~Parishka Gupta
The Kongthong village in Meghalaya, also known as the ‘Whistling Village’ has been nominated for UNWTO’s (United Nations World Tourism Organization) Best Tourism Village Award along with two other villages in India. This village is located in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya and is home to 700 people.
This village is a strong tourist magnet because of the intriguing legacy that has been breathing loud and strong for generations now. The people of Kongthong communicate via whistles! Every person has a unique tune; a long one and a short one. It’s their song name. When a child is born, the mother has to think of a unique tune for her baby. The shorter tune is used at home, and the longer tune is believed to ward off evil spirits. This amazing concept is sacred to the villagers of Kongthong, and has been passed down to posterity for the longest time.
This village was adopted by Rajya Sabha MP Rakesh Sinha in 2019, who had suggested a UNESCO tag for the same.
The other two villages that have been nominated are Pochamplaly village of Telangana and the Ladhpur Khas village in Madhya Pradesh.