Meghalaya

Unidentified miscreants allegedly vandalized a Hanuman Mandir in the Garikhana area of Shillong and decamped with idols, silver ornaments and cash after allegedly disabling CCTV cameras, police said on Sunday, May 10. The incident reportedly took place around 1 am under the jurisdiction of Lumdiengjri Police Station. According to the police, the accused allegedly entered the temple by breaking open a side entrance before ransacking the premises. Based on a complaint filed by Ravi Sharma, the miscreants are suspected to have stolen idols of Lord Krishna and Radha, a small idol of Lord Hanuman, silver ornaments, and several brass ritual items, including water pots, lamps and plates. An undisclosed amount of cash was also allegedly taken from the temple’s donation box. The main idol ...

The famed Living Root Bridge emerged as the main attraction at a two-day cultural event celebrating the heritage, traditions, and artistic legacy of Meghalaya, which began on Sunday. Titled “Ever living Meghalaya: Echoes of the Past, Voices of Today”, the event featured stories, music, art, food, workshops, and immersive installations inspired by the hill state’s rich cultural identity. A specially created installation of the iconic Living Root Bridge, built using raw materials as a model of the original structure, drew large crowds at Bikaner House. The exhibition highlighted Meghalaya’s deep ecological traditions and the enduring relationship between land, people, and culture. Through visual storytelling, archival material, traditional crafts, and live artistic expressions, visitors wer...

Shillong is gearing up to host the 55th edition of Bob Dylan Day, regarded as the world’s longest-running tribute to Nobel Prize-winning music icon Bob Dylan. The two-day celebration will be held on May 23 and 24. The annual tribute is spearheaded by legendary Indian rock musician Lou Majaw, who has been celebrating Dylan’s birthday in Shillong continuously since 1972. Over the decades, the event has evolved from a small gathering of friends into a major musical tradition that attracts fans from across India and abroad. The programme is being organised by Mawjam Event Network in collaboration with the Lou Majaw Foundation. Reflecting on the legacy of the celebration, Lou Majaw said Bob Dylan’s music inspired generations by showing that songs could become a medium of protest, storyt...

Police and rescue personnel on Sunday recovered the body of an unidentified person from a water-filled coal mine shaft in East Jaintia Hills district. The body was retrieved from a coal mine shaft at Moolait Bri Sumer village after local residents alerted authorities about a corpse floating inside the pit. Police and rescue teams, assisted by the State Disaster Response Force, later carried out the recovery operation. East Jaintia Hills Superintendent of Police Pankaj Kumar Rasgania said the operation was difficult due to the depth of the shaft and the waterlogged condition of the abandoned mine. “The body had likely been there for a few days, and we do not yet know the circumstances behind this tragedy. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination and further details will em...

The Meghalaya government has constituted a Commission of Inquiry headed by retired judge T. Vaiphei to investigate the incidents that led to unrest and violence in the Garo Hills region following the filing of nomination papers for the elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council on March 9. According to an official notification issued by the state government, the Commission has been constituted under Section 3 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act in view of the violence, social unrest, and the resulting loss of lives and property in the region. The inquiry panel, chaired by Justice (Retd.) Vaiphei, has been tasked with examining the circumstances that led to the March 9 incident in West Garo Hills and preparing a comprehensive fact-finding report on the acts or omis...

: Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Transport Sniawbhalang Dhar on Friday said the government will not “bulldoze” railway projects in the Khasi-Jaintia region, stressing that implementation will depend on taking all stakeholders on board. Asked about the status of the proposal for railway projects in the region, Dhar said, “We are still negotiating with the stakeholders. That is why the government never bulldozes things.” Mentioning about an all-party committee constituted last year to discuss the issue, he said, “An all-party committee was constituted last year. It takes time. It may take 10-15 meetings because we need to take everybody on board.” On why the Garo Hills region appeared more receptive to railway projects, Dhar said, “Our people are different from place to place...

The Shillong Literary Festival 2026 – New Delhi Prelude opened to a grand response at Bikaner House on May 9, bringing together prominent voices from literature, cinema, journalism, governance, and the creative arts ahead of the main festival scheduled to be held in Shillong from November 12 to 14. Organized by the Department of Tourism, Government of Meghalaya, the two-day prelude aims to expand Meghalaya’s cultural presence nationally while promoting the state as a growing destination for literature, arts, music, and culture-led tourism. A major highlight of the inaugural day was an engaging conversation between Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and senior journalist Shekhar Gupta, where discussions centered on governance, youth aspirations, entrepreneurship, sustai...

Rubbishing allegations of substandard roofing material, Project Management Consultant Sumit Roy on Friday said the new Assembly building’s terrace roof sheets were being replaced after cleaning issues were found, and work would be completed within an hour. Roy, who is supervising the project, said the building is in its final stage. “Currently, this project is in the final stage and right now the cleaning part like in the windows and all is ongoing at site,” he said. On reports that the building’s roof was “falling apart,” he clarified, “Regarding this terrace roof, that sheet we found somewhere sticker and cleaning is not properly done, so we suggested to the contractor to kindly replace it with a new sheet.” He added that the replacement work had already begun. “Two days b...

The mysterious “Ñiangtaser” insect, scientifically known as Chremistica ribhoi, and a rare cicada species found mainly in parts of Ri-Bhoi, has reappeared in the Meghalaya district.What makes the insect unique is its unusual appearance cycle, as it emerges only once every four years, often around the same period as the FIFA World Cup, which is taking place this year. Because of this coincidence, local residents popularly refer to it as the “Ñiang World Cup.”Known for its loud buzzing sound, the insect has become a cultural symbol in several villages of Ri-Bhoi, where people associate its arrival with celebration, football fever and traditional gatherings.Scientists believe the insect spends most of its life underground before emerging briefly as an adult after every four-year cycle.The re...

Police have filed an FIR against the Jaintia National Council (JNC) Western Zone following a protest against toll collection at the Pasyih-lalong plaza on NH-6 in West Jaintia Hills. The case was registered at the Phramer Traffic Cell after JNC members recently blocked the collection of fees from vehicles with ML-04 (West Jaintia Hills) and ML-11 (East Jaintia Hills) registration numbers. The organization maintains that all local residents should be exempted from the toll. JNC Western Zone president Hamehi Bamon, who was summoned by police on Thursday, was informed that a March 2026 order by the Deputy Commissioner only exempts private ML-04 vehicles from eight specific villages near the plaza: lalong, Pasyih, Phramer, Sabah Mutwang, Muthlong, Mookaswan, Nangbah, and Mihmyntdu. ...