Heritage Without Borders: the sacred forest at Mawphlang

Across Meghalaya, communities protect small groves as sacred sites, and these often shelter rare species. Mawphlang, about 25 kilometres from Shillong, is the best known. Published tourist guides say the grove has been preserved for more than 800 years by the local Khasi community, and that it is protected by a local deity.

The rules are simple and strictly kept: visitors go with a local guide, and take nothing out of the forest, not even a pebble or a twig. Entry and guide fees vary by source, and opening hours are reported as roughly 9 am to 4 or 4.30 pm, so confirm on the day. October to April is the drier season; in the monsoon the paths are slippery.

The grove is a reminder that conservation in this region often predates national parks and is guided by belief as much as by law. Treat it as a place of worship that is open to visitors, not as an attraction.