Meghalaya the Abode of Clouds

Meghalaya is a North-Eastern state in India. Meghalaya means the abode of clouds. This place is endowed with incredibly beautiful valleys, hills, tranquil streams, green pasture lands and groups of clouds floating in the sky. Meghalaya enjoys a temperate climate. The skies are cloudy most of the times. Tis beautiful land shares borders with the three Indian states of Tripura, Assam and West Bengal. It also shares an international border with Bangladesh. Shillong the capital of Meghalaya lies a hundred kilometres away from Guwahati in Assam. It is difficult to get a direct train from Guwahati to Chirapunji. The traveller must change his train from Shillong. There are buses and share taxis that ply from Guwahati to Chirapunji from the Guwahati stand. A shared ride in the Tata Sumo taxi will cos you about Rs.170. It would take around 3 hours to reach your destination. Moreover, you cannot stop wherever you wish to enjoy the sights or take pictures.
Meghalaya has a similar climate to Kerala except during winter. This is one of the reasons why the agricultural crops grown in these two states are similar. On the way to Shillong, there are a few view-points which you must not miss. Umiam Lake is a reservoir located in the hills 15 km before you reach Shillong. The lake is locally known as Barapani Lake. It was created by building a dam across the Umiam river in the early 1960s. The lake is spread over an area of 220 square kilometres. This water reservoir is one of the major tourist attractions in Meghalaya. This spot is famous for its water and adventure sports. The most popular entertainments here are water cycling, Kayaking and boating. Other than storing water for hydro-electric power generation, this lake provides water for irrigation, fishing and drinking purposes for the low-lying areas in Meghalaya. This is a beautiful place, calm and serene with no rush or noise to disturb the visitors.
Cherrapunji was earlier credited to be the land with the highest rainfall. But now due to the natural calamities here, another place in Meghalaya, Mawsynram holds the credit for the same. Cherrapunji is a small beautiful village which lies 50km away from Shillong. Though there are not interesting sights here, it is the place which receives the maximum rainfall in a single month. Mawsynram, the village next to Cherrapunji holds the record for maximum rainfall in a year. Cherrapunji is known for its fog and clouds. Visitors here love to take a walk in the cold fog covered green pastures. Since the place enjoys heavy rainfall, it is a common sight to see the water rushing down from the hills as waterfalls. Nohkalikai, tallest plunge waterfall in India is situated in Cherrapunji.