Shillong

Shillong, city, capital of Meghalaya state, northeastern India. The city is located in the east-central part of the state on the Shillong Plateau, at an elevation of 4,990 feet (1,520 metres).

Shillong first became prominent in 1864, when it succeeded Cherrapunji as the district headquarters. In 1874 it was made the capital of the new province of Assam. An earthquake destroyed the city in 1897, necessitating its complete rebuilding. The North East Frontier Agency’s headquarters were in Shillong until that region became the union territory of Arunachal Pradesh in 1972. In that year Shillong became the capital of Meghalaya, which had been newly created out of territory that was formerly within the state of Assam.

Shillong, a popular tourist destination, is at the core of one of the largest urban areas in northeastern India. It is an important trade center for agricultural products and has research stations focusing on dairy farm, fruit, and silk production. It also has the Pasteur Institute and Medical Research Institute and is the home of North-Eastern Hill University (founded 1973). The Barapani hydroelectric station lies a few miles to the north. Popular tourist attractions include Ward’s Lake, a lake with a charming wooden bridge; Golf Links, and the Elephant Falls in the town’s outskirts. Traffic congestion is a problem in the city.

Khasi people have long lived in the Shillong region. Large-scale migrations to Shillong took place following the partition of India in 1947. The immigrants were mostly from the portion of Assam that became part of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Pop. (2001) city, 132,867; urban agglom., 267,662; (2011) city, 143,229; urgan agglom., 354,759.