Mawlynnong, popularly known as Asia’s cleanest village and located in Meghalaya, will be closed to one-day tourists from now on Sundays, according to the village council.
According to an official statement issued by the Dorbar Shnong Mawlynnong (local council), the village would remain closed to all one-day tourists and visitors on Sundays.
“The place would be open on weekdays only i.e. from Monday to Saturday, but (on) Sunday it would remain closed to visitors and all tourists-related activities & services, including restaurant, shops/stalls, public toilets would henceforth remain closed,” the statement said.
The village is around 75km from capital Shillong and has an average footfall of 500 a day, a local resident said, adding this rule will apply to tourists/visitors who visit and leave the same day.
The village,with a population of around 112 households and a population of 560, recently observed its 20 year-plus as a tourist destination this month, he
further said.
The village dorbar took the decision “after long and careful deliberation” due to the fact that “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”.
“This fact alone used to cause great hardship and inconvenience to the visitors especially to elderly citizen, this could probably lead to bad feeling and discontentment among the visitors and could ultimately ended with bad name and bad reputation to the village and its people and honestly, we do not wish that to happen,” the statement added.
The council, however, clarified that tourists and visitors, who have already stayed overnight at the guest houses, homestays during weekdays and have their stay extended till Sunday are exempted from the above rule.
“Tourists/visitors who wish to book rooms on Sunday nights are also exempted from this and they could do so and check-in on Sunday nights,” the statement said, adding that the onus of services and hospitality concerning such visitors would rest fully on the owners of the guest houses or homestays.