Once you step into this forest in Northeast India, you can’t step out of its mysterious legend and stories!

Winds blowing through the trees, a welcoming silence and a dense forest waiting to be explored. Standing in front of a field with a forest in the middle of it feels overwhelming. With just a few people around and most of them being tour guides, the Mawphlang Sacred Grove in Shillong in the state of Meghalaya, India is a mystery being unraveled.

Unlike other parts of India, in Meghalaya 90% of the forests are owned by communities and individuals and not by the government. And these communities consider these forests as a sacred space. They believe that the forest deities would be offended if trees are cut and twigs, flowers, fruits, etc. are plucked. These groves are rich areas for plants, birds and mammals and if anything is taken away from the forest the community will have to face the wrath of the deity.

The Sacred Grove in Shillong is spread across 76 hectares of land and is protected by the deity called Labasa. With the help of a local guide I entered the forest to peel off its layers of mystery. Entering the forest is almost like entering a sacred temple with a network of plants and trees, some being almost 1000 years old. As I walked I saw many medical plants and Rudraksh trees (the seeds are used in religious ceremonies by Hindus). Mushrooms, ferns, orchids and so much more is scattered around this serene forest.

But the most captivating is not just the fauna but the story behind this mysterious grove. “The local tribes here believe that deity Labasa lives in this forest and takes on the form of big cat i.e. a tiger or a leopard to protect this forest” explains my guide Wilson. Stone temples are scattered all across the forest where animal sacrifices are performed during times of need. “If anyone dies within the local tribe, they burn their bones in the forest” said Wilson.

The most interesting fact that captured my mind was, that nothing can be taken from this forest and if one does that it can led to sickness or even death. The tribes do not want to anger the deity. “ According to a popular legend, in 1970, the army tried taking out the dead wood and trees from this forest, but they were not able to do so as the truck didn’t start even after trying multiple times.” added Wilson as we continued exploring the different plan species.

The sacred grove is not just a religious space but it where the locals celebrate nature and work towards conserving it. It is a great learning to see how communities and nature thrive together.