Eclectic Northeast – July 2019

July 2019 │ │ 65

Disclaimer: The information in the article was provided by the

management currently running the establishment. We do not

claim responsibility for any false claims about the organization or

ownership of the same.

Department. However, the plan was dropped after

the government proposed another circuit house in

Cherrapunjee.

‘For years, the place was abandoned. The

bungalow stood deserted for many years after the

Independence. The locals finally decided to restore

the place. I proposed the idea of starting a café at

the bungalow. As Sohra witnessed a huge number

of national and international tourists every year, the

idea of a café cum resort right at the bungalow, while

keeping the old heritage ambience intact, seemed like

a superb idea.’ The location of the Bungalow, halfway

between Shillong and Cherrapunjee, served as an

ideal pit stop for travellers on the lookout for tasty

local food. ‘The bungalow can be described more as

historical wealth, and we will try to preserve it to the

best of our abilities.’

Alan, a native of Sohra himself, feels that the

bungalow is much more than a tourist spot. ‘The

bungalow has provided a scope for expansion. Along

with the café, it has evolved into a tourist spot, which

has in turn provided employment to the local youth.

We hope that it will keep attracting tourists, and we

also hope to preserve the heritage of the bungalow

for years to come.’ Next time, you are en route to

Cherrapunjee, make sure to stop by and experience

the vintage bungalow that has many stories to tell.

The Vintage Appeal
Café Cherrapunjee is a popular place among
tourists visiting Sohra (Cherrapunjee). And why not,
the main building that houses the restaurant is a
vintage beauty. After all, it used to be a Dak Bungalow,
built about 125 years ago. Dak Bungalows or Dak-
houses were bustling government buildings under
the British Raj.
‘Sohra, also known as Churra in the present East
Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya was the kind of
place that the British were looking for in the region,’
shared Alan West, the owner of the cafe. Sohra
originally held the title of being the wettest place
on Earth and is famous for its annual rainfall. High
above the foggy valleys and foaming rivers and
hidden under the clouds and floating on a headland,
lies Cherrapunjee, 4,500 ft above the sea level. The
destination is a spectacular location with year-round
rain. Here, the rainfall can be recorded in feet rather
than in millimetres. ‘Sohra is the place where British
Christian missionaries first came in contact with
the Khasi tribal community, and converted them to
Christianity in the early 18th century. The British also
gave the Khasis their script, English, and helped them
systematize their grammar,’ he added.
Located on the highlands in Sohra, the bungalow
has a special charm that cannot be overlooked. The
fireplace and retro posters depicting the 125-year-old
history tends to take travellers back in time. Apart
from the bungalow, another relic that has survived for
a century is the gramophone that is on display.
While narrating the history of the Dak Bungalow,
Alan mentioned, ‘The Bungalow was used as a post
office by the British back then. It served the areas
connecting Bangladesh and the Northeast. Use of
horses was common by the messengers. Hence, this
was one of the many Dak Bungalows where official
horses were changed while en-route from Dhaka to
Assam by the British officials. The bungalow became
a major point for horse exchange. The operation in the
post office was at its peak during the Second World
War. During the Quit India Movement, the British
used the post office for emergency purposes.’ He
further explained that many significant meetings by
senior British officers also took place at the Bungalow
before the Independence.

From Government Building to Tourist Spot
Meghalaya government decided to renovate the
bungalow and transform into a circuit house, like
in the case of most bungalows under the Tourism

In 1960s, the Dak Bungalow

in Sohra found mention in the

international news agency,

Reuters, which reported that

an Unidentified Flying Object

(UFO) was seen hovering over

the property. The sighting added

to the mysterious charm of the

Bungalow.