Located about 25 km from Shillong, the quaint village of Mawphlang is in the East Khasi Hills district of the state of Meghalaya.
Etymology of Mawphlang
Derived from the Khasi word, "maw" meaning stone and together with "phlang", the word Mawphlang means grassy stone
History of Mawphlang
During the 1890s, Mawphlang used to be a centre of Presbyterian Church of Wales missionary and medical activity in the Khasi Hills. A dispensary and then a clinic were established in 1878 by Dr Griffith Griffiths of Brynmawr, who died at Mawphlang. Once a princely state under the British Empire, Mawphlang came under the dominion of India after the country"s independence on 15th August, 1947.
Tourism in Mawphlang
The village of Mawphlang is one of the famous sites for one of Khasi Hills" sacred groves. These sacred groves are closely linked to the indigenous culture and religious beliefs of the natives of the region. The most sacred among these is the Mawphlang Sacred Forest, which spreads over an area of about 192 acres.
Preserved for over a thousand years by the local Khasi tribes, the forest is believed to be the abode of the local deity, called "Labasa". According to the local tribal community, it is believed that Labasa in the form of leopard or tiger protects the forest and their community from any mishap. To appease the local deity, the villagers make animal sacrifices in the stone temples located within the forest. These sacred groves in the village of Mawphlang attract tourists and facilitate tourism in the East Khasi Hills district.
Visiting Information on Mawphlang
The nearest railway station is at Guwahati at a distance of almost 117 km and the Shillong Airport is the closest at a distance of about 52 km from the village of Mawphlang.
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