Vraj is not a destination, it is a vibe. The meaning of Vraj as explained by Vrajvasis (people residing in Vraj) and saints is that it is a path which leads one to Paramatma within the heart, and this Paramatma, who is Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Radha and Sri Krishna. Vraj also means all pervasive. Vraj is a holy place where Lord Krishna is believed to have spent his childhood. This land is ever blissful, effulgent, indestructible and the abode of liberated souls. Even today the presence of Lord Krishna is felt in this beautiful holy land. It is famous for the numerous Lord krishna temples, the bubbly and festive environment. It has evolved as a pilgrimage site of Hindus. It is a cluster of various places like Gokul, Vrindavan, Mathura, Jatipura etc.
The Namdroling Nyingmapa Monastery is the largest teaching center of the Nylingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism in the world. The monastery’s full name is Thegchog Namdrol Shedrub Dargyeling, inshort called as “Namdroling”. There are over 5,000 monks, nuns and students at this Tibetan monastery. Popularly called as Golden Temple, the Namdroling Monastery was established by the 11th throneholder of the Palyul lineage, Drubwang Padma Norbu Rinpoche in 1963. The Golden Temple complex is huge and it’s main attractions are 40 feet high gilded statues of Guru Padmasambhava, Buddha and Amitayus. The walls of the temple and the institutions are decorated with colorful paintings depicting gods and demons from Tibetan Buddhist mythology. The altar is decorated with flowers, candles and incense sticks.This monastery is a calm and majestic sight, surrounded by its landscaped gardens. This monastery hosts several ceremonies throughout the year. The main festival is the Tibetan New Year (Losar), which is celebrated in February / March over a period of fifteen days when the monastery hosts traditional colourful lama dances and huge thangkas, a Tibetan silk painting with embroidery depicts Buddhist deity.
Elephant Falls are the two tier waterfalls where mountain stream descends through two successive falls set in the dingles of rocks creating a foam effect. The sides of the waterfall are flanked by lush greens. Elephant Falls is the British name of what the local Khasi people originally referred to as “Ka Kshaid Lai Pateng Khohsiew” which means “the three step waterfall” since the falls actually consisted of three mesmerizing falls in succession. The first step of the waterfall is broad and sluggish and is lost amongst the dense forests all around, the second step though more concentrated lacks the huge drop and the third step comprises of a sheer vertical drop and a cascading flow of water. The name Elephant Falls originated in the British era when the Englishmen spotted a giant rock that looked like an elephant near the falls. However, the rock disintegrated and was washed away due to an earthquake in 1897. The waterfalls are located on the outskirts of Shillong and are administered by the East Khasi Hills District Government.
