The wettest place in the world. Your class 8 text book says so. All the trivia books say so. And when you land in Cherrapunji, you’ll actually
feel so.
The locals, contrary to all expectations, call it Sohra. The story goes that the British officers corrupted ‘Sohra’ to ‘Churra’ and finally we got Cherrapunji. Nomenclature aside, Cherrapunji/Sohra is the land of mist, rolling hills and green rain. Green because the whole countryside looks freshly washed and pulsing with the sap of life.
Cherrapunji receives the highest rainfall in the world. It also holds two Guinness Book World Records – for receiving the highest rainfall in a year (904.9 inches) and for receiving the highest rainfall in a month (366.14 inches).
+ more about CherrapunjeeThe wettest place in the world. Your class 8 text book says so. All the trivia books say so. And when you land in Cherrapunji, you’ll actually
feel so.
The locals, contrary to all expectations, call it Sohra. The story goes that the British officers corrupted ‘Sohra’ to ‘Churra’ and finally we got Cherrapunji. Nomenclature aside, Cherrapunji/Sohra is the land of mist, rolling hills and green rain. Green because the whole countryside looks freshly washed and pulsing with the sap of life.
Cherrapunji receives the highest rainfall in the world. It also holds two Guinness Book World Records – for receiving the highest rainfall in a year (904.9 inches) and for receiving the highest rainfall in a month (366.14 inches).
Record-breaking rainfall aside, Cherrapunji has a lot to offer to the adventurous visitor. First is the beautiful drive from Shillong to Cherrapunji. The ideal way to enjoy it is on a bike. You’ll pass by tiny villages and picturesque cottages on the ‘highway’. It is only when you see for yourself the gentle, rolling hills and wide valleys beneath do you realize why this area is called the Scotland of the East.
Cherrapunji is perched high up in the natural plateaus of the East Khasi Hills. The massive rainfall has reduced the mountain tops to sand and the plateau has come to resemble a wet moonscape. Once the monsoon sets in, these sheer cliffs give birth to torrential waterfalls. The aptly named Spread Eagle Falls are a majestic sight during the rains. Nohkalikai Falls counts amongst the tallest waterfalls in India.
Other sightseeing options in Cherrapunji include the limestone stalactite & stalagmite filled caves at Mawsmai village. It also has the 4th highest waterfall in India, the Mawsmai Falls. Strewn along the road to town and near the limestone caves are the mysterious Khasi stone monoliths. The spiritually inclined can visit the Ramakrishna Mission while the British Cemetery is a relic from the Raj-era.
A small town, life is centered around the Main Bazaar in Cherrapunji. Not frequented as much as nearby Shillong, Sohra is nonetheless an ideal day trip out of the capital city.
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