Shillong: The Meghalaya High Court has granted conditional permission for a pilgrimage to the sacred Mawjymbuin Cave located in Mawsynram, East Khasi Hills district.
The order was passed by Justice H. S. Thangkhiew on Friday in response to a petition seeking facilitation of the religious visit.
While acknowledging the site’s spiritual significance for the petitioners, the court laid down clear guidelines to maintain peace and uphold local customs.
All parties involved, including local authorities and the petitioners, agreed to a set of safeguards to ensure the pilgrimage is conducted in a respectful and orderly manner.
According to the court’s directive, pilgrims will not be allowed to perform any pujas or religious rituals at the cave.
Devotional items intended for rituals will also be prohibited. Instead, only a symbolic sprinkling of water on the sacred stone within the cave will be permitted, with the court explicitly forbidding any excessive pouring of water.
District authorities have been tasked with supervising the event to ensure public order.
The pilgrimage organiser has also been instructed to deploy private security personnel or volunteers to assist with crowd management and traffic control.
Emphasising the need for cultural sensitivity, the court said the yatra must be undertaken with solemnity and should not lead to traffic disruption or environmental degradation.
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“Though the village authorities raised objections to the practice of pouring water on the sacred stone, only symbolic sprinkling will be allowed in the interest of justice and to maintain balance,” the court noted.
The Dorbar Shnong of Mawsynram has submitted an undertaking supporting the pilgrimage, provided it adheres to the court’s conditions.
The matter is scheduled for further hearing on July 31, by which time the exact date of the yatra is to be finalised and communicated to the district administration.
