SHILLONG, June 4 - Governor V Shanmuganathan said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has successfully managed to create interest in Meghalaya tourism, adding queries about �Mesmerising Meghalaya� have started to pour in from India and abroad.
�My friend from New Jersey, USA called me recently and said he and his family would like to visit the waterfalls that resembles an Elephant,� the Governor said during a programme of the North Eastern Council (NEC) here at Raj Bhavan on Friday.
Shanmuganathan said he inquired from his friends how he learnt about the place, to which his friend replied that he has seen the pictures of Modi with the falls as the backdrop.
Modi during his visit here on May 28 clicked pictures at the Elephant falls. He later tweeted the pictures and wrote: �Scenic Elephant falls�when you go to Meghalaya, this has to be on your �must visit� list.�
Shanmuganathan said, apart from his friends from abroad, those in India are also taking interest in Meghalaya�s natural beauty. �One of my Brigadier friends from Noida, keen on travelling, has inquired about Meghalaya.�
Modi�s visit to Elephant falls and Mawphlang, the Governor said, has �gone down well� with people across India and globally. The Prime Minister was seen pictured sipping tea and interacting with the locals. �This has created a huge impact on people,� he said.
During his visit to Mawphlang, Modi tried his hands on the local musical instruments and later tweeted those pictures and videos and further tweeted: �At Mawphlang village, saw parts of the spectacular culture of Meghalaya. The colour and the vibrancy is exceptional.�
Interestingly, Shanmuganathan has also done his bit in promoting Meghalaya tourism, which has the tagline �Mesmerising Meghalaya.� During one of his official meetings with the Prime Minister at New Delhi he spoke in details about Mawlynnong �the cleanest village in Asia.�
Later, in one of his �Mann Ki Baat� programme on All India Radio, Modi spoke about Mawlynnong as an example of cleanliness, which needs to be replicated in other parts of the country.
Meanwhile, the Governor gave away prizes to the winners of the marathon race organised by the NEC during its 65th plenary session. A stamp was also released to mark the special occasion.
