There is much more to Meghalaya than Shillong, Cherrapunjee, and Dawki. There are many more hidden gems, as I would like to call it, beyond the most popular places to see in Meghalaya. One such example, a little about which I have already written, is this remote Khasi village in Meghalaya. While this village an example of the best offbeat places to visit in Meghalaya, only villages and waterfalls and valleys are not the only examples of offbeat Meghalaya, something which Meghalaya tourism has been looking to promote recently.

There are many historic places spread across the state of Meghalaya which deserve much more attention than they have been receiving. One such historically significant and really impressive place is the monolith park at Nartiang.

Offbeat Places To Visit in Meghalaya – The Nartiang Monoliths

Located at a little more than an hour from the state capital Shillong and around 3.5 hours from Guwahati, Nartiang is a small but historically significant town in the Jaintia hills region of Meghalaya. Once the summer capital of the Jaintia kings, Nartiang is now a modern town with bright colored houses and English-medium schools. It seems it has almost forgotten everything about its rich history. Be it the centuries-old Durga Mandir, one of the very few signs of Hinduism in the region or the historic monolith park.

Both the places seem to be in shambles comparatively. Even though one of these two, the monolith park is supposed to be taken care of by the Archeological Survey of India. Spend a little time in the park and you cannot help yourself but feel the number of stories each monolith there holds.

If you have walked through the 800 – year old sacred grove forest of Mawphlang, which in itself is really impressive an gorgeously beautiful, you cannot help but agree that this place in Nartiang, with its priceless history, deserves much more attention than it actually gets.

Remains of an era gone by

This huge collection of monoliths, brought from all over what was once the Jaintia kingdom, is a sacred spot for the Jaintias. The remnants of the park give us a glimpse of the times and of the way of life in the Jaintia kingdom. It is said that these monoliths are around 400-500 years old.

If you are someone who likes history and enjoys being at quiet places, you must visit Nartiang. Hardly any tourists visit there and the place is really quiet. You can spend as much time as you want to spend there and explore the place at your own pace. There will be no one to disturb you. On the flipside, there is no one to help you with the history around the monoliths and the place.

How To Reach Nartiang Monoliths

• If you are coming from Shillong or Guwahati side, take a left from Ummulung village, 3 kilometers before the Thadlaskein lake.
• Then, follow the route for 13 kilometers until you reach Nartiang village.
• Then, ask around. The park will be on your left.

Do you like visiting historic places? Have you visited Nartiang? Do let me know.