Shillong

Shillong is the capital of Meghalaya, a hill city at about 1,500 m on the Shillong plateau in the Khasi Hills of Northeast India. Shillong was the capital of the British province of Assam from 1874, and it remained the capital of Assam until Meghalaya became a separate state in 1972. Its rolling pine-covered hills and cool climate earned it the old nickname Scotland of the East.

Shillong grew up around British cantonments and civil lines, with bungalows, churches and a golf course, but it is also the heart of Khasi culture, a matrilineal society in which family property passes through the youngest daughter. Most people in the city are Christian, and churches and choirs are part of daily life. Shillong has long been called the rock music capital of India, with many bands and a devoted following for live music. Today it is the base for exploring the waterfalls and root bridges of Sohra and the rest of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills.

What to see

• Shillong Peak, at about 1,965 m, for views over the city
• Elephant Falls, a series of cascades on the edge of town
• Ward's Lake, a colonial-era garden lake near the city centre
• The Don Bosco Museum, with seven floors on Northeast Indian cultures
• The Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians and Iewduh (Bara Bazar), a large traditional Khasi market
• Umiam Lake, a reservoir about 15 km north on the Guwahati road

What to wear

Shillong is cool all year, with cold winter nights from December to February. Bring a sweater or light jacket, even in summer, and a rain jacket from May to September, when the rains are heavy. Comfortable walking shoes suit the hilly lanes. Churches expect modest dress. Khasi women wear the jainsem, a long draped dress pinned at the shoulders, often with a checked shawl called a tapmohkhlieh.

Local food to try

Try jadoh (rice cooked with pork), dohneiiong (pork with black sesame), tungrymbai (fermented soybean) and pumaloi, a steamed rice cake, at Khasi eateries around Police Bazar and Laitumkhrah. Street stalls sell momos and roasted corn, and Shillong's cafes are known for coffee, cakes and live music. Vegetarian and halal food are both available in Police Bazar.

Good to know

• Best time: October to May; March to April brings cherry blossom
• Open all the time; attractions keep daytime hours
• Individual sights such as Elephant Falls and the Don Bosco Museum charge small fees
• Allow two to three days to include a day trip to Sohra
• About 100 km from Guwahati, around three hours by road; Shillong airport at Umroi is about 30 km
• Shillong Peak lies within an air force area, so carry ID; traffic in the city centre can be very slow

Nearby places

Shillong is the base for day trips to the living root bridges near Sohra and to the clear Umngot river at Dawki, about 80 km south. Guwahati, with Kamakhya Temple, is about three hours north, and many trips continue to Kaziranga National Park.