Baghmara (Meg)

Ben: বাঘমারা bāghamārā ‘Tiger Killed’  [Barokar]  Town/HQ (South Garo Hills District), Meghalaya In 1886 Bong Lasker was heroically involved in a fight with a wild tiger that had been terrorising the village and its cattle in which the tiger [Ben: bāgh, ‘tiger’]...

Cherrapunji/Sohra (Meg)

Ben: চেরাপুঞ্জি  c(h)ērāpuñji ‘Sohra Cluster’/’Scanty Fruit’  Town/Sub-division, Meghalaya From Sohra and Ben: puñja, ‘group’, cluster’; and Kha: sohra, ‘bearing small or scanty fruits’. Sohra is Cherrapunji’s local name and its official name.  Cherrapunji is a...

Seven Sisters – North East Region (NER)

The ‘Seven Sisters’ are a family of seven states on the North Eastern Region (NER) of India: Arunachal Pradesh (ArP), Assam (Asm), Manipur (Man), Meghalaya (Meg), Mizoram (Miz), Nagaland (Nag), Tripura (Tri). Sikkim is usually included as a brother state....

Shillong (Meg)

‘Shyllong’  City/Capital, Meghalaya From Lei Shyllong, a Khasi god. Shillong Peak (U Lum Shyllong) is the highest mountain in Meghalaya. Its name comes from the Khasi god, Lei Shyllong who is said to live on the mountain. Khasis still perform rituals and ceremonies...

Tura (Meg)

‘Durama Imbama’  [Dura]  City, Meghalaya From Durama Imbama, a Garo god. Tura is in the foothills of the Tura Hills. Tura peak (872m) is where the Garo goddess Durama Imbama lives.  Tura is in the West of Meghalaya and is closer to Assam, Guwahati, West Bengal and...

Williamnagar (Meg)

‘Williamson’s Town’  [Simsanggre]  Town, Meghalaya Williamson Ampang Sangma (1919 – 1990), a Garo leader, was a pioneer in the struggle for Meghalaya state and its founding Chief Minister.  He was born in Baghmara and fought his whole life for the rights and autonomy...