Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Sunday said a series of high-end tourism infrastructure projects are on the anvil to transform the state into a major cultural and experiential destination while generating employment and strengthening the local economy. Sangma informed that the proposed iconic Monolith Towers at New Shillong in the Mawkhanu area will be 123 meters tall, making them the second tallest structure in the country after the Statue of Unity.
“The towers will function as a modern tourist hub featuring elevators, restaurants, and a circular glass walkway at the top, allowing visitors to experience panoramic views of the surrounding landscape,” he said. He said the project will incorporate advanced lighting technology, including nightly laser light shows that will project the stories, culture, and traditions of Meghalaya.
“Such high-end technology will create a unique tourism experience where visitors can enjoy cultural presentations through light and visual storytelling,” he said.
The Monolith Tower Complex, designed by INI Design Studio, will span about 213.8 acres and is planned as a combined tourism, cultural, and ecological hub inspired by traditional Khasi and Jaintia monoliths (Mawbynna), symbolizing ancestral heritage.
According to officials, the complex will include five immersive galleries themed around the state’s natural and cultural identity—rain, caves, living root bridges, tribal life, and flora and fauna—along with a 72-meter sky bridge connecting the towers, elevated dining spaces, and visitor facilities.
Sangma said the Monolith Towers are part of a broader infrastructure push designed to reduce congestion in Shillong while developing new tourism zones across the state.
Other projects that are coming up in the state include a Rs 51-crore skywalk and tourist hub at Mawkdok, described as the country’s longest cantilever structure; a Rs 30-crore Tribal Heritage Experience Centre at Mandalgre; an eco-resort project at Sakaladuma; and a Rain and Bamboo Museum at Mawsynram.
