Plan your trip · Mawlynnong

What's on in Mawlynnong

Mawlynnong's calendar follows the church year. Christmas and Easter are the big days here, while the large Khasi dance festivals happen closer to Shillong.

Nothing dated is confirmed for Mawlynnong right now, so here is the year instead — the fixtures that come round annually, and what each one means for a visit.

The year in Mawlynnong

Mawlynnong's calendar runs through most of the year, with the busiest weeks in the clear, comfortable months and a quieter stretch in the heaviest rain. Broadly, Oct – Mar and Apr – Jun is when visiting is most comfortable here, and that is when the calendar is busiest — which also means accommodation is most expensive and books furthest ahead.

Most of these follow lunar calendars and move by weeks from year to year, so treat the windows below as the season rather than the date, and confirm the year’s dates before you book around one.

Across Meghalaya

Wangala and Nongkrem

🗓️ October–November

Harvest and thanksgiving dances of the Garo and Khasi communities, in villages rather than stadiums.

Planning: Ask locally for the year's village dates; these are not ticketed tourist shows.

Nationwide

Diwali

🗓️ October–November

The biggest holiday of the year — lamps, sweets, fireworks and a week of visiting family. Cities are lit up and markets stay open late.

Holi

🗓️ March

Coloured powder and water, thrown at anyone within reach, mostly through the morning.

Navratri and Dussehra

🗓️ September–October

Nine nights of fasting, music and dance, ending with Dussehra. What it looks like changes completely by region — garba in Gujarat, pandals in Bengal, processions in the south.

Eid al-Fitr

🗓️ shifts ~11 days earlier each year

The end of Ramadan. The old quarters of Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Bhopal are at their best in the evenings through the preceding month, when food streets run past midnight.

Makar Sankranti and Pongal

🗓️ mid-January

The harvest turn, marked with kites in the west and north and four days of Pongal in Tamil Nadu.

Sundays

The most important fixture in Mawlynnong comes every week. Sunday is for church and family, and since January 2026 the village council has closed the village to day visitors on Sundays. Eateries, stalls and toilets shut. Plan around it.

Christmas and New Year

Christmas is the biggest celebration of the year. Churches and homes are decorated, stars and lights go up along the lanes, and carol singing fills the evenings in December. Christmas Day and the days around it are family time, so do not expect every homestay or kitchen to be working. Check with your hosts before you book a stay over Christmas or New Year.

Easter

Easter, in March or April, is the other major church festival. Good Friday is quiet and solemn, and Easter Sunday is given over to services. As with any Sunday, the village is not open to day visitors.

Khasi festivals nearby

The large Khasi festivals are not held in Mawlynnong, but you can combine them with a trip here:

Shad Suk Mynsiem, the Khasi dance of thanksgiving, is usually held in Shillong in April. Women in gold and silver jewellery and men with swords and whisks dance in circles.
Nongkrem, a five-day festival with the Nongkrem dance, is held at Smit near Shillong, usually around October or November.
Behdienkhlam, the Pnar festival of driving out disease, is held at Jowai in the Jaintia Hills, usually in July. Dates move from year to year, so confirm them before you plan around one.

Festivals that pass the village by

The big pan-Indian festivals, such as Diwali, Holi and Navratri, are not really celebrated in Mawlynnong. You may find them marked in Shillong, but not in the village lanes.

Planning around the calendar

October to April is the busy season, with the most visitors on Saturdays and public holidays. For a quiet visit, come on a weekday, and stay a night if you can. See the best time to visit for the weather month by month.

Questions

Mawlynnong — FAQ

How is Christmas celebrated in Mawlynnong?

With church services, carol singing, lights and stars on houses. It is a family festival, so ask your homestay whether it is open before you book around Christmas.

Can I see Shad Suk Mynsiem from Mawlynnong?

Not in the village. It is usually held in Shillong in April, about 80–90 km away. You can see it in Shillong and visit Mawlynnong on a weekday before or after.

Is Diwali celebrated in Mawlynnong?

Not really. Mawlynnong is a Christian Khasi village, and its big festivals are Christmas and Easter.

Is Mawlynnong open on Easter Sunday?

Not to day visitors. Like every Sunday, Easter Sunday is kept for church, and the village is closed to day-trippers.