Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Sunday visited the the Monolith Heritage site at Mawkyrduk in South West Khasi Hills. The CM was accompanied by Minister James Sangma, MLA R. Lyndoh Tongkhar, DC and other officials.
“We will develop a full tourism circuit as part of our master-plan for the district“, said the Chief Minister.
Earlier in February the Chief Minister had informed that this site would be developed to promote cultural heritage of the state.
Stunned by its beauty, the Chief Minister even compared the site with the Stonehenge in the UK stating “I think this place has a lot of heritage to it and must be promoted and developed and the world must see the kind of beauty that this place has.”
Monolithic structures similar to the ones in Mawkyrduk are found in many parts of the state of Meghalaya. They hold a very high significance in the culture and traditions of the Jaintia people.
Several steps have been taken to preserve and protect these structures. The Arts and Culture Department took up the work of protecting the site in the year 2011-12 at an estimated cost of Rs. 8 lakhs.
