The Whistling Village in Meghalaya, Where Every Person Has A Tune
Dateline: East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya
Whistling Village of India is real, and you can hear it long before you see it. Locals in Kongthong use tunes as names. Mothers compose them at birth. Families call across hills with those notes. This living custom gives the hamlet its title as the whistling village in Meghalaya.
Where It Is
You find Kongthong about 60 to 65 km from Shillong, between Sohra and Pynursla in the East Khasi Hills. Trails cut through green valleys, waterfalls, and root bridges. The Khat-ar-shnong valley marks your approach. You start to hear faint calls from the slopes.
How The Tune-Name Works
Every child gets a melody soon after birth. The mother creates it. Parents then use a short tune for nearby calls and a longer one for distance. People still keep a regular given name for records.
Many villagers describe the tradition as jingrwai lawbei or Jingrwai Jiawbei, the “song of the clan’s first woman.” The village counts roughly 600 to 700 residents, with no two melodies the same.
Why It’s In The News
Recent clips by travel creators sparked fresh attention. Viewers saw people greeted by song and loved the idea. Comments poured in about school roll calls and Aadhaar. Coverage also noted that the hamlet has more than 700 unique tunes.
The community has drawn nominations for UNWTO World’s Best Village and UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. That focus brought fresh interest to the whistling village in Meghalaya.
If You Go
You're a guest, so keep it simple and kind. Ask before you record a person or their tune. Stay in local homestays and try village honey. Keep the paths clean. Listen first, then try a gentle reply with your host’s call. That shows care for the custom you came to see.
The whistling village in Meghalaya is a living code of sound that begins with a mother’s call and carries across hills. If you want culture you can hear and feel, the whistling village in Meghalaya called Kongthong is the place you plan your next trip to. It is a rare place where your name is music and your host knows it by heart.
