Meghalaya Rain Farming Notebook

Meghalaya translates as 'the abode of the clouds' in Sanskrit. The little town of Cherrapunji in the Indian state Meghalaya receives the maximum rainfall recorded in the world. Cultivators and farm hands in these parts rely on the knup or rain shield while working on steep agricultural slopes, characteristic of this region. The knup is shaped like a shallow cone and looks like an inverted teardrop when worn. Handwoven as a hexagonal pattern in two layers with locally available bamboo known as shken in the tribal dialect khasi and dried palm leaves called shlew; Knups are handmade by women and sold in local weekly markets. Farmers working under them make for an image that embodies the agricultural landscape of this part of India.