Escape to Nongjrong festival showcases Meghalaya’s hidden gem and juicy Oranges

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaFebruary 20, 2024

Nongjrong, a village in Mawkynrew constituency secured a spot in the tourism hall of fame as one of the most sought-after tourist destinations after pictures of its sunrise above the clouds created ripples in the social media.

A quiet village where residents were once hesitant to welcome outsiders, but nature has other plans as the sun, the clouds combined forces creating a mesmerising artwork that captivated the people far and wide.

It is not only the sunrise, but the residents are looking at ways and means to promote their oranges which is available till the first week of April. 

Taking an opportunity to bring about an overall experience of the place from the sunrise to the oranges, the Mawkynrew Tourism Sociable Society and Meghalaya Tourism organised the “Escape to Nongjrong” festival on February 16-17. 

Local MLA of Mawkynrew Banteidor Lyngdoh said, “We are happy to see that the Escape to Nongjrong festival is successful. The Mawkynrew Tourism Sociable Society was formed few months ago to promote tourism.”

It is not only the tourist spots that are await every wanderer but the juicy sweet oranges of Nongjrong that grow abundantly till the first week of April, are also garnering attention.

Lyngdoh said efforts are being made to promote the oranges as well ensuring that farmers earn their livelihood from orange cultivation.   

Besides Nongjrong, the other villages waiting to get secure a hold in the tourist map is Nohron, Khlieh Hasem and many others.

“This is a good initiative as youngsters will get an opportunity to eke out a living. We will not see Nongjrong as it was previously. The village has now welcomed outsiders. The homestays are occupied most of the time with people eager to watch the Sunrise view,” Lyngdoh said.

Meanwhile, Sordar of the village Pynshai Synjri said that through the festival, people will be made aware of other adjoining villages in and around Umngot River (that flows to Jaintia Hills).

Commenting on the inflow of tourists, he said that during weekends the number of cars is around 50 while weekdays it will be 10-20 cars.

“Initially the residents were annoyed but they understood that they could gain something with people visiting their villages. So they started putting up shops and homestays. They have also started seeking government schemes for homestays,” Synjri said.

The other highlights of the festival were ziplining, kayaking, Miss Mawkynrew, Mr Mawkynrew and Mrs Mawkynrew. 

The rain played spoilsport and the foggy conditions made it a rather dull day. However, the saving graces were beauty pageants, stalls selling traditional food among others.