‘Asia’s cleanest village’ in Meghalaya to be closed to tourists on Sundays

Shillong:  Mawlynnong in Meghalaya’s East Khasi district, widely known as Asia’s cleanest village, will remain closed to single-day tourists on Sundays from now on, as the local authorities decided to suspend all visitor-related activities on that day.

Noting that Sunday is a day of religious observance for most residents, the ‘Dorbar’ or the village council, said Mawlynnong will remain open to visitors from Monday to Saturday.

“From January 2026 onwards, Mawlynnong village would remain closed to all one-day tourists and visitors on Sundays. The place would be open on weekdays only,” the Dorbar said in a statement.

All tourist-related services, including restaurants, shops, stalls and public toilets, would also be closed, it said.

“In Mawlynnong, Sunday is when almost everyone has to attend religious services in the churches for most of the day, hence they would not be able to offer or render any kind of services or hospitality to the visitors,” the statement said.

The Dorbar said the restriction was also aimed at avoiding inconvenience to visitors, especially elderly tourists, and preventing dissatisfaction that could harm the village’s reputation.

However, tourists staying overnight in guest houses or homestays during weekdays and extending their stay till Sunday, as well as those checking in on Sunday nights, will be exempted from this restriction, it said, adding that in such cases, the responsibility of providing services will rest with the respective accommodation owners.

Several other tourist locations in Meghalaya, including Nongjrong sunrise village, have also adopted similar measures by discouraging or banning one-day visits on Sundays, following local community decisions, officials said.