Place Details:
Along the way to Nohkalikai Falls, before you reach Sohra, you will find yourself facing a road that takes you to Dain Thlen Falls, a scenic and relatively crowd-free waterfall that lies around 5 km from the start of the road. One of the most famous falls in Cherrapunjee, Dain Thlen gets its claim to fame from the tales that have been spun around it. The waterfall gets its name from ‘Thlen’, which is python in the Khasi language. You can find natural rock carvings around the waterfall that tell the store of the Thlen, a mythical python that stands for greed and evil. ALSO READ: Planning to visit Meghalaya in August? Read this first!
Thlen is said to have been a giant python or some other serpent species that once lived in a nearby cave. It would attack the people passing by, but only half their number. This meant that the snake would devour only one person in a group or two, or three in a group of six. If you traveled alone, it would not attack you. To rid the people of this menace, a local hero U Suidnoh came forth to vanquish the beast. He poured molten iron into the mouth of the snake, killing it. The villagers later came to cut the body of the snake at the rocky bed below. And so it is that the place is called Dain Thlen, which translates to the place where the Thlen was cut. CHECK OUT: 10 things to do in Northeast India
Today, the rocky bed where the mighty waterfall plummets down to, and its rocks seem to look like pieces of chopped meat. The legend of the Thlen is also the source of the Thlen keepers story, which is another fascinating part of Khasi culture. If you are traveling around the region, do check out this beautiful waterfall and learn more about the story surrounding it.
BEST TIME TO VISIT CHERRAPUNJI
The average minimum and maximum temperature of Cherrapunji is as given below. The best time to visit Cherrapunji is also specified.
