A THING OF BEAUTY IS A JOY FOR EVER....
You must have heard this so many times since you were introduced to the wonderful world of literature early in your life. But, now I know that this feeling of joy fades away with the fading beauty. On a recent trip to my hometown, it was painfully embarrassing for me to look at the eyes of this tourist wondering if all those great things she had heard from her husband were actually true. The ground reality was clouding the faith in her husband's words. That tourist happened to be my wife and it was so painful for me to see that what Cherrapunji had to offer her actually paled in comparison to the wonderful picture of Cherrapunji that I had painted before her while booking the tickets. I know and, those who have witnessed the true breathtaking beauty of Cherrapunji, they know that my words hinge on the glorious past which will soon be forgotten unless the concerned people wake up. We would not have come to this had we valued the tourism potential of this place and had learnt to respect the magnificent gift of God. Our total disregard for the environment has translated into a monster that is slowly but surely taking away our resources. Its high time that we Indians actually ensure that India actually becomes "Incredible India" and towards the fulfillment of that objective, Cherrapunji and the rest of the North East deserve utmost and immediate attention.
The Seven Sister's Waterfalls (Mawsmai Waterfalls) is one of its kind. Just imagine the curiosity of a tourist when his/her wings of imagination take a flight into that heaven where seven segmented waterfalls cascade down, each striking the surface deep down below with great force but after a little romance with the clouds during the descent. If it is disappointing for the tourist to find that scenery missing, than it is heart-breaking for someone like me who always thought this place will remain the same,i.e. PICTURE PERFECT. The sorry sight of water trickling down like tears down the face of the rocks unfortunately underlined Nature's plight. I agree that we were there at the onset of winters but Cherrapunji had earned its reputation as the wettest place in the world and so the magnificence of Cherrapunji was never dependent on a particular season unlike Shimla, which blooms in winters and then wilts under the Sun in summertime. Climate Change is an issue that we know is being discussed in the corridors of the UN but to witness its destructive impact on our lives is thought provoking to say the least. We must bring back the rains and restore the glory that truly belongs to Cherrapunji.
If manipulations in the environment that are robbing the nature of its beauty are not enough, than the indifferent attitude of the hosts towards the tourists will surely prove to be the death knell for a beautiful place that truly deserves its spot amongst the top tourist destinations. It was baffling to see the expressions of the people who were manning the so-called restaurants near the captivating Mawsmai caves. They were soaking in the Sun outside with hardly any interest in the tourists. The food takes an age to be served and an extra query or an additional demand is met with a look that would make the tourist rethink whether to enter the dark cave alone or not. Thank God we were one intimidating group armed with my villainous looks, Ankur's constipated "Daya" kicks, Arup's "throat-slitting" skills(read clicks), Gul's viral and Shiladitya's displaced but ever growing muscles.
There is no intention on the part of the Tourism Department of Meghalaya Government to properly manage and monitor these tourist attractions and the facilities for the tourists. Only a blind can ignore such business potential. For instance, the ECO Park was a good addition to the tourism map of Cherrapunji and I must admit that I had great fun on one such trip in the year 2008. So, next time I went there with Ranbir, I asked him to stop by that park. There was no ECO Park there and instead we were chased away by a caretaker for clicking a few pictures. We wondered what was that man taking care of??? Anyways, at least there was one person who was taking his job seriously. That was a KLPD but I managed to play it down and this time I did not even want to pass by that park. I remember doing a presentation on "Business idea generation" as a student at NIFT. My idea was to start an agency business for film shooting location scouting in the North-east. The idea was good and I was serious about that atleast for a couple of days till I was done with the presentation. It seems there are people like me in the Tourism Department as well. I could be excused but even the concerned officials are treating the matter as a classroom assignment which is inconsequential to their marksheet. And that is the irony. How can the people who matter sit on a gold mine and let all of it go to waste????
It had been a long time wish to see the Double Decker Root Bridge but the confusing way (thanks to the missing roadside signs) made the journey so difficult that by the time we could reach there, almost everyone had lost the enthusiasm. The drive downhill on the narrow zigzag roads was so puzzling that we were wondering if at all we would be able to get the car to turn back. My wish has remained unfulfilled and I hope that I get another chance in this lifetime. In hindsight, I feel that a trip to the Asia's cleanest village (Mawlyngong) instead would have been much more fulfilling.
The trip would remain a special one because of the four clowns who kept me entertained with their antics all along. Gul was not feeling well but that didn't stop her from joining us as we seized control of the roads. She had only one wish while fighting drowsiness and that was to get clicked with golden grass. Shiladitya was hurt with a hamstring pull (that's his version) but he seemed to be fine the moment Ankur lay his sweaty hands on him for a "Thigh Message".... oops I meant "Thai Message". The driver did help out as well by stroking Adi's hair. As they say, love and romance blooms in the nature so beautiful. Well, I am not talking about me and my wife but the special bond that was visible between Arup and Ankur. Bhagwaan karein ki Fevicol ki mazboot jod ho jo kabhi tootein naa....unki Dosti I mean. And for that matter, our dosti as well.
Gul could not see much of Shillong due to a severe viral attack and I wish to take her back there soon with the hope that glory of Cherrapunji would be restored by then and Asia's cleanest village would continue to remain clean till we say "hi" to the rains there again.
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