Mawlynnong is a Khasi village in East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, about 78 km (2.5 hours) from Shillong and 30 km from Dawki, known since 2003 for being named Asia's cleanest village by Discover India magazine. See its flower-lined lanes, the Riwai living root bridge and the bamboo Sky View. The village charges a small entry fee.
Mawlynnong became famous in 2003, when Discover India magazine called it the cleanest village in Asia. The label brought buses of visitors to a place of fewer than a hundred households, and the village has adapted: there is now an entry gate, a car park and guest houses, but the habits that earned the title are still visible. Bamboo dustbins stand along every lane, paths are swept every morning, and residents compost leaf and food waste.
The village sits on a slope above the Bangladesh plains at the southern edge of the Khasi Hills, with betel nut groves, broom grass and flowering gardens between the houses. A short walk takes in the Church of the Epiphany, a balancing rock, and the Sky View, a bamboo tower that looks out over the plains on a clear day.
About 2 km before the village, a short trail leads down to the Riwai living root bridge, the easiest root bridge to reach in Meghalaya. We plan Mawlynnong as a half-day with Riwai on the way to Dawki. Visit on a weekday if you can; weekends in the dry season are crowded.
What makes it worth the trip
Clean lanes
Swept stone paths, bamboo bins and neat gardens are part of village rules that residents still follow.
Riwai root bridge
A single living root bridge about 2 km from the village, reached by a short, easy flight of steps.
Sky View
A bamboo lookout tower with views south across the plains towards Bangladesh on clear days.
Balancing rock
A large boulder resting on a smaller stone, a short walk from the village centre.
Church of the Epiphany
A small, old church at the heart of the village; keep quiet if a service is on.
Sujan Bandyopadhyay · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Madhumita Das · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sujan Bandyopadhyay · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Things to do
- Walk the village lanes and gardens in the early morning before day-trippers arrive
- Walk down to the Riwai living root bridge
- Climb the bamboo Sky View for views of the plains
- See the balancing rock and the Church of the Epiphany
- Eat a Khasi lunch of rice, dal and local greens at a village eatery
- Stay overnight in a guest house and see the village after the buses leave
- Continue to Dawki and the Umngot River, about 30 km away
Getting there
Mawlynnong is about 78 km from Shillong via Pynursla, a drive of roughly 2.5 hours on a mostly good road; the last 15 km is narrower and winding. The Riwai root bridge parking is about 2 km before the village. Dawki is about 30 km away, so most visitors combine the two in one long day from Shillong or on the way to a night in Dawki or Shnongpdeng. Public transport is limited to occasional shared taxis to Pynursla, so hire a cab for the full day from Shillong.
Where to stay
Mawlynnong has several family-run guest houses and bamboo cottages, some raised on stilts, with simple rooms and home-cooked Khasi meals. A night here lets you see the village in the quiet evening and early morning, after day visitors leave. Book ahead for October to December weekends, as rooms are limited. Alternatives nearby are riverside camps and homestays at Shnongpdeng and Dawki, 30 to 40 km away, or a hotel in Shillong if you prefer more comfort and a longer drive.
Local tips
- Use the bins and carry your own rubbish out; littering is taken seriously here
- Smoking and plastic are discouraged in the village; follow the signs
- Ask before photographing people or entering gardens
- Visit on a weekday or stay overnight to avoid crowds
- Carry cash for entry, parking and small fees at the Sky View and root bridge
- Combine with Dawki the same day; start from Shillong by 7.30 am
Rain and weather
Source: IMD 1991–2020 normals
October to April for dry lanes and views over the plains; the monsoon is lush but very wet.
