SHILLONG, June 25: The revamped Williamson Sangma Meghalaya State Museum at the premises of the U Soso Tham Auditorium presents Meghalaya under one roof with a “360-degree experience” of Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo life.
Under phase one, it offers 12 thoughtfully curated sections for visitors – from ancient monoliths to immersive rainforest soundscapes.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma inaugurated the revamped Museum on Wednesday.
Principal Secretary for Art and Culture Fredrick Roy Kharkongor, one of the driving forces behind the project, said this is a complete transformation.
“This is an entirely new section, it is not a renovation, and it is not strictly an ethnographic museum. The main objective is to have a very contemporary museum with some very new additions,” he said.
Among the standout features is Meghalaya’s first GLAM section, an integrated space combining Gallery, Library, Archives, and Museum. “It has the state’s very first gallery… This gallery will be a dynamic gallery which will exhibit the paintings of the various artists of the State, and also photography, and it will be a creative space,” Kharkongor explained.
Another key highlight is a long-overdue segment on the Hill State Movement. “Even after 53 years of statehood, there has been no gallery dedicated to the Hill State Movement to educate the younger generation on how our state was formed and to tell them the rich legacy on how it was done in a non-violent manner,” he said, adding that original newspaper clippings from the movement era are now on display.
From geology to textiles, the museum connects past and present.
“There is a section on the Meghalaya age on rocks and fossils. There is a section on textiles of the state, now that we have the GI tag for Ryndia, showcasing all the rich textiles right from farm to fibre, fibre to fabric and fabric to GI,” Kharkongor shared.
Other highlights include a “150 Years of Shillong” gallery designed in the form of a traditional Assam-type house, an audio-visual room offering an immersive sensory experience of rain, waterfalls, and local craft, and a child-friendly adventure zone featuring models of living root bridges, campfires, and rock climbing installations.
“This museum tries to give the essence of Meghalaya 360 degrees under one roof,” Kharkongor said.
The museum also features a section on the state’s arts and crafts villages, aimed at promoting cultural tourism. Notably, all exhibits are QR-coded, allowing visitors to instantly access detailed information through their mobile devices, making it one of the most digitally forward museum spaces in the state.
A distinctive mural at the entrance represents Lympung Khylliang, with the foundational plaque not merely ceremonial but a symbolic cultural statement. “The plaque is not an honorary plaque but a representation of Lymkhyllang. Visitors, for the first time, will get to see Meghalaya under one roof,” Kharkongor noted.
Looking ahead, phase two is already in the pipeline and expected to roll out within the current financial year.
“In the second phase, we will have a museum café and also a good souvenir shop… More efforts will be taken in the second phase to have VR virtual reality and all,” he said, hinting at even more immersive experiences to come.
The project has been a largely in-house effort, with collaboration from the North East AV Archives and other stakeholders. The curation cost, Kharkongor added, came to “a little short of Rs 2 crore.”
“We believe culture cannot be outsourced,” he said, underscoring the state’s commitment to telling its own story, in its voice, within the walls of a museum that now reflects the living heart of Meghalaya.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister said similar museums will be set up in different parts of the state to expand outreach, starting with Tura. Designs are already being considered for new projects in other major district headquarters.
He said that the initiative is part of a broader vision to celebrate, document, and preserve the state’s rich cultural heritage while promoting a sustainable creative economy.
“It’s not just about maintaining our identity and preserving it. The bigger question is how we make it more creative, how we incorporate our cultural heritage and convert it into an economy in itself,” he said.
He announced that the Education Department will issue directions for all students to mandatorily visit the museum, underlining the importance of instilling cultural awareness and appreciation among youth.
Reflecting on his first visit to the museum in 2018, which inspired this transformation, he said, “When I first visited the museum, I was disappointed. Today, I am proud to see how far we have come. This museum is not just a building – it is a living testament to our identity, our creativity, and our future.”
