Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Shillong – Scotland of East India (Part – II)

North East
1. Shillong - Part I
2. Shillong - Part - II
3. Cherrapunjee
4. Guwahati 


Day -3  (Shillong)

Today we planned to visit some places which were just at the heart of shillong so that by lunch we could come back home for lunch and then go out for shoppingin evening. The main Shopping areas in shillong are Bara Bazar & Police Bazar. From Tourist point of view I liked Police Bazar. Don’t forget to eat Jalebi from Delhi Mishthan Bandhar as they are really delicious.

SHILLONG




Lady Hydari Park The Lady Hydari Park is just a km away from the Ward Lake. This park is designed like a Japanese garden where you will see the pine native to the area – Pinus Khasiana. It is well laid out with its Mini Zoo.

Lady Hydari Park-out side forest museum
Lady Hydari Park-out side forest museum
Lady Hydari Park - Forest Museum
Lady Hydari Park - Forest Museum
Lady Hydari Park
Lady Hydari Park
Lady Hydari Park
Lady Hydari Park
Crinoline Falls

The Crinoline Waterfalls has a swimming pool surrounded by the orchids, potted Bonsais and a rock pool with reeds and water lilies. It is just a walkable distance from lady Hydari park.

Crinoline Falls
Crinoline Falls
treking - Crinoline Falls
treking - Crinoline Falls
Butterfly Museum (Entomological Museum )

The Butterfly Museum is at Wankhar and Co, Riatsamthiahopen who have started breeding butterflies as a conservation measure and for their commercial use. They have a good display of mounted butterflies and beetles from India and abroad.

Butterfly Museum    (Entomological Museum )
Butterfly Museum (Entomological Museum )
Ward’s Lake

The beautiful lake located in the heart of the city, known as the Ward`s Lake was built in the memory of Sir William Ward. The horse shoe – shaped Ward Lake has pleasant boulevard paths around it, paddle boats for hire and a café. There are a large number of fishes in the lake and feeding them from the bridge is a favorite activity done by the people of all age groups.
Wards Lake
Wards Lake
Don Bosco Museum

Don Bosco Museum of Indigenous Cultures at DBCIC (Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures) is Asia’s largest Museum of Indigenous Cultures of its kind. In it the visitor can have an overview of the whole of North East India. Rising into Shillong’s skyline the Museum is a seven storey building with 14 well laid out Galleries of international standard containing artefacts, paintings, fibreglass figures – all a feast to the eyes and a source of knowledge. The topmost Gallery is where the visitors can relax and enjoy some of the rare dances of the North East.

The seven-floor Museum offers the visitor an unforgettable experience of the Northeast by means of over 14 aesthetically pleasing and informative galleries.The Detail of the gallery is given below:-

1. Pre-History Gallery
The Prehistory gallery explains the history of Man’s gradual evolution as expounded by a Physical Anthropologist.

2. Basketry GalleryThe village set-up so realistic of this gallery takes the visitor to the remotest corners of the Northeast.

3. Land and Peoples Gallery
This gallery provides a beautiful overview of the places and peoples of the Northeast: 32 large size photographs in colour, 26 in lack and white and 18 lifesize fiberglass figures and 60 busts are an exciting presentation.

4. Musical Instruments Gallery
Here the eyes can feast on traditional musical instruments. If they come alive, they will mesmerize every visitor with their melodious music.

5. Fishing, Hunting and Gathering Gallery
The varieties of baskets used in fishing and the implements used in hunting and the types of containers used during harvesting are indeed astonishing.

6. Weapons GalleryWeapons too are part of culture. Traditional weapons may not be used now-a days. But the gallery preserves them to recall the past and to remind us how people struggled to protect themselves and their dear ones.

7. Agricultural Gallery
This gallery illustrates various agricultural practices by means of three beautiful dioramas. A 255 year-old mighty tree in the middle of this gallery is indeed an attraction.

8. Traditional Technology Gallery
The dioramas displaying pottery, wine-making, basket-making, blacksmithy, goldsmithy, weaving, wood-carving, leather works and cane-making provide a quick tour of the Northeast with appropriate explanations.

9. Costumes and Ornaments Gallery
This is another feast to the eyes. The display of traditional ornaments, shawls and colourful tribal costumes literally take the visitor to the farthest areas of the Northeast.

10. Housing Pattern Gallery
This gallery provides a glimpse of the socio-economic situation of the people of N.E. India, including Sikkim.

11. Art GalleryThis gallery displays all the eight States by means of their ancient i artifacts and paintings.

12. Photo Galleryit houses a large number of rare photos from the Northeast depicting the cultural life of the people almost a century ago.

13. Religion and Culture GalleryHere twelve iarge panels guide the visitor through the major reiigious beliefs and cultures of the world.

14. Media and Culture GalleryIn this gallery one can sit back and enjoy some of the excellent dances of the Northeast. It is like going to all the States of the Northeast relaxing at DBCIC!

Timing of Museum

Summer : 09:30-17:30 Hrs (Sunday : 13:30-17:30 Hrs) Winter : 09:30-16:30 Hrs (Sunday ; 13:30-16:30 Hrs)

Don Bosco Museum -Reception
Don Bosco Museum -Reception
Don Bosco Museum
Don Bosco Museum 
Enterance - Don Bosco Museum
Enterance - Don Bosco Museum 
Don Bosco church
Don Bosco church
Don Bosco church
Don Bosco church

After visiting the Don Bosco Museum we went back home, had our lunch & after some rest we left for Shopping. We purchased some souvenirs from police Bazar. We found them quite reasonable.

Day- 4  (Shillong)

Golf Club

The Golf Club has an 18 hole golf course where competitions are held and a Polo ground, restaurant and bar. The course has a reputation of being the wettest but one of the most beautiful in the world. The club was founded in 1898. The course initiated as a 9 (nine) hole course in 1898 was later converted into a full fledged 18 hole course by Capt Jackson in 1924.

Golf Club

Golf Club

Golf Club

Sweet Falls

The sweet falls are sited at a distance of about eight kms from Shillong. The fall is known for its simple though beautiful elegance. The water falling from the fall resembles a straight pencil of water flowing out from a huge water pipe. The water drops at a vertical distance more than 200 feet.

Sweet Falls
Road to Sweet Fall
Road to Sweet Fall

We were taken for the lunch in newly constructed Army officer Mess by our relatives with whom we were staying. I have been to many Army officers mess but never seen such a attractive mess. The VIP rooms of the mess were similar to any 5 star hotel. I heard that Garhwal Rifles’s – Lansdowne mess is one of the best mess in India but I could not visit there during my visit to Lansdowne in May 2009 as the advance permission is required to visit the mess.

Army Officer Mess - Three Tribles Guarding Mess
Army Officer Mess - Three Tribles Guarding Mess

Enterance - Officer's Mess
Enterance - Officer's Mess
enjoying Huka in Mess
enjoying Huka in Mess
Army Officer Mess
Army Officer Mess
view from Officer Mess
view from Officer Mess
View from Officer Mess
View from Officer Mess
Army officer mess - dinning room
Army officer mess - dinning room

After having our lunch we left for Air Force museum.

Air force Museum – This museum is situated enroute to Cherrapunji just 8 kms from the city. One can go through the history of Indian Air Force.

Air Force Museum


Air Force Museum

6 comments :

  1. Very informative and well captured... I was there back in 2005 and had stayed with a friend in the cantonment. Looking at the pics it seems like nothing has changed since then.

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    1. Thanks for going through the post and leaving comment.

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  2. Very informative and well captured... I was there back in 2005 and had stayed with a friend in the cantonment. Looking at the pics it seems like nothing has changed since then... beautiful place.

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  3. Shillong is a beautiful place. Been there. Unforunately lost my pics of that trip when my comp's HD crashed...
    Thanks for sharing! You reminded me of my nice memories there! Thankfully those will never crash! :)

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    Replies
    1. Glad to know that my post refreshed your beautiful memories :-)

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