While we were getting ready to go on our long awaited weekend outing to explore the countryside of Sohra or Cherrapunjee, we felt especially grateful for the pleasing weather which seemed to hold promise of a delightful trip. We planned to visit a place, little known but rich in Khasi history, called ‘Rangjyrteh’. In the bygone days, Rangjyrteh was a thriving village known for its mastery of iron smelting across the region, but now it is left abandoned in ruins and mostly only ever referred to in old Khasi folklores. The entrance to this exceptional village is situated by the road side opposite the Dainthlen Falls and just before reaching the Wei Sawdong Waterfalls.
We set out on our journey, full of excitement, in the morning of a beautiful summer day. Naturally, we took our time getting started since the distance between Shillong and Sohra is about 55 km and takes around one and half to two hours at most (at a leisurely pace) to reach if you are travelling by a vehicle.
The first place we made a pit stop at, was - what is essentially a sort of gateway to Sohra itself - the Mawkdok Bridge. Mawkdok Bridge is a well-known tourist attraction for its impressive views of the signature Sohra luscious green canyons, plateaus, slopes and valleys. It is also a good place if you are looking for some quick bite and refreshments, souvenir shopping or even daring activities like zip-lining as this facility is readily available for those brave enough to give it a try.
On a bright and sunny day, the scenery along the winding road is simply breathtaking; however on some days, especially during the rainy season the thick Sohra cloud and fog usually obstruct the scenic view but the engulfing cloud and fog adds its own magic and mystery to the journey.
We subsequently made our way to our destination by taking the diversion from the Shillong-Sohra main road towards Sa-i-Mika Resort road which also leads to Dainthlen Falls and our other locations planned for the day. Since us, undoubtedly, wanted to make the most out of our day trip, we made a stop at the entry point to Mawsawa Falls which was on the way to where we were going. To reach the falls, we had to walk a short path along a small hill before making a heedful descend down a flight of steps carved right onto the side of the hill. As we got closer to the clearing of the forest, we could hear the familiar and alluring sound of flowing water. We were thrilled as we set foot on an unexpected sandy shore that stretched along the banks of the river.
The riverbank is a beautiful place for recreation and the large rocks serve as a comfortable and vantage location to sit back and unwind, while the water at less than waist-level is perfect for a nice swim although this is advised only with local supervision. However, the main attraction was the captivating Mawsawa Falls and I must say that it still managed to surprise us even though we have seen many of Sohra’s best waterfalls. A fun fact about Mawsawa Falls is that it is actually part of the same river channel that contributes to many other waterfalls, most notably the Dainthlen Falls, Wei Sawdong Falls, Lyngksiar Falls, Janailar Falls and Mawsawdong Falls. We shall cover this route on our next trip.
We then head on our way down the road before making our next stop at Dainthlen Falls for a little sightseeing. Apart from being tied to the famous legend of the gigantic serpent (Thlen), the Dainthlen Falls is still a wonder of nature’s beauty in its own right. The legend goes that after the hero, ‘U Suidnoh’ slayed the monster, ‘Thlen’ in its cave, its cold and lifeless body was brought up to the river where the multitude of people from the surroundings villages had gathered to celebrate and feast upon the Thlen’s flesh in order to completely rid this world off its existence. It is said the rocks on the river still bore the markings and scars left from the thrashing of the serpent’s body as the bladed instruments of the people furiously chopped down its flesh on that fateful day, a long time ago.
From the bridge over the river that leads to the falls, we were treated to the sight of stunning rock formations that covered a vast expanse of the river to the edge of the waterfall. If you were to follow the river right along the verge of the drop, there is a viewpoint where you will be able to witness the full intensity of the raging waterfall as it plummets from the cliff-top down to the rocks below.
We soon made it to Rangjyrteh village which was conveniently located right on the side of the road. You can easily spot it from the road as the place is decorated with numerous old stone structures and protected with a steel fence. Rangjyrteh is said to be the village where the woman named ‘Ka Likai’ hailed from. According to folklore, after a gruesome and devastating tragedy befell her, Ka Likai ran to the edge of a cliff and threw herself towards a waterfall to her death. The waterfall was then named ‘The Fall of Ka Likai’ or more popularly, the ‘Nohkalikai Falls’.
According to oral tradition, Rangjyrteh was a prosperous place during that time and people lived mainly by the trade of iron smelting. The transaction of the iron products was between the local villagers and the people of Sylhet (now in Bangladesh). It is regarded as one of the oldest villages in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills and no one really knows when this village came into being but it has achieved its prominent place in Khasi imagination. It stands atop of a hillock where one can feel the pleasant breeze and enjoy the sight of the beautiful gorges and the lovely and breathtaking watery plains of Bangladesh.
As we made our way from the entrance towards the heart of this now abandoned village, the sight of the stone mangers, remnants of sheltered foundations and the remains of old tools used for iron smelting and forging, gave us the special sense of connection to the past and prompted us to imagine what this place must have been like in those glory days. Some called it our lost civilization which now lay in ruins.
As we were preparing to leave Ranjyrteh, from the spot where we parked our vehicle, we were rewarded with a stunning sight of the thick fog slowly lifting from the canyons, like curtains rolling, to unveil a picturesque and majestic view of the Dainthlen Falls just as the golden rays of sunlight shone upon it.
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