Ward's Lake | |
---|---|
Location | Shillong, Meghalaya, India |
Coordinates | 25°34′30″N91°53′13″E / 25.575°N 91.887°E |
Type | Lake |
Basin countries | India |
Islands | 1 |
Settlements | Shillong |
Ward's Lake, locally known as Pollock Lake or Nan Polok, is an artificial lake in Shillong, Meghalaya, India. Located in the centre of the city, it is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Shillong.
The lake was planned by the then chief commissioner of Assam, Sir William Ward. It was designed by Fitzwilliam Thomas Pollok and built by Colonel Hopkins in 1894. [1] It is said that the area around the lake was developed by a Khasi prisoner who did so to mitigate the monotony of his daily routine. [2]
The horse-shoe-shaped lake lies close to the Raj Bhavan, the Governor's official residence. The lake is surrounded by a botanical garden with cobble-stone footpaths and a fountain. [1] The botanical garden has several orchids besides other floral species. [2] One of the most prominent features of the lake is a wooden bridge in the middle of the lake. [1] The lake has boating facility and a cafeteria. [1]
Meghalaya is a state in northeast India. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: (a) the United Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills and (b) the Garo Hills. The estimated population of Meghalaya in 2014 was 3,211,474. Meghalaya covers an area of approximately 22,429 square kilometres, with a length-to-breadth ratio of about 3:1.
Shillong is a hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, a state in northeastern India. It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Shillong is the 330th most populous city in India with a population of 143,229 according to the 2011 census. It is said that the rolling hills around the town reminded the British of Scotland. Hence, they would refer to it as the "Scotland of the East".
East Khasi Hills is an administrative district in the state of Meghalaya in India. The district headquarters are located at Shillong. The district occupies an area of 2,748 km2 and has a population of 825,922. As of 2011, it is the most populous of Meghalaya's 12 districts.
Hopingstone Lyngdoh was an Indian politician who was the president of the Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP), one of three official political parties of the state of Meghalaya in India.
The Meghalaya subtropical forests is an ecoregion of Northeast India. The ecoregion covers an area of 41,700 square kilometers (16,100 sq mi), and despite its name, comprise not only the state of Meghalaya, but also parts of southern Assam, and a tiny bit of Nagaland around Dimapur and adjacent Bangladesh. It also contains many other habitats than subtropical forests, but the montane subtropical forests found in Meghalaya is an important biome, and was once much more widespread in the region, and for these reasons chosen as the most suitable name. The scientific designation is IM0126.
The Khasi and Jaintia Hills are a mountainous region in India that was mainly part of Assam and Meghalaya. This area is now part of the present Indian constitutive state of Meghalaya, which includes the present districts of East Jaintia Hills district, headquarter Khliehriat, West Jaintia Hills district, headquarter Jowai, East Khasi Hills district, headquarter Shillong, and West Khasi Hills district, headquarter Nongstoin.
Evangelization of Meghalaya began in the 19th century during the British era. In the 1830s, American Baptist Foreign Missionary Society had become active in Northeast to evangelize indigenous tribes to Christianity. Later, they were offered to expand and reach into Sohra Meghalaya, but they lacked the resources to do so and declined. Welsh Presbyterian Mission took the offer and they began work at Sohra mission field. By the early 1900s, other Protestant denominations of Christianity were active in Meghalaya. The outbreak of World Wars forced the preachers to return home to Europe and America. It is during this period that Catholicism took root in Meghalaya and neighbouring region. Currently, Catholics, Presbyterians and Baptists are three most common Christian denominations found in Meghalaya.
West Jaintia Hills is an administrative District in the state of Meghalaya in India. The united district was created on 22 February 1972 and occupied an area of 3819 km2. It had a population of 272,185. The district is part of the Meghalaya subtropical forests eco-region. With the bifurcation of the erstwhile Jaintia Hills District into East and West Jaintia Hills Districts, West Jaintia Hills District came into existence on 31 July 2012 with its headquarters at Jowai. Jowai is the host of all the heads of important governmental offices and establishments, educational institutions, hospitals, banking institutions, etc.
Neil Nongkynrih was an Indian concert pianist and conductor. He founded the Shillong Chamber Choir (SCC), which won the reality show India's Got Talent in 2010. He was awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India in 2015.
Dkhar, is a term used by the Khasis to refer to non-Khasi people in Meghalaya. It is non derogatory but some perceived it as derogatory. For Khasis any non-tribal is a dkhar and they address them by that term. Sometimes the word dkhar have been collectively used with the term heathen (Non-believers), as most of the native Khasis are christian, While non-tribals are mainly hindu. In real, the term is mostly used against affluent Bengali Hindu settlers from West Bengal or the Bengali Hindu refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan It is sometimes abbreviated to ′Khar and may also denote a Khasi clan with the same name.
Patricia Mukhim is an Indian social activist, writer, journalist and the editor of Shillong Times, known for her social activism. A recipient of honours such as Chameli Devi Jain award, ONE India award, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry FLO award, Upendra Nath Brahma Soldier of Humanity award, Siva Prasad Barooah National award and North East Excellence award, she was honored by the Government of India, in 2000, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri.
Northeast India consists of eight states: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. Tourism in this area is based around the unique Himalayan landscape and culture distinct from the rest of India.
Hamlet Bareh Ngapkynta (1931–2012) was an Indian writer, historian and film director from the Northeast Indian state of Meghalaya. He is known as the first person from the Khasi tribe, an indigenous ethnic group of the state, to secure a doctoral degree (PhD) and as the maker of the first feature film in the Khasi language, Ka Synjuk Ri ki Laiphew Syiem. He was the chairman of the executive committee of the Rajiv Gandhi University, Arunachal Pradesh, and a recipient of the 2004 Meghalaya Day Award. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri in 2004.
South Shillong is one of the 60 Legislative Assembly constituencies of Meghalaya state in India. It is part of East Khasi Hills district. It falls under Shillong Lok Sabha constituency and comprises Wards 22 to 27 of the Shillong Municipal Corporation as well as Shillong Cantonment. Its current MLA is Sanbor Shullai of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
East Shillong is one of the 60 Legislative Assembly constituencies of Meghalaya state in India. It is part of East Khasi Hills district and is reserved for candidates belonging to the Scheduled Tribes. It falls under Shillong Lok Sabha constituency and its current MLA is Ampareen Lyngdoh of National People's Party.
North Shillong is one of the 60 Legislative Assembly constituencies of Meghalaya state in India. It is part of East Khasi Hills district and is reserved for candidates belonging to the Scheduled Tribes. It falls under Shillong Lok Sabha constituency. The seat had been vacant following the resignation of Adelbert Nongrum, formerly of the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) on 12 January 2023. Nongrum won the seat again following the 2023 Meghalaya Legislative Assembly election.
West Shillong is one of the 60 Legislative Assembly constituencies of Meghalaya state in India. It is part of East Khasi Hills district. It falls under Shillong Lok Sabha constituency and its current MLA is Paul Lyngdoh of United Democratic Party.
Hinduism is a minority religion in the Meghalaya state of India constituting 12% of the state's population. The Nartiang Durga Temple in Meghalaya is one of the 51 Shakti peethas on Earth and is considered by Hindus of Meghalaya as the permanent abode of Goddess Durga. Hinduism is a popular religion practice by Rabhas, Hajongs, Kochs, Rajbongshis, Mikirs, Bengalis, Nepalis, Biharis etc.
Eastern West Khasi Hills is a district in the Indian state of Meghalaya, located approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of the state capital of Shillong. It was created in 2021, after bifurcation of existing West Khasi Hills district. The territories which make up the district recorded a total population of 131,451 in the 2011 census. The district headquarters is the town of Mairang.
The Seng Khasi movement is a socio-cultural movement in the northeast Indian state of Meghalaya. The movement supports the protection and preservation of Khasi culture and Niam Khasi, their traditional religion.