By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Jan 3: With the curtain falling on an extended holiday season, Shillong is gradually easing back into its familiar rhythm, though echoes of celebration still linger in nooks and corner of the city and elsewhere across the state.
After a prolonged holiday break marked by Christmas celebrations and New Year revelry, state government offices are set to function normally from Monday.
Although officially open, most departments have been operating with a skeletal staff after New Year and barely any ministers are making appearance at their chambers in the Secretariat.
Sources in the Secretariat said administrative activities are likely to gather momentum only from Monday, when officials and employees return in full strength.
The city’s roads, which had been choked with tourist vehicles throughout December, now present a strikingly different picture. Vehicular movement remains smooth and largely hassle-free, with no major traffic snarls reported in key areas like Police Bazar, Laitumkhrah, or the stretch towards Upper Shillong. Locals have expressed relief at the return of relative calm after weeks of bumper-to-bumper congestion.
The massive tourist influx that transformed Shillong into a bustling holiday destination during Christmas and New Year has thinned out although hotels and homestays continue to report near-full occupancy.
Local businesses, particularly eateries, cafes, and souvenir shops report that footfall remains healthy, if not as frenzied as during the peak festive days.
“The rush has eased, but we’re still seeing good crowds,” said a cafe owner in Laitumkhrah.
Schools and colleges in the city are scheduled to reopen next month, which is expected to further restore the usual pace of life in the state capital.
With clear skies and cool temperatures persisting during the day, Shillong appears poised to blend its post-festive quietude with the gentle hum of everyday routine.
