Cherrapunjee – Meghalaya

Cherrapunjee is hill-station in the North East Indian state of Meghalaya. Located at an altitude of 1430 meter, Cherrapunjee is famous for having very high rainfall. The nearby village of Mawsynram (Arial distance about 15 km) has recorded the highest rainfall in the world. The Bangladesh Border and the plains of Bangladesh are quite close from here. Cherrapunjee is surrounded by beautiful valleys and hills which attract many tourists from India and abroad.

The place is locally known as ‘Sohra’ – a subdivision town in the East Khasi Hill District. The British mispronounced the word Sohra as Cherra and the Bengali word Punjee, meaning a cluster, got added to the name later. In 2007, the state government, on the request of the locals, removed the name Cherrapunjee and reinstated the original name of Sohra. However, in tourist parlance, Cherrapunjee continues to remain the name of the place.

For anyone who loves the monsoon rain, Cherrapunjee is the ideal place to visit. The beauty of this place lies in its almost mythical mystic nature throughout the year. There are waterfalls, caves and living roots bridges in the nearby area.

People

The total population of the town is about 15,000 according to the 2011 census. The majority of the population are Khasi, though there are other communities as well. It is the homeland of the Khasi tribal community.

Weather

Winter and Monsoon are the dominan