It was constructed in the 1930s by the British. After crossing the bridge, there were hundreds of betel nut trees on both sides of the road. Finally there came the India-Bangladesh border – Dawki. And as always, the Indian Army jawans were there.

The Umngot River made me think if that river really belonged to India. It is a hidden paradise. Under the clear blue water we could see the rocks and boulders. Boating on the Umngot is really great. I felt as if I was sailing on a boat in the waters of Corsica, France. There were big boulders on both sides of the river. The shadow of the boat fell on the blue water. And when I ran my fingers through the water, I felt as if I had touched something cool, amazing and very fresh.

By the way, do you know which is the cleanest village in Asia? Okay, let me tell you. It’s the Mawlynnong Village, located in the East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, also referred to as ‘God’s own garden’. It won the honour of being ‘the cleanest village in Asia’ in 2003. This village is located around 90 kms. from Shillong. Cleanliness is an age-old tradition and a way of life for the villagers of Mawlynnong. These villagers live a simple life. They speak English and Khasi. Over 20 thousand rupees was spent on constructing the footpath of the village. Various kinds of flowers, trees, shrubs, hedges and orchids dangling from the trees add beauty to the village. Ladies sit in the shops and sell various bamboo items and Khasi dolls. It seemed as if someone had sketched a village scene and painted it with bright colours. Cleaning the roads, picking up leaves and throwing all garbage into the bamboo bins is a common duty for all the villagers.

Riwai is a neighbouring village of Mawlynnong. Here, you can find a living root bridge developed by the roots of a banyan tree. A trek to the living root bridge is quite hard. We had to walk two kilometres from the Riwai village, through ups and downs. A waterfall cascades below the bridge. I heard the music of Nature when I walked on the rocks, amidst the flowing waters. I felt as if I was in the hands of Nature as the cool water washed my feet. I sat on the rocks and ran my hands through the water. I felt fresh instantly, and as I revelled in the surroundings, it felt as if I was enjoying a movie named Nature.

These are certain places which richly deserve to be visited. It is a hidden treasure of our Incredible NorthEast.