Cherrapunji

Introduction

"Sohra" redirects here. For places in Iran, see Sohra, Iran. Town in Meghalaya, IndiaCherrapunji SohraTownSohra has held the record for highest rainfall multiple times in the past.CherrapunjiLocation in MeghalayaShow map of MeghalayaCherrapunjiCherrapunji (India)Show map of IndiaCoordinates: 25°17′02″N 91°43′16″E / 25.284°N 91.721°E / 25.284; 91.721CountryIndiaStateMeghalayaDistrictEast Khasi HillsElevation1,430 m (4,690 ft)Population (2011) • Total14,816 • Density397/km2 (1,030/sq mi)Languages • OfficialKhasi, EnglishTime zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)Telephone code03637Precipitation11,777 millimetres (463.7 in)ClimateCwbWebsitesohra.gov.in Cherrapunji (/ˌtʃɛrəˈpʌndʒi, -ˈpʊn-/ ⓘ), also known as Sohra, is a sub-divisional town (Proposed District) in the East Khasi Hills district in the Indian state of Meghalaya. It was the traditional capital of ka hima Sohra (Khasi tribal kingdom). Sohra has often been credited as being the wettest place on Earth, but currently, nearby Mawsynram holds that distinction. Sohra still holds the all-time record for the most rainfall in a calendar month and in a year, however. It received 9,300 millimetres (370 in; 30.5 ft) in July 1861 and 26,461 millimetres (1,041.8 in; 86.814 ft) between 1 August 1860 and 31 July 1861.

Background

[edit] Etymology[edit] The original native name for this town in Khasi language is Sohra (soh-ra), which was mispronounced "Cherra" by the 19th century British colonisers. Later, the suffix "punjee", a Bengali term meaning "a cluster of villages", was added by people from the plains, and the name evolved into Cherrapunji, meaning "land of oranges" in some interpretations, popularized by tourists from other parts of India. It has again been officially renamed to its original form, Sohra. History[edit] The history of the Khasi people – native inhabitants of Sohra– may be traced from the early part of the 16th century. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, these people were ruled by their tribal 'Syiems (rajas or chiefs) of Khyriem' in the Khasi Hills. The main pivot on which the entire superstructure of Khasi society rests is the matrilineal system. The Khasi hills came under British authority in 1833 with the submission of the last of the important Syiem, Tirot Sing Syiem.[citation needed] There is a monument to David Scott (British Administrator in NE India, 1802–1831) in the town's cemetery. Despite abundant rainfall, Sohra faces an acute water shortage and the inhabitants often have to trek very long distances to obtain potable water. Irrigation is hampered due to excessive rain washing away the topsoil as a result of human encroachment into the forests. Recent developments of rain-water harvesting techniques in the area have greatly helped the town and its neighbouring villages.

Economy

[edit] Education[edit] Colleges[edit] Ramkrishna Mission College, Sohra Sohra Government College Sohra has the National Institute of Technology, Meghalaya near Saitsophen, which offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral degrees. Independent schools like the Ramkrishna Mission School and government-run schools like the Thomas Jones School have been set up in and around the town. Media[edit] Sohra has an All India Radio relay station known as Akashvani Sohra. It broadcasts on FM frequencies. Tourism[edit] Tourism is main economic activity, and Sohra is used as a base town and central hub for tourists who visit the nearby tourist places such as the mountains, valleys, viewpoints, caves, rivers, waterfalls, and traditional bridges.[citation needed] Sohra is also known for its living bridges. Over hundreds of years the people have developed techniques for growing roots of trees into large bridges. The process takes 10 to 15 years and the bridges typically last hundreds of years, with the oldest one, still in active use, being over 500 years old. Transport[edit] Shillong Airport, 80 km north, is the only operational civilian airport in Meghalaya with the domestic flights within Northeast India. Guwahati Airport, 165 km north in Assam state, is major airport for the regional, national and international air connectivity. SH-5 (Meghalaya State Highway 5) connects Sohra to Shillong, and Shillong is further connected to Guwahati by the NH-6. Historic Khasi states in Meghalaya Guwahati railway station, 165 km north, is the nearest railway station which connects to the rest of India. Once the under-construction Tetelia–Byrnihat line (Shillong) is completed, it will bring the rail connectivity closer to Sohra.

Geography

[edit] Sohra, India Climate chart (explanation) J F M A M J J A S O N D     11     16 7     46     17 9     240     21 13     938     22 15     1214     22 16     2294     23 18     3272     22 18     1760     23 18     1352     23 18     549     23 16     72     20 12     29     17 8 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mmSource: NOAA Imperial conversion JFMAMJJASOND     0.4     60 45     1.8     63 48     9.4     69 55     37     71 58     48     72 61     90     73 64     129     72 65     69     73 65     53     73 64     22     73 60     2.8     69 54     1.1     63 47 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches The Shillong Plateau is an uplifted horst-like feature, bounded by the E-W Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) to the North, the N–S Jamuna fault in the west, and the NW–SE kopilli fracture zone in the east. Sohra has an average elevation of 1,430 metres (4,690 ft) and sits on a plateau in the southern part of the Khasi Hills, facing the plains of Bangladesh. The plateau rises 660 metres (2,170 ft) above the surrounding valleys. Soils on the plateau are poor owing to deforestation and washout caused by heavy rainfall. Owing to winter droughts, the vegetation in this location is even xerophytic in spite of the town's fame as an extremely wet place. Additional pressure on local ecosystems is created by the rapid increase of the population – from a Sohra-area population of 7,000 in 1960, it grew to over 10,000 by 2000. The valleys around Sohra, however, are covered with lush and very diverse vegetation, containing numerous endemic species of plants, including the Meghalaya subtropical forests. There are some interesting living root bridges in villages near Sohra like the Umshiang Root Bridge, Mawsaw root bridge, Ritymmen root bridge, and the Double Decker root bridge at Nongriat village. Climate[edit] Cherrapunji has a mild subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cwb), with monsoonal influences typical of India. Although Sohra has very wet, warm summers, it has dry, mild winters. The city's annual rainfall average stands at 11,777 millimetres (463.7 in). This figure places it behind only nearby Mawsynram, Meghalaya, whose average is 11,873 millimetres (467.4 in). Sohra receives both the southwest and northeast monsoonal winds, giving it a single monsoon season. It lies on the windward side of the Khasi Hills, so the resulting orographic lift enhances precipitation. In the winter months it receives the northeast monsoon showers that travel down the Brahmaputra valley. The driest months are November, December, January, and February. Temperatures average 11.5 °C (52.7 °F) in January and 20.6 °C (69.1 °F) in August, and the annual mean is 17.3 °C (63.1 °F) Sohra holds two Guinness world records for receiving the maximum amount of rainfall in a single year: 26,471 millimetres (1,042.2 in) of rainfall between August 1860 and July 1861 and for receiving the maximum amount of rainfall in a single month: 9,300 millimetres (370 in) in July 1861. Climate data for Cherrapunji (1991–2020, extremes 1902–present) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 26.7(80.1) 28.9(84.0) 30.6(87.1) 28.3(82.9) 30.9(87.6) 29.9(85.8) 30.3(86.5) 30.3(86.5) 33.1(91.6) 32.1(89.8) 28.7(83.7) 25.6(78.1) 33.1(91.6) Mean maximum °C (°F) 20.6(69.1) 22.2(72.0) 25.3(77.5) 26.0(78.8) 26.5(79.7) 26.8(80.2) 26.9(80.4) 27.6(81.7) 27.9(82.2) 27.5(81.5) 25.6(78.1) 21.9(71.4) 28.9(84.0) Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 17.2(63.0) 18.8(65.8) 21.4(70.5) 22.7(72.9) 23.1(73.6) 23.1(73.6) 22.9(73.2) 23.6(74.5) 23.9(75.0) 24.0(75.2) 21.8(71.2) 18.8(65.8) 21.8(71.2) Daily mean °C (°F) 12.3(54.1) 14.1(57.4) 17.0(62.6) 18.7(65.7) 19.9(67.8) 20.6(69.1) 20.6(69.1) 21.1(70.0) 21.0(69.8) 20.0(68.0) 16.9(62.4) 13.8(56.8) 18.0(64.4) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 6.6(43.9) 8.7(47.7) 12.1(53.8) 14.4(57.9) 16.1(61.0) 17.7(63.9) 18.1(64.6) 18.2(64.8) 17.6(63.7) 15.3(59.5) 11.4(52.5) 8.2(46.8) 13.7(56.7) Mean minimum °C (°F) 3.2(37.8) 4.9(40.8) 8.1(46.6) 10.4(50.7) 12.4(54.3) 15.3(59.5) 16.4(61.5) 16.6(61.9) 15.6(60.1) 11.8(53.2) 8.0(46.4) 5.2(41.4) 3.0(37.4) Record low °C (°F) −1.0(30.2) 0.3(32.5) 0.6(33.1) 3.9(39.0) 3.3(37.9) 9.2(48.6) 10.0(50.0) 9.0(48.2) 12.4(54.3) 7.8(46.0) 3.7(38.7) 1.7(35.1) −1.0(30.2) Average rainfall mm (inches) 15.5(0.61) 53.7(2.11) 364.1(14.33) 792.4(31.20) 1,297.1(51.07) 2,608.1(102.68) 2,665.4(104.94) 1,768.7(69.63) 1,089.7(42.90) 461.4(18.17) 49.3(1.94) 10.2(0.40) 11,175.8(439.99) Average rainy days (≥ 2.5 mm) 1.4 2.5 7.4 16.1 20.7 25.2 27.8 24.1 18.2 7.6 1.6 0.8 153.5 Average relative humidity (%) 69 66 68 79 85 92 94 92 89 80 70 70 80 Source 1: India Meteorological Department Source 2: NOAA (humidity), Tokyo Climate Center (mean temperatures 1991–2020) Causes of high rainfall[edit] This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Sohra receives rains from the Bay of Bengal arm of the Indian summer monsoon. The monsoon clouds fly unhindered over the plains of Bangladesh for about 400 km. Thereafter, they hit the Khasi Hills which rise abruptly from the plains to a height of about 1,370 m above mean sea level within 2 to 5 km. The geography of the hills with many deep valley channels encompassing the low-flying (150–300 m) moisture-laden clouds from a wide area converges over Sohra. The winds push the rain clouds through these gorges and up the steep slopes. The rapid ascent of the clouds into the upper atmosphere hastens the cooling and helps vapours to condense. Most of the rain is the result of air being lifted as a large body of water vapour. The extreme amount of rainfall is perhaps the best-known feature of orographic rain in northeastern India. Occasionally, cloudbursts can occur in one part of Sohra while other areas may be totally or relatively dry, reflecting the high spatial variability of the rainfall. Atmospheric humidity is extremely high during the peak monsoon period. The major part of the rainfall at Sohra can be attributed to the orographic features. When the clouds are blown over the hills from the south, they are funneled through the valley. The clouds strike Sohra perpendicularly and the low flying clouds are pushed up the steep slopes. It is not surprising to find that the heaviest rainfalls occur when the winds blow directly on the Khasi Hills. A notable feature of monsoon rain at Sohra is that most of it falls in the morning. This could be partly due to two air masses coming together. During the monsoon months, the prevailing winds along the Brahmaputra valley generally blow from the east or the northeast, but the winds over Meghalaya are from the south. These two winds systems usually come together in the vicinity of the Khasi Hills. Apparently, the winds that are trapped in the valley at night begin their upward ascent only after they are warmed during the day. This partially explains the frequency of morning rainfall. Apart from orographic features, atmospheric convection plays an important role during the monsoon and the period just preceding it.

People

[edit] Culture[edit] The native inhabitants living in and around Sohra are known as Khasi people. Their society is a matrilineal one. The children take on the surname of the mother. Demographics[edit] Religion in Cherrapunji (2011) Christianity (71.4%) Niam Khasi (24.4%) Hinduism (3.97%) Islam (0.08%) Others (0.19%) As of the 2011 census of India, Sohra had a population of 10,086, with males 48.75% of the total population and females 51.25%. It has an average literacy rate of 74%, equal to the national average of 74.5%, with a male literacy rate of 72.4% and a female one of 73.9%. Most of the people in the town overwhelmingly follow Christianity, with significant followers of indigenous Niam Khasi, Hinduism and a very small Muslim population.

Gallery

[edit] NohKaLikai Falls Aerial View Nohkalikai falls Seven Sisters' falls Bangladesh View Point in Sohra Another view of Bangladesh plains from Sohra Khasi children c. 1944

Sources and external links

[edit] Cherrapunji travel guide from Wikivoyage cherrapunjee.com Interactive Film Documentary by Geox - Testing A New Waterproof Shoe In The Rainiest Place On Earth 'For a Rainy Day', The Indian Express, 20 April 2008, by Arjun Razdan vte State of MeghalayaCapital: ShillongState symbols Animal: Clouded leopard Bird: Hill myna Flower: Lady's Slipper Orchid Tree: Gamhar Topics Economy Education Government of Meghalaya Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Northeast India Seven Sister States Administration Government Legislative Assembly Chief Ministers Governors High Court Police Political Party Divisions Tura Shillong Districts East Garo Hills East Jaintia Hills East Khasi Hills Eastern West Khasi Hills North Garo Hills Ri-Bhoi South Garo Hills South West Garo Hills South West Khasi Hills West Garo Hills West Jaintia Hills West Khasi Hills Municipalities Baghmara Jowai Mairang Nongpoh Nongstoin Resubelpara Shillong Sohra/Cherrapunji Tura Williamnagar Portal: India vteTourism in IndiaBy state Andhra Pradesh Andaman and Nicobar Islands Assam Bihar Delhi Chhattisgarh Goa Gujarat Himachal Pradesh Jammu and Kashmir Jharkhand Haryana Karnataka Kerala Ladakh Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra Mizoram Northeast India Odisha Puducherry Punjab Rajasthan Telangana Tamil Nadu Uttar Pradesh Uttarakhand West Bengal By city Agra Ahmedabad Aurangabad Bangalore Bhopal Chandigarh Chennai Coimbatore Dehradun Delhi Gwalior Hyderabad Jabalpur Jaipur Kochi Kolkata Kozhikode Lucknow Madurai Mumbai Mysore Patna Prayagraj Pune Surat Thiruvananthapuram Tiruchirappalli Udaipur Vadodara Varanasi Vellore Vijayawada Visakhapatnam Types Atomic Ayurvedic Medical Sport Yoga SitesArchaeological Archaeoastronomical Sites Buildings Cave Paintings Dolmens Forts Fossil Parks Geological Monuments Ghats Menhirs Monuments Museums National Heritage Sites Pilgrimage sites Rock-cut Temples Sculptures Statues Stepwells Structures World Heritage Sites Nature Beaches Caves Coral Reefs Hill stations Islands Lakes Mountains Rivers Waterfalls Wildlife National Parks Protected Areas Sacred Groves Tiger Reserves Culture Atithi Devo Bhava Cinema Cuisine Festivals Indian diaspora Indianisation Indosphere Languages Namaste Religion Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava Transport Aerial Tramways Airports Borders Bridges Ghat Roads Railway Luxury Trains Mountain Railways Agencies India Tourism Development Corporation Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Assam Tourism Development Corporation Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation Gujarat Tourism Haryana Tourism Corporation Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation Kerala Tourism Development Corporation Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation Odisha Tourism Development Corporation Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation Uttar Pradesh Tourism West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Related History Incredible India Visa policy Category Commons Authority control databases InternationalVIAFGNDNationalUnited StatesIsrael

Cherrapunji

From Wikipedia

Living with the monsoon

Beyond the clouds: Hill‑top trails