By Bhogtoram Mawroh
In recent years, Nongjrong has emerged as one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in Meghalaya. Tourists often visit to watch the morning clouds envelop the Umngot Valley, giving the impression of standing above a sea of clouds. Last week I went back to Nongjrong, not to partake in the majestic beauty that the landscape holds, but to understand the importance of the Umngot River for the community. The valley that people come to see from near and far has been carved by the river, which emerges from Lum Shillong, cuts through the tableland creating deep canyons along the way, and ultimately debouches into what is today Bangladesh. In certain areas, such as Nongjrong, the canyon opens up into a broad valley, with the silt deposited by the river creating fertile land suitable for rice cultivation. The process of erosion and deposition would have taken tens of thousands of years, maybe even millions, considering Meghalaya is part of one of the oldest landmasses in the world, Gondwana, which crashed into the Asian plate, giving rise to the Himalayas.
Tourists arrive in Nongjrong to watch the clouds engulfing the valley and see them dissipate as the morning progresses. Every now and then, while standing at the viewpoint and gazing at the spur that juts out from the main ridge on which the village is located, you can watch clouds climb over the canyon walls and settle gently upon the village. In the past, this was a common occurrence, with community members recalling that the sun would remain hidden for several months at a time due to the heavy rain. On the tableland in particular, heavy fog makes visibility very poor. This, as was explained by the community, is the reason rice does not do very well on the tableland.
Although paddy fields are also present in villages such as Umsawwar, Moosakhia, and Samanong, located on either side of the Umngot River, yields are not particularly high. In fact, in Samanong, a farmer told me that because of the decrease in rainfall over the last few years, the number of rain-free days has increased and this has helped farming. One of the side effects of climate change could very well be that rice may make a comeback to the southern part of Meghalaya, where millet was the dominant crop for a long time. I say comeback because rice was brought by the Austroasiatic speakers (today the Khasi are among their descendants) as part of their migration from southern China, after it was first domesticated in the wetlands along the Yangtze River. They carried the crop with them as they migrated through mainland Southeast Asia, and upon reaching South Asia, it was hybridized with the semi-domesticated variety found on the Gangetic Plain, giving rise to the now-common indica variety.
Since the Khasi were part of the ancient group that brought rice to South Asia, it was always surprising that the crop was missing from southern Meghalaya. Most intriguing to me was the case of Sohra, where there is today no indication of rice cultivation. In fact, in Nongtraw, a village in Khat-ar-Shnong, some farmers attempted to cultivate rice, but the crop did not perform well. In contrast, a farmer from Pyrda told me that she had also tried growing rice in her garden and achieved good results. These, however, are recent attempts, and there seemed to be no evidence of rice cultivation in the area in the past, unlike millet, which is still cultivated today. Then, in 2022, a paper was published by Sukanya Sharma titled Cherrapunjee: An Example of Human Impact on Environment, which revealed that evidence of domesticated rice was discovered in the area. Though the dates were not given in the paper, it does appear that there were attempts at rice cultivation in the region, but the very heavy fog meant that it did not do well. Therefore, the community must have decided to switch to millet, as this was also a crop discovered at Lumsohpetbneng, one of the earliest Neolithic sites in the entire Northeast.
So, while millet became an important crop, Nongjrong is still cultivating rice along the banks of the Umngot Valley. Incidentally, millet was an important crop in the hilly parts of the village, while rice was cultivated only in the valley. The suitability of rice cultivation in the village is due to the topography (silt-filled valley) and elevation. The village is located at 1,500 metres above sea level, while the valley is around 1,000 metres, roughly the same elevation as Bhoirymbong, where paddy fields are ubiquitous. Seven varieties of rice are grown by the community, one of which is actually a variety known as Lum Kba, i.e., hill paddy. When asked about paddy cultivation in the village, the residents informed that they had been practising it for a very long time, and the stories surrounding the village’s political history suggest that it is itself a very old settlement.
Nongjrong was a flashpoint between the two great Khasi kingdoms of the past, Hima Khyrim (Shillong) and Hima Jaintiapur. In the past, the village fell within the domain of Hima Jaintiapur, and this connection is testified to by the fact that the Syntengs (another name for the Pnars, who make up the majority population of the hill portion of Hima Jaintiapur) would come to the village and collect water from a spring they call Syntu Ksiar. The villagers call it Luwah Shnong. Water from this spring was considered sacred and was used for performing rituals during Behdeinkhlam. Even today, villagers consider the water special and claim that it does not spoil even after being stored for several months. Though the people of Nongjrong do not consider the spring sacred, they ensure that the trees around it are not disturbed and take care to maintain it.
Exactly when it happened, the villagers were not sure, but there was a conflict between Hima Khyrim and Hima Jaintiapur in which the former prevailed, and the Umngot became the boundary between the two Himas. Similar stories are also reported from Umsawwar to the south, which has likewise preserved the memory of the battle between the two rivals. Hima Jaintiapur came into existence when Hima Sutnga conquered Jaintiapur and added it to its domain. This appears to have happened around 1500 CE, after which the names of Khasi rulers began appearing, the first being Parbat Ray Syiem Sutnga, the first non-Hindu ruler of Jaintiapur, which had previously been a Hindu kingdom. In fact, the name Jaintiapur comes from Jayanti Devi, the Hindu patron goddess of the kingdom. Thus, the village existed before the arrival of the British in the early nineteenth century. There is also mention of Madur Maskut, a powerful Hima that predated Hima Jaintiapur and existed alongside Hima Shillong and Hima Sutnga. So, if we go by the chronology preserved in folklore, the village is at least more than 500 years old. Therefore, it is not just a village with a beautiful sunrise but also an ancient settlement with a rich history.
Perhaps the best example of this living history is the ossuaries found throughout some of the most beautiful spots in the village. These are stone structures where the bones of ancestral clans were laid to rest. One of those clans was Marboh, who, according to one of the elders, introduced the cultivation of Khasi mandarin to the village. This happened many generations ago, and today the slopes around Umngot are filled with orchards of the fruit. Incidentally, it is also a crop that originated in the mountains of southern China and may have been brought by the Khasi along with rice. The oranges from Meghalaya were then taken to the Middle East and Europe by traders and crusaders. Today, it is one of the most important cash crops for the community.
The cloud-covered valley, home to some of the most beautiful paddy fields and a rich historical legacy, came under threat when plans for the construction of the Umngot Dam were announced. I was informed by the villagers that they opposed the project because they were afraid they would lose their paddy fields, which were their most precious possession. If the project ever returns, they would be ready to oppose it once again.
Nongjrong and the surrounding area can tell us a great deal about the history, culture, and traditions of the Khasi. It would be a great loss if all of this were to disappear. As for tourists who visit next time, try exploring for more than just the sunrise. It is a very beautiful village, indeed, but it is also an ancient one with a rich and fascinating history.
(The views expressed in the article are those of the author and do not reflect in any way his affiliation to any organisation or institution)
