Unique features in Cherrapunji (presently known as Sohra)

Indigenous people living in the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, India, are known Khasis. Khasi belongs to Mon Khmer group of Languges. It is said that khasis arrived in the North-Eastern part of India some 4000 years back from Kampuchea (Cambodia). I am sharing a few unique features Khasis here in this post.

A tombstone is known as 'kpep' in Khasi. There are a number of them in Sohra. Sizes of these ‘kpep’s vary greatly.

Kpep in Upper Cherrpunji

Kpep in Lower Cherrapunji

ashes and broken pitcher in one kpep

There are two big ‘kpep’s on the stream in Lower Cherrapunji. On one of them n‘kpep’s names of  a number of kings are written marble of some such material. On the other no names are written.  The names were written both in Roman and Bengali scripts. In fact, Khasi kings could not be cremated unless all the people of the kingdom could be fed. Once it was possible, bodies of all the deceased kings were cremated and ashes kept in 'kpep's. There is a house in Pdengshnong (Upper Cherrapunji) where all the dead bodies of kings are kept pending cremation as it is not being possible to feed the whole population! These ‘kpep’s are slowly being spoilt in the absence of maintenance. Very soon people will forget the history a culture of this area. Some ‘kpep’s were kept in a secured place in Upper Cherrapunji but these are also being ruined.

One of the kpeps of kings in Lower Cherrapunji with names of kings

Another kpep of kings

Kpeps in Upper Cherrapunji

 Kpeps in Upper Cherrapunji

 

 

There were two different types of ‘kpep’s on the top of two hillocks in Upper Cherrapunji. These were circular in structure tapering towards the top. The top was flat. There were a few steps for going to the top.

 

  

                                                                    Post on one kpep

 On the top there is a post on which three words are written. I could not understand the first word but the next two words are ‘briew pyrthei’ – people of the earth. One of them has already vanished and the other is in bad shape too.

Stonehenge in Lower Chwrrapunji

European Grave Yard in Lower Cherrapunji

                                                                 Arch bridge in Cherrapunji

There are plenty of them in Lower Cherrapunji area

 

Slanting supports under bridge in Lower Cherrapunji. These have been there for ages.