Welcoming 2021
Barring the blare of crackers bursting at midnight, Shillong heralded the New Year in a rather inconspicuous manner. Unlike in the previous years, there was no musical extravaganza at PB—the Broad Street of Shillong. No New Year’s eve revelry was possible at the hotels and clubs. Neither was there a big throng of revellers on the streets. There was no report of any uncivil behaviour. In all, it made for a subdued welcome to 2021, what with COVID-19 restrictions still in force. The accent was clearly on shunning public places and instead settling for private parties. Vigilant cops were keeping a hawk’s eye on the streets. By early evening, the private parties were coming alive. Loud peppy music laced with soothing slow numbers, generous flow of liquid fire and a fair spread of delectable eats energised the shaking of the legs of party-hoppers who came dressed for the occasion.
A good five minutes before the clock struck twelve, sounds of crackers began to fill the air. For the next half hour or so, unrelentingly crackers went all guns blazing. The best thing was that by 12.30 am, the noise pollution almost came to an end. Come to think of it, cracker bursting in Shillong is a quintessence of the Festival of Lights (Diwali), when sounds of crackers reverberate till the wee hours, much to the chagrin of the passive citizens who have to silently bear it up all. The practice of bursting crackers to usher in the New Year, as some old timers recall, is a relatively new phenomenon. In the olden days, there would be no more than honking of cars and loud cheers of “Happy New year”. From the looks of it, fireworks at the advent of New Year has evidently come to stay in Shillong.
Indifferent Cantonment
Shillong Cantonment’s Bungalow Area (Lady Keane Hill and Garrison Ground vicinity) which is dotted with some pretty heritage dwelling houses inherited from the Raj days, will generally pass off as one of the best maintained pockets of the town. There is a jarring exception, though. Just opposite the Air Command House Annexe, a new dumping ground is in the making. For years on, passers-by have been disposing of household garbage in plastic bags in the area on the sly. The piled up bags of solid waste have apparently gone unnoticed because of the shrubs and thicket that abound the area. The Sanitary Inspector, it seems, seldom visits the area and sweepers are happy to ignore this eyesore. Only pedestrians are forced to bear with this blot on the landscape. Is anybody listening?
The picturesque structures
Something which goes unnoticed by many and yet is a spectacle is the architecture or designs of homes built in our picturesque city. Some are so stylishly perched atop a hill while others just stand out in their own special way. It’s a feast for the eyes. Perhaps as residents here, we tend to undermine or are oblivious about these scenic structures we were introduced to when also being introduced to life. But a visitor will surely find this exquisite. Some claim that the house owners place as much importance to the design of the house as the architects, while others just heap praises on the latter. Nonetheless, we cannot but be delighted by these lovely crafted pieces of architecture. So, what gives? Why not take a closer look this time you’re at a neighbourhood in the city? Speaking of which, a drive in the suburbs of Shillong via the Mawpat-Shyiap-Pynthor Road would remind us of the way Shillong used to look up until the 1970s. Every house has at least two orange trees and a lemon tree with the fruit a golden yellow right now! What a treat for the eyes!