Beautiful Memories.....

I just read Anita Bora’s blog about her recent travel to the North East of India. And boy, did I feel nostalgic and sad? She did a wonderful job in capturing the beauty and charm of Umiam Lake and Shillong with her write up and stunning photos. It brought back memories of my childhood when as a family we also made innumerable trips to that part of the country.

Growing up in Guwahati, Shillong was always our ‘get-away’ spot, our retreat. We never missed an opportunity to make a trip on the long and winding roads through the mountains to this exotic yet simple town tucked away in the hilly regions of Meghalaya. And every trip we made was fun and filled with exciting and unforgettable moments. In fact, even now whenever we are visiting, a trip to Shillong is a must on our itinerary.

The place where we used to spend many a night was the famous Circuit House, build during the time of British Raj. Situated on a tiny hillock, it had a compound lined with tress, both fruit and evergreen and two long driveways connecting to the main street. Most mornings, we were woken up by the sound of the church bells making its way through the hills. The scenic view from the compound was truly worthwhile with cloud covered mountains all across and tiny homes nestled in them. Given its central location, it was definitely a favorite to many visitors.

The local cuisine and food is also worth a mention. Shillong was known for its Chinese food and every time we were there, we had to have a meal at the famous ‘Abba' restaurant. Started by a group of Chinese immigrants who came during the Indo-China war, this place was and still is, well known for its 'steamed momos'. Just two years ago on my visit home, one of my brother’s friend was going to Shillong on a business trip and he asked me casually if I wanted anything from there. Since I was asked, I requested him to get me some momos and also warned him that if he didn’t, he would end up in the dog house for the remainder of his trip. He ended up coming back with two dozen pork and chicken momos which the entire family relished for the next two days. Even now, the very thought of momos makes my mouth water. Utterly delectable and scrum my!!

Ward Lake, one of Shillong's main attractions also is very close to my heart. Two distinct memories I have are feeding the shoals of fish and paddling boats on the lake. Polo Ground, the scenic and beautiful golf course that spans across acres and acres of land surrounded by tall and majestic pine trees, 'Police Bazaar' for its imported goods, especially with shoes to die for, are some of the places we frequented and loved. On my last trip, I did notice that Shillong is undergoing many changes. Just like any other upcoming towns, it is now overpopulated, cluttered and overcrowded. But what pleased me was the fact that despite these surmounting changes, it still seemed as quaint and charming a town I knew it to be.

So thank you Anita, for sharing your story with us. Your sojourn brought back to life some of the wonderful memories I had growing up and made me relive some of the best times of my life.