Mawlynnong
A Khasi village near the Bangladesh border named Asia's cleanest village in 2003, with a living root bridge, bamboo sky-view tower and century-old church.
Overview
Mawlynnong is a popular day trip among the places to visit near Shillong. This guide covers what to see in the village, how far it is and when to go.
Mawlynnong is a village in the East Khasi Hills, in Pynursla block near the India–Bangladesh border. Wikipedia says the magazine Discover India named it Asia's cleanest village in 2003, and the village is known for bamboo dustbins, using waste as manure, a ban on polythene and smoking, and rainwater harvesting. It is a matrilineal Khasi community where property passes to the youngest daughter.
Meghalaya Tourism lists the Nohwet living root bridge, a bamboo Sky View tower with views of the Bangladesh plains, the Church of the Epiphany, built over a century ago, and traditional stilted huts. The village is about 76 km from Shillong per Meghalaya Tourism (Wikipedia says about 90 km), so it is a long half-day or full-day trip, often combined with Dawki. It can be visited year-round, though post-monsoon and winter are better for outdoor activities.
Ticket and parking charges, if any, were not found on the official page, so none are stored.
Entry fees
Fee information currently needs verification.
No fee information found. Individual attractions such as the Sky View tower or root bridge may charge locally.
We only show an amount when a source backs it. Prices change, so confirm locally before you go.
Opening hours
Opening hours have not been confirmed by a reliable source yet.
Village; no hours published. Individual sights may have their own timings.
Visitor information
- Best time to visit
- Year-round; post-monsoon and winter allow more outdoor activity (Meghalaya Tourism).
- Best time of day
- Morning
- How long to spend
- 2–3 hours
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Families
- Suitable for families
Good to know
- Do not litter; the village enforces cleanliness rules
- No polythene (village rule per Wikipedia)
Location
Mawlynnong, Pynursla, East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya
Mawlynnong, Meghalaya, India
25.20195, 91.91551
Get directionsPhotos
Mawlynnong village. Photo: Madhumita Das / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 Church of the Epiphany. Photo: ANKAN / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 A village street in the morning. Photo: Sai Avinash / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 A traditional house. Photo: Sujan Bandyopadhyay / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 The natural root bridge. Photo: RitayanRoy / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Frequently asked questions
Why is Mawlynnong famous?
Discover India magazine named it Asia's cleanest village in 2003, according to Wikipedia.
How far is Mawlynnong from Shillong?
Meghalaya Tourism says about 76 km; Wikipedia says about 90 km, so confirm the route.
What is there to see in Mawlynnong?
The Nohwet living root bridge, a bamboo Sky View tower, the Church of the Epiphany and traditional stilted huts, per Meghalaya Tourism.
Information sources
Where the facts on this page come from, and what still needs confirming.
Information last checked 28 September 2026
Not yet confirmed
- Distance differs between sources (76 vs 90 km)
- Coordinates are an OpenStreetMap village point
Not available yet
- fees
- hours
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