Mawphlang Sacred Forest

Mawphlang Sacred Forest (Law Kyntang) is an ancient, community-protected oak forest located in Mawphlang, East Khasi Hills District, Meghalaya, at 1,800 meters above sea level. Located approximately 25 kilometers southwest of Shillong, this 76-hectare sanctuary has been preserved for over 800 years by the local Blah clan through strict customary laws and spiritual taboos.

The Guardian Deity U Ryngkew U Basa

Inside the forest, the rules of conservation are guarded by U Ryngkew U Basa, the deity of the grove. The primary commandment of Mawphlang is absolute: you must not carry anything out of the forest. Removing even a single leaf, twig, stone, or flower is strictly forbidden. Local oral histories recount that those who violated this taboo faced sudden illness or severe misfortune.

Deep within the canopy, stone monoliths (maw) and sacrificial altars lie hidden under moss-draped branches. Historically, the Lyngdoh (priest) and clan elders performed sacrifices and rituals here during times of community crisis, plague, or war, appealing directly to the guardian deity.

Primeval Canopy and Botanical Speciation

Mawphlang is a living ecological time capsule, representing the pristine subtropical broadleaf forest that once covered the entire Shillong Plateau. The dense canopy is formed by ancient oaks (Quercus species), rhododendrons, and chestnuts draped in thick layers of epiphytic mosses, lichens, and climbing ferns.

The forest floor is a hotspot of unique biodiversity:

• Pitcher Plants: The carnivorous pitcher plant (Nepenthes khasiana) grows along the margins of the grove.
• Medicinal Flora: You can find the anti-cancer yew tree (Taxus baccata) and wild black pepper growing under the canopy.
• Mushrooms and Fungi: The grove supports a vast underground mycorrhizal network, featuring bracket fungi and bioluminescent mushrooms that glow faintly at night.

Visiting Guidelines and Local Guides

Walking through Mawphlang requires the accompaniment of a registered Khasi guide from the local Dorbar Shnong (village council). The guides are descendants of the clans that protect the forest and share stories of Khasi cosmology, traditional medicine, and tribal history.

Directly opposite the forest entrance, the Khasi Heritage Village features replica thatched-roof wood-and-stone huts. Visitors can spend 20-30 minutes exploring these traditional structures to understand historical Khasi architecture and domestic life.

Walk this ancient sanctuary on our Offbeat Meghalaya Explorer Tour.