Being an ardent nature lover, I am always attracted to the mountains, especially in the monsoon season when the abundant green cover, huge waterfalls and the misty climate create such a delightful concoction that I find myself making the soulful journey to the mountains again & again. Apart from the stunning landscapes and the beauty, one other thing which interests me are the stories related to such places which become part of mountain folklore. One such story is about the famous Nohkalikai Falls in Meghalaya.
The massive falls are a sight to behold - it makes a dramatic jump from within the forests on to the rocks below. It is one of the tallest waterfalls in the country and its roar can be heard from a fair distance. I visited the falls on a rainy day (a regular occurrence in & around Cherrapunji) and for quite some time, the falls were not visible at all due to the heavy mist. However, the sound of the falls crashing on the rocks was loud enough for me to prolong my visit & wait for conditions to improve.
That was when I met a villager and we got talking. After a while, he suggested we have lunch & if I was interested, he would be willing to narrate the story about the falls, which has been passed from generation to generation. That was an offer too good to resist - I must admit my hunger also played a part in me accepting the invitation. According to the elders, the story of the waterfalls starts with KaLikai (“ka” is used for women) who lived in a nearby village in Sohra (popularly known as Cherrapunji). She lost her husband almost immediately after giving birth to their first child, and was forced to do various kinds of work to support her daughter. As she struggled to make ends meet, she remarried later, and this is where the tale takes an ugly turn. Her new husband was very jealous at the attention KaLikai showered on her daughter and he could not handle the same. In a fit of rage, when the mother was away at work, he killed the little girl, and cooked her for dinner. KaLikai, unknowingly ate the child. When she realized what had happened, KaLikai couldn’t cope with the horror of it all, and jumped off this cliff to her death. The cliff & its falls came to be known as Nohkalikai (Noh in Khasi means "jump"). I was appalled and kept wondering why so many stories in the mountains have a tragic ending !
After lunch, we passed some time walking around the place before the mist lifted - the sight of the waterfalls was so stunning that I was rendered speechless for quite some time. Definitely worth the wait ! The bottom of the falls with a pretty blue pool looked very inviting and I asked my friend (yes, I could call him that now) if there is a way to go down there. He laughed and informed me that I can’t make a spontaneous visit to the bottom of the falls as it involved a very difficult trek through the forest. As the mist started gathering over the falls again, I bid goodbye to my friend and decided to move on to the other scenic jewels in & around Cherrapunji.
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