Kongthong Village

Shillong, Meghalaya

Timings: 9AM – 5PM

Entry Fees: Free to Visit

Duration: 3 Hours

About Kongthong Village

Kongthong Village is one of the least explored places in Meghalaya and is located at a distance of about 53.4 Kms from Shillong.The unique villagers of Kongthong use whistling as a method for conveying their messages to their fellow villagers just as the birds and animals. This makes Kongthong known as the Whistling Village.
The residents of Kongthong Whistling Village have a custom of calling each other with a specific tune. Each individual has a unique tune for calling their names and this tradition and as well as skill has been passed on from generation to generation of Kongthong Village.
Kongthong Villagers call this tune “Jingrwai Lawbei” which means mother’s love song.
In Kongthong Village there are two stages of tune development:
First Stage – When a child is born, the mother hums and whispers a unique tune for the child and gradually the child becomes familiar with it which becomes his or her caller tune. Every inhabitant of Kongthong Whistling Village know each other’s caller tune.
Second Stage – when the child becomes an adult he creates his tune to communicate with family members and other villagers. Once you are in the village, you will be able to listen to sounds of whistles echoing in the surrounding serene Khasi Hills throughout the day.
Mothers from Kongthong Village say that each particular tune turns out from the core of the heart of each mother. The tune not only communicates a mother’s call to her child but it also communicates joy and love for the kid.
Ever heard parents shouting at their children with tune?
This is Kongthong Village! where the parents utilize this resonant tune to shout to their child and the child adapts to this sound rapidly and react to them.
Villagers have mastered the art of using tunes of Birds.
Being roused by tunes of birds for a long time, Villagers of this Whistling Village learnt this and made caller tunes for their family.
Kongthong Whistling Village is spread with little cottages and homesteads concealed by beetle nut trees and is home to about 650-700 residents.
The villagers here are uninfluenced and untouched by the modern world and they are happy to live within the ambit of their own culture and identity which brings them happiness and satisfaction. They develop the land, chase in the woods and live a tranquil, peaceful and wide-open life.
For ages, people of Kongthong Village have been playing out this whistling custom.

More on Kongthong Village

Experiencing at Kongthong Village
Kongthong Village is an amazing place. There are many things that you can do in Kongthong Village.
Take a Village tour – The best thing you can do here take a tour of the village and try to understand the culture, its uniqueness, and the lifestyle of the villagers. Listen to the people being called out by their unique tune.
Visit The Bee Farm – Kongthong Village is also famous for the production of best quality honey through its bee farms which are later processed and sent to different places. Visit these Bee Farms and educate acquaint yourself with the art of honey making. Be at Nature’s Lap Apart from that, being tucked away from the rest of the world, the village is untouched and pristine. You can find this place to be serene and away from the maddening crowd of the city. Enjoy this serenity and nature around you and rejuvenate yourself from the tiring city life. Spend Your Weekend Kongthong Village also serves as a perfect weekend destination. You can book the Kongthong Village Travellers Nest Homestay and spend your weekend amidst nature. You can also indulge in activities like kite flying, swimming, hiking, bird watching and listening to Khasi fables around the bonfire while enjoying the local Khasi dishes.
Be at Nature’s Lap – Apart from that, being tucked away from the rest of the world, the village is untouched and pristine. You can find this place to be serene and away from the maddening crowd of the city. Enjoy this serenity and nature around you and rejuvenate yourself from the tiring city life.
Spend Your Weekend – Kongthong Village also serves as a perfect weekend destination. You can book the Kongthong Village Travellers Nest Homestay and spend your weekend amidst nature. You can also indulge in activities like kite flying, swimming, hiking, bird watching and listening to Khasi fables around the bonfire while enjoying the local Khasi dishes.
Best Time to Visit Kongthong Village
The best time to visit Kongthong Village is from October to May as during this time the weather will be pleasant and clear. However you can also visit the place during monsoon if you are interested to get the glimpse of the greenery of Kongthong Whistling Village.
History of Kongthong Village
According to the legends, once a man went alone in the jungle for timber and climbed a tree to get rid of the thugs who were following him. Then he started calling his friends by whistling and making sounds so that the goons get unaware of him. Thereupon he was rescued by his friends.
Since then the practice of whistling and making sounds to communicate has been evolved. It soon became a maternal practice for mothers of Kongthong Whistling Village when they started giving distinctive sounds to their kids which became their identity when they grow elder. .
How to Reach Kongthong Village
The nearest airport to reach Kongthong Village is Shillong Airport. You can land in Shillong Airport from where you can hire a cab to reach Kongthong Village which is about 79kms from Shillong Airport.
From Shillong, the Whistling Village is around 55kms. You can hire a car from Shillong to reach here. As Kongthong Village is not connected with the road you have to trek up to 7kms from the last point on the motorable road to reach Kongthong Village.
Travenjo Recommendations on Visiting Kongthong Village
• Since visiting Kongthong Village involves few kilometers of trekking wear Comfortable walking shoes or sandals to trek easily.
• If you plan to visit Kongthong Whitling Village from Shillong and return the same day, then start as early as possible probably by 7or 8 am so that you can reach by you can finish the tour by evening.
• A homestay known as Kongthong Travellers Nest has been established so you can pre-book it if you plan to spend a night there.
• Avoid a visit here during heavy rain.
Kongthong Village Nearby Attractions
Mawkdok Dympep Valley which is about 27kms is the nearby attraction form Kongthong Village.

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