Welcome to Cherrapunji, the second wettest place in the world and a hill station in the state of Meghalaya. It still holds the all time record for the highest recorded rainfall not only in a calendar month but also in a year.
The hills and valleys around the place are quite beautiful and offer a picturesque landscape to the tourists. Due to the abundance of rain, the hill side is covered with a dense vegetation cover and is a treat to anyone who is tired of seeing the grey cityscape. The place is located at a height of around 1500 m from the sea level. While Cherrapunji is the commonly used name, the historical name Sohra is coming into usage more and more of late.
Located just 50 km away from Shillong, Cherrapunji is famous for the double-decker living root bridge. Cherrapunji has a mild subtropical highland climate, with monsoonal influences which makes the town rich in flora. The wonderful widespread views of valleys and waterfalls are a treat to one’s eyes.
Cherapunji receives both the southwest and northwest monsoonal winds, giving it a single monsoon season. It lies on the windward side of the Khasi Hills.
In the winter months it receives the northeast monsoon showers that travel down the Brahmaputra valley. Perhaps it is the only place in India which has monsoon as the only season.