The Mawphlang Sacred Forest is one of the best-known sacred groves in the Khasi Hills, protected for centuries by local religious tradition. Nothing may be removed from the forest — not a leaf or a fallen branch — and that taboo has preserved dense old-growth woodland full of mosses, orchids, ferns and huge trees.
Visits are led by guides from Mawphlang village, who explain the forest's rituals, the stone monoliths used in ceremonies, and the plants used in traditional medicine. The walk is gentle but can be muddy.
It is about an hour from Shillong and is often combined with Laitlum Canyons, or with the historic David Scott trail, which starts nearby.
