SHILLONG: The Sacred Grove in Mawphlang never looked as pristine as it does now and ironically the credit goes to the ongoing pandemic.
Tambor Lyngdoh, conservationist and project director for the Khasi Hills Community REDD+ project supported by the UN, told The Shillong Times on Friday during a visit to the area that with the corona threat upending tourism sector, there is no crowd in Mawphlang.
“Earlier, picnickers would come in hordes round the year and dirty the vicinity (of the Sacred Forest). But now there are no visitors and see how clean the place looks,” said Lyngdoh as he showed this reporter around the Sacred Grove.
Visitors or picnickers are not allowed to desecrate the forest but the vast expanse of undulating green field in the vicinity is often used for cooking and merry-making, the aftermath of which is filth, plastic wrappers and broken bottles littered all over the place.
This not only spoils the beauty of the locality but also destroys the sanctity of the grove.
Also, the land outside the 179-acre grove has many small herbal plants which are unknown to the common people. “The tiny white flowers you see growing all over the field are locally called bat tohphsin and are an antidote for snake bite. But how many people know about it,” said Lyngdoh, who also showed a type of tiny plants growing on the field which are used to treat diarrhoea.
Charred wood and grass left behind by picnickers would be like scars on the picturesque meadow that has got back its greenery in the past few months.
The village has stopped entry of outsiders and the road has been blocked at several points. In fact, an elderly woman was curious to see a vehicle from outside and asked Lyngdoh, “Why are outsiders here?” To this, he had to explain that the visitors were from the media.
Now, honking cars and babbling people do not hurt the ears or disturb the peace of the place. Instead, the chirping and cooing of birds and croaking of a variety of frogs (about 35 species of frogs are found in Mawphlang, Lyngdoh said) welcome visitors into the forest which, according to local belief, is the abode of deities.
Cobbled footpath
The lockdown period is being used to lay down a cobbled footpath through the Sacred Grove.
“The total length of the path is 385 m and about 100 m was laid down in 2015. The Synjuk (Ka Synjuk Ki Hima Arliang-Wah Umiam) is making the remaining part at a cost of around Rs 3 lakh,” Lyngdoh said.
Earlier, the Tourism Department laid down only 100m at a cost of about Rs 5 lakh.
