Mawphlang Sacred Grove — the Khasi forest kept for the forest spirit
What it is
The Mawphlang sacred grove, a law kyntang in Khasi, is a protected forest at Mawphlang village in the East Khasi Hills, about 25 km from Shillong. Wikipedia says every Khasi village traditionally has such a grove, kept to appease the forest spirit, and that Mawphlang and Mawsmai hold the two large ones.
Photos: Ritika74 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · ChanduBandi (CC BY 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
The name and the stones
Maw means stone, and maw phlang means grassy stone; Wikipedia says the village is one of many in the Khasi Hills named after monoliths. Standing stones mark the place and stand beside the forest. The settlement was also the centre of Welsh Presbyterian missionary and medical work in the 1890s, after Dr Griffith Griffiths opened a dispensary in 1878.
Visiting the grove
It is a religious site, so ask before you enter, follow any notice at the entrance and take nothing out. Wikipedia's article on sacred groves says that communities protect them, and that hunting and logging are usually banned. We have no verified opening hours, entry rules or guide arrangements.
Getting there
By road from Shillong, a little over half an hour on our routing, which is in the quick facts, with the village road beyond the highway.
Combine it with
Umiam Lake is on the same side of the town, and the Umiam and Mawphlang day takes both. Read things to do in Shillong.
Plans that include this
All 2 plans that stop here →
Nearby places
All of Shillong →
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Questions people ask
What is the Mawphlang sacred grove?
A forest at Mawphlang, about 25 km from Shillong, which belongs to the Khasi tradition of law kyntang, sacred groves tied to each village to appease the forest spirit. Wikipedia names it and the grove at Mawsmai as the two large ones in Meghalaya. Traditionally hunting and logging are not allowed in such groves.
What does Mawphlang mean?
Wikipedia says maw means stone and maw phlang means grassy stone, and that it is one of many Khasi settlements named after standing stones. The monoliths near the grove are the reason. Mawphlang was also a centre of Welsh Presbyterian missionary work in the 1890s, with a dispensary founded in 1878.
How do you visit the sacred grove?
Respectfully. It is a religious place, and Wikipedia's article on sacred groves notes that such groves are protected by communities, with restrictions on cutting and hunting. We have no verified opening hours, guide arrangements or rules, so ask on arrival, follow the notice at the entrance and take nothing out of the forest.