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Published: April 30th 2016
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Memories… I have always been grateful to the place where I have born & brought up. It was the north-east part of Bangladesh. I was really lucky to have such a nice landscape & hilly views at the early stage of my life which was like a treasure of my childhood. However, the most important reason for liking this place is the stunning view of the Mountains of Meghalaya which is a state located in north-east India. And If I have any soft corner deep inside for mountains then it’s because of Meghalaya (the adobe of clouds). Still I can remember, when I was young, in every lazy afternoon after coming back from school, I used to stand in front of my window for a long just to watch that huge, bluish, cloudy mountain. It was a mystery to me. I had a feeling that its calling me from far away and I have to go someday. That’s one of my sweetest memories of my childhood, still I cherish those time and wasn’t able to come out from that ever.
Dreams come true! May be I was in class 6 when I had the opportunity to see that
Mountain from a closer distance, which was possible for one of my teacher. Apart from my schooling I had a house tutor who taught me religious studies. Human psychology is really interesting! Though I didn’t enjoy my study with him but when I came to know that his village is closer to the Meghalaya then all of a sudden I started liking him. Felt, how lucky he is! I wish I could… However, finally, one day a 13 years old boy started walking with his teacher to that destination. It was terrific! Tiring & exhausting! I had to walk around 13km to reach that village. May be, it was possible due to my enthusiasm. First time in my life I realize how someone can feel when any dreams came true! It was so hypnotic for me! My teacher's house was just half kilometer from Indian border & the distance of Meghalaya was about 1km. what an excitement! Few things can remember clearly. Every morning I loved to cross the border, standing at the no-man’s-land area was a great fun, played with the water of hilly rivers, visited some ethnic villages & still can recall their cordial reception & hospitality. Later,
I have visited twice but my first experience was simply incomparable to any trip.
“Mountains are calling and I must go” Yes, finally in the last year I had a chance to explore Meghalaya properly that wasn’t possible through my previous trips. Unfortunately, I was passing a terrible moment in order to my family & especially for my mother’s sickness during that time. I had to face huge hassle & mental pressure regarding all these. i was just exhausted. Then after every formalities of hospital when I got back home with my mother and settled down a bit then decided I need a break, have to go somewhere. Then the only place I could think of visiting & that is Meghalaya.
Finally started my journey. Went to my childhood place again & then entered the Meghalya region through the north-east border of Bangladesh. It took about an hour to finish all the formalities by the border protection unit, was feeling like a bird after all these. The place was Dawki bazaar from where I have hired my car to go to Shillong, capital of Meghalya. It was about 3 hours distance from Dawki bazaar. Simply amazing feeling
it was when I first entered the Meghalaya. Everything started changing so quickly, suddenly I was feeling a soft cold wind is blowing over me! Magical clouds are coming & disappearing within a minute. It seems, going somewhere through the clouds. On the way to Shillong, I have visited some exciting places of Cherrapunji (the rainiest place on planet earth). “Nohkalikai falls” was one of them. Some other places are Mawkdok Dympep Valley, Seven Sisters Falls etc but unfortunately I couldn’t manage to visit double Decker living Root Bridge, which is a must visiting place in Cherrapunji.
Shillong is a small typical city, nothing exciting. Police bazzar is the main point of Shillog and crowds are everywhere. In Shillong, my first point of interest was Tagors (bengali nobel laureate) lodge. The poet laureate visited Shillong thrice and he had penned some of his most important works, such as novel ‘Yogayug’ and poems ‘Susamay’ and ‘Debdaru’. Also he composed one of his famous novel ‘Shesher Kobita’ (the last poem) and ‘Raktakarabi’ as well. I used to read his writing from the younger stage of my life & he was the person who's life & writing inspired me to think differently.
However, I would like quite one of his poem from ‘Gitanjali’ for which he received the Noble Prize in Literature in 1913.
“WHERE the mind is without fear and the head is held high; Where knowledge is free; Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls; Where words come out from the depth of truth; Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection; Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit; Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action ⎯ Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.” After that, traveled around Shillong city, went to the Shillong view point from where someone can have a look the panorama view of Shillong, which is really amazing. Went to see the Elephant falls and then Umium Lake. I loved the serene beauty of Umium lake, spent some quiet time over there before I leave Meghalaya. It was quite unplanned trip, after visiting Shillong all of a sudden i
have changed my mind then went to Assam, will tell about that part someday. Anyway, took hundreds of pictures during that trip but my camera wasn’t able to capture the most beautiful one which I captured through my eyes. Finally, leaved the dreamy childhood place with so many good memories.
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Dancing Dave
David Hooper
Kingdom of Cloud
Lovely story of your attachment to Meghalaya, Arif and memories of your childhood in the Kingdom of Cloud. Makes me wonder if any issues ever arose with you traveling back and forth across the border considering you were brought up in Bangladesh so close to the border with India.