M’laya’s beauty mesmerises Modi

PM tries his hand at Ka Bom

SHILLONG: The   mesmerizing beauty and rich culture of  Meghalaya   has   definitely   impressed  Prime Minister Narendra Modi  when he  visited Khasi Heritage Village on Saturday to get a firsthand knowledge about the rich cultural and traditional heritage of the Khasi-Jaintia tribe.
Modi also tried his hand in beating Khasi traditional drum — Ka Bom — before winding up his two-day visit to Meghalaya.
Braving an inclement weather, Modi  went ahead  with his scheduled sightseeing   plans to the famous tourist spots in and around the city.
Before going to Mawphlang village, adjacent to the sacred groves, the Prime Minister visited the Elephant Falls, one of the major tourist destinations in Shillong.
The Prime Minister, who first went to  Matilang Park, spent a good time  at the tourist spot  and clicked pictures there.
Meghalaya Governor  V Shanmuganathan,  Union DoNER Minister Jitendra Singh, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma,   Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Zenith Sangma accompanied the Prime Minister.
“Scenic Elephant Falls… When you go to Meghalaya,  this has to be  on your  must visit list,” Modi later tweeted .
From Elephant Falls, Modi headed towards the Khasi Heritage Village at Mawphlang  and spent nearly 45 minutes there.
At the Khasi Heritage Village, Modi, who scripted history by becoming the first prime minister to visit Mawphlang, interacted with young men and women who were in traditional attire with instruments to showcase the cultural fabric of the tribal Khasi and Jaintia.
Besides beating the traditional drums, Modi also visited huts representing the traditional Khasi states and spent some time looking at the blacksmiths who were showcasing their traditional artistic skills.
The Prime Minister also tweeted pictures and videos of his visit to the heritage village in Twitter
“At Mawphlang village, saw parts of the spectacular culture of Meghalaya. The colour and the vibrancy exceptional,” Modi said in his tweet.
His visit to the sacred forest of Mawphlang, however, could not take place due to the inclement weather. But he was briefed on how the highly regarded grove was managed, controlled and administered.
It may be mentioned that Mawphlang is famous for “Sacred Groves” and community forest which has been preserved for centuries by the local people.
Modi, who arrived here on Friday, addressed the 65th Plenary Session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) attended by governors and chief ministers of the eight northeastern states except Manik Sarkar, Chief Minister of Tripura.