Meghalaya Housing

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PRESENTATION ON

• MEGHALAYA
• 
  the abode of clouds

PRESENTED BY, PALEJA SAMIKSHA
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Location

• Meghalaya lies in the Northeastern part of India.
• The fact remains that a major part of the border
  of the state is situated on the north and eastern
  part of Assam.
• The south and west part are with Bangladesh.

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History

• Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts
  from the state of Assam the United Khasi Hills
  and Jaintia Hills, and the Garo Hills on 21
  January 1972.
• Neolithic sites discovered so far are located in
  areas of high elevation such as in Khasi Hills
  and Garo Hills.

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Climatic Condition

• Meghalaya is mountainous, with stretches of
  valley and highland plateaus, and it is
  geologically rich
• Meghalaya has many rivers, these rivers have
  created deep gorges and several beautiful
  waterfalls.
• With average annual rainfall as high as 1200 cm
  in some areas, Meghalaya is the wettest place on
  earth.

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Khasi Umbrellas
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• The town of Cherrapunji in the Khasi Hills south
  of capital Shillong holds the world record for
  most rain in a calendar month

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Shillong Capital of Meghalaya

• Is a hill station in the northeastern part of
  India, and is the capital of Meghalaya, which
  means "The Abode of Clouds.
• During the British rule of India, the British
  imperial authorities nicknamed it the "Scotland
  of the East".
• Shillong is the 330th most populous city in India
  with a population of 143,229 according to the
  2011 census.

A view of Shillong
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Religion

• Close to 90 of the Garo tribe and nearly 80 of
  the Khasi are Christian.
• Meghalaya is one of three states in India to have
  a Christian majority.
• About 75 of the population practices
  Christianity,with Presbyterians, Baptist and Catho
  lics the more common denominations.

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Languages

• English is the official and widely spoken
  language of the state.
• The other principal languages in Meghalaya
  are Khasi and Garo.
• Khasi (also spelled Khasia, Khassee, Cossyah and
  Kyi).
• The Khasi language originally had no script of
  its own.

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Population

• Tribal people make up the majority of Meghalaya's
  population.
• The Khasis are the largest group, followed by
  the Garos then The Jaintias. 
• The population of Meghalaya as of 2011 has been
  estimated at 2,964,007 of which females comprise
  1,492,668 and males 1,471,339.

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Lifestyle of Meghalaya

• The Khasi, Garo and Jaintia are people with a
  rich cultural heritage.
• The important crafts of the Khasi and the Jaintia
  districts are artistic weaving, wood-carving and
  cane and bamboo work.
• Carpet and silk weaving and the making of musical
  instruments, jewelry and pineapple fibre articles
  are among its minor craft.

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Housing styles

• Nokmong - This house is built in such a way that
  inside the house, there are provisions for
  sleeping, hearth, sanitary arrangements, kitchen,
  water storage, place for fermenting wine, place
  for use as cattle-shed or for stall-feeding the
  cow and the space between earthen floor and
  raised platform
• Nokpante - In the Garo habitation, the house
  where unmarried male youth or bachelors live is
  called Nokpante. The word Nokpante means the
  house of bachelors

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• Jamsreng - In certain areas, in the rice field or
  orchards, small huts are constructed. They are
  called Jamsreng or "Jamap". Either the season's
  fruits or grains are collected and stored in the
  Jamsreng or it can be used for sleeping.
• Jamatal - The small house, a type of miniature
  house, built in the Jhum fields is called Jamatal
  or 'field house'. In certain places, where there
  is danger from wild animals, a small house with
  ladder is constructed on the treetop. This is
  called "Borang" or 'house on the treetop'. 

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Construction of houses

• Material used for construction Bamboo, cane,
  timber, wood, rubber trees, and dried palm
  leaves.
• Wooden are selected carefully from forests,
  wooden stumps are cut using saw.
• Wooden posts are constructed on which bamboo
  houses rests.
• These are 10-45 m in length and 3-7 m in width.
• Floors are of bamboo mats and reinforced with
  bamboo boards.
• There is a Dongrama in houses which is fireplace.
• Houses are built by each man and his family
  members and are fellow villagers.
• Mostly construction is done by younsters as on
  hand training exercise.

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Food

• Meghalaya is home to three Mongoloid tribes.
• It has a unique cuisine, different from the other
  Seven Sister States of northeast India.
• The staple food of the people is rice with spicy
  meat and fish preparations.
• They rear goats, pigs, fowl, ducks and cows and
  relish their meat.

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Clothing

• Men belonging to the Garo tribe wear
  a loincloth as their traditional dress.
• The men of the Khasi Tribe wear a long cloth
  around their waist which is unstitched.
• This long cloth has a lot of similarity to
  a Dhoti which can be worn along with a
  jacket, turban or some other kind of headgear.

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Economy

• Meghalaya is basically an agricultural state with
  about 80 of its population depending entirely on
  agriculture for their livelihood.
• Nearly 10 of the geographical area of Meghalaya
  is under cultivation.
• Agriculture in the state is characterised by
  limited use of modern techniques, low yields and
  low productivity.
• Area rank? ?23rd
• Capital? ?Shillong
• Formation? ?21 January 1972

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Tourist attraction

• Mawlynnong
• The road towards Mawlynnong passes through some
  of the most beautiful landscapes in Meghalaya.
• You'll see forests, cliffs, valleys, gorges and
  waterfalls. As you come closer to the village,
  the road will become narrow and the bamboo
  forests will begin.

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• Cherrapunji?
• More than the land of oranges as its original
  name Sohra connotes, this 'wettest place on the
  planet' is a land of waterfalls and rainfall.
• The Seven Sisters Falls and Nohkalikai Falls,
  Dain Thlen Falls and Nohsngithiang Falls remain
  the top most attractions for nature lovers. 

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• Dawki
• Situated on the India- Bangladesh Border this is
  a small town in the lap of the Jaintia Hills.
• Another place of immense natural beauty in
  Meghalaya, this is known mainly as a coal
  exporter to Bangladesh and also places of India. 

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• Nongsohphan Village

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Meghalayan Flag
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Festivals

• KHASI
• Dance is central to the culture of Khasi life,
  and a part of the rites of passage.

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• JAINTIAS
• Jaintias celebrates nature, balance and
  solidarity among its people.
• Festivals of Jaintias includes Behdienkhlam, Laho
  Dance, Sowing Ritual Ceremony.
• GAROS
• For Garos, festivals sustain their cultural
  heritage. They were often dedicated to religious
  events, nature and seasons as well as community
  events such as stages of jhum cultivation.
• HAJONS
• Hajongs follow Hindu rites and customs. Every
  Hajong family has a temple for worship called
  Deo Ghar ' and they offer prayers in the morning
  and evening

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Thank You