Located about eleven kilometres off Mairang, is a steep dome of red granite rising to an elevation of about five thousand and four hundred feet above sea level. According to geologists, the hard red granite rock is several million years old. The rock is accessible from its northern and eastern flanks, but inaccessible from its southern flank where its slope exceeds 800 over an incline of about six hundred feet. The southern side of Kyllang Rock is encumbered with enormous detached blocks of rock, while its northern side is clothed with dense forests, containing age-old red Rhododendron trees and oaks besides bushy, white Rhododendron trees which are not found elsewhere. Natures own Museum - Sacred Forest Mawphlang: Only 4 km from Shillong, close to almost

all large Khasi and Jaintia villages of yore, one finds a Forest-Grove variedly known as Ki Law Kyntang (Sacred forest), Ki Law Adong (Prohibited forest), Ki Law Shnong (Village forest) and Ki Law Kynti (Private forest).

The sacred-groves which have been preserved since time immemorial, are in sharp contrast to their surrounding grasslands. These groves are generally rimmed by a dense growth of Castanopsis kurzii trees, forming a protective hedge which halts intrusion of Pinus kasia (Khasi pine) which dominates all areas outside the sacred groves. Inside the outer rim, the sacred groves are virtually Nature's Own Museum. The heavily covered grounds have a thick cushion of humus accumulated over the centuries. The trees in every sacred groveare heavily loaded with epiphytic growth of aroids, pipers, ferns, fern-allies and orchids. The humus-covered grounds likewise harbour myriad varieties of plant life, many of which are found nowhere else.

One of the most celebrated sacred-groves of the State is the grove at Mawphlang about 25 kilometres off Shillong. This particular grove has for long years been a reservoir of interest for eminent and internationally known botanists.

The sacred-groves which make a unique contribution to the flora of the State are undoubtedly of immense interest to all naturalists.