Mawlynnong, a small village in India’s Meghalaya state near the Bangladesh border, has barred Sunday visits by day-trippers as residents seek to protect local traditions and daily life from growing tourist pressure. Visitors may still enter from Monday to Saturday, and people who stayed overnight on Saturday can remain in the village on Sunday.
The village became a popular destination after Discover India magazine named it “the cleanest village in Asia” in 2003. Residents share responsibility for keeping it clean: they sweep the streets and collect rubbish on Saturday mornings, while bamboo bins, a ban on disposable plastic bags, waste sorting and fines for littering help maintain order throughout the week.
Mawlynnong has about 600 residents and receives an average of 300 visitors a day. Numbers can rise to between 500 and 1,000 a day during the high season, from October to April, and on weekends. Residents say the increase, amplified by social media videos recommending the village, has threatened their way of life, traditions and peace.
The Sunday restriction followed years of discussion at weekly village council meetings, according to Indian digital newspaper ThePrint. Bah Precious, the village committee’s finance secretary, said the decision was made to preserve Mawlynnong’s cultural identity and the discipline behind its reputation.
There are no physical barriers at the entrance, but a sign tells visitors that entry is prohibited on Sundays. Residents who welcome tourists and collect parking fees explain the rule to day-trippers and ask them to return another day.
Sources: elDiario.es.