10 Cleanest Destinations In India To Breathe Fresh This April

There’s magic in the night, a sweet smell in the air, the eyes rest on pleasant sights—this April, we take you to the cleanest destinations in the country. As they say, take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints.

- Priya Bala

Make it a clean break this summer. Leave smog-veiled cities and litter-strewn beaches behind and head for India’s cleanest, least polluted places. While you go trekking, traipse through museums or soak in local culture at these destinations, you’ll also marvel at how they manage to be the bright spots in Swachh Bharat.

MAWLYNNONG

When the words ‘cleanest village’ and ‘India’ are uttered together you cannot but think of Mawlynnong. This little village – population 500 – in the West Khasi Hills of Meghalaya earned the tag of ‘India’s Cleanest Village’ over a decade ago and still wears it proudly; its streets remain free of litter, its water sources pristine. Travellers go to Malynnong to see what appears to be a little miracle in a country struggling to stay clean. They come away having fallen under the spell of a picturesque little hamlet within easy reach of the famous living bridges and whose inhabitants, belonging to the Khasi tribe, preserve their ancient traditions and live in complete harmony with nature.

Clean mantra Even if Mawlynnong’s clean ways only came to the notice of the rest of the country in 2003, its people have been practicing them for a century and more. A cholera epidemic in a place that had no access to medical care prompted the village to scale up cleanliness and hygiene standards. In Mawlynnong, keeping the village clean is everyone’s business. Bamboo dustbins outside homes and along streets collect garbage that is composted. Even children know the cleanliness rules.

NAVIGATOR

Getting there Shillong is the nearest airport, and it’s a 90-km drive from there to Mawlynnong. You can hire cabs at the airport.

Stay There are comfortable home stays in the village which also give you a glimpse of the local lifestyle.