July 09: Cherapoonji has added its name to the list of the cities which reverted back to their old names due to historical, cultural and linguistic reasons. The interesting and pleasant town of Meghalaya situated in the eastern Khasi hills in shillong now onwards will be called ‘Sohra’ its local name pronounced as Churra. The town has been a traditional capital of Hima a tribal chieftains.
The trend started with madras and Bombay which are now officially called Chennai and Mumbai and made its way to Banglore, Pondicherry as well as Calcutta etc now being addressed as Bengaluru, Pudducheri and Kolkata.
Cherrapoonji does not need any introduction. This wet desert of India is world-wide known as a place of the highest rainfall. Town has the distinction of receiving the rainfall from both the monsoons Southwest as well as North-east monsoon. Throughout the year there is only one climate that is Monsoon. In recent years there have been fluctuations regarding rainfall and this place also suffered shortages of water. This has been more because of indiscriminate cutting of tree which changed the hydrological cycle of the area.
The decision about the new nomenclature was taken last week by the state administration on the request of chieftains of the town and the Khasi students union. Officials told that notification about the same will be issued soon.
History goes like this that earlier it was called Sohra only but the change came during colonial period when British made it their regional capital. They were not able to pronounce it as Sohra and pronounced as Cherra.
Historians as well as locals have taken the change in a pleasant manner as new name reflects the cultural as well as historical significance.
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