Despite its English appearance, Shillong, India, lives Eastern

SHILLONG, India (AP) — A huge banner proclaiming "Scotland of the East" greets a visitor to Shillong, one of India's most popular "hill stations," a British colonial term for the highlands where they went to escape the heat of summer.

Here in the far northeastern corner of India, an area virtually isolated from the rest of the country, Shillong, at an elevation of 5,000 feet, is surrounded by gently rolling, forested hills, lush green fields and glassy lakes, dotted with Tudor-style houses and churches. Here and there are waterfalls, flower gardens and an occasional cave.

In a region of vastly varied tribal customs, life in Shillong comes to a near halt every day at 4:15 p.m. as some 60 archers kneel in a small, grassy field, bordered with betting booths and kiosks selling booze.

Hundreds of people crowd behind the bowmen. In the next four minutes, the bowmen will unleash more than 1,000 arrows.

At the end of it, officials count the number of arrows embedded in the large, straw target. The last two numbers in the count comprise the winning lottery number.

Cell phones ring across Meghalaya state: 942 arrows in the target mean 42 is the winning number.

"This is the only thing that goes on without a problem," says Toni Advani, a retired marine engineer, sipping whisky at his wife's kiosk after losing the lottery.

The government legalized the archery lottery game in 1982, but, "Nobody knows when it started. It could be more than 100 years old," says P. Laloo, general secretary of the Khasi Hills Archery Sports Institute, a private club that runs one of the state's 12 lotteries.

Shillong, the capital of Meghalya state, might have been a popular refuge for the British officers and staff of the East India Company during colonial times, but visitors have been scarce in recent years because of political unrest in the area. Meghalaya is part of a region where some 30 insurgent groups have been fighting for autonomy, jobs, land and money since India became independent in 1947.

Tourism, however, might be on the rebound. Restrictions on travel in the area are slowly being lifted and northeast India is an interesting place to explore.

Although Shillong might look like an English country town, it's part of a region steeped in the traditions of many tribes. Khasi and Garo are the main groups in Meghalaya.

The Khasis are a tribal people with an ancient matrilineal culture that puts women at the head of the household. There is no dowry system among the Khasis and both genders are free to choose their own partners.

Family incomes are pooled and households are managed by the older women, who apportion domestic expenses. The youngest daughter of the family matriarch is the legal custodian of the family's wealth and property.

In neighboring Nagaland, there are some 15 tribes of Naga, a proud and ancient Indo-Mongoloid group that included headhunters before most of them became Christians when missionaries arrived 100 years ago.

Santals still occasionally use poison arrows to fight their longtime rivals, the Bodo. Many of the Mizo claim to be one of the lost tribes of Israel and have traditions and songs reminiscent of Bible stories.

Every Saturday, on the outskirts of Shillong, hundreds of men, women and children visit the 50-year-old queen mother of the Khasi tribe to seek her blessings. She waves a red-hot iron rod over their heads to drive away evil spirits.

Neighboring Assam state, which grows 60 percent of India's tea, is famous for its plantations and the Kaziranga National Park, home to India's rare, one-horned rhinoceros.

The Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh, another state in the northeast, is home to four big cats: tigers, leopards, clouded leopards and snow leopards.

"We have everything for tourists," says Anunzla Lonzkumer, a housewife who organized a cultural festival in November. But the region has been the least-visited in India, because of the insurgencies and ethnic violence.

The 30 guerrilla armies include the United Liberation Front of Assam, the Manipur People's Army, the National Liberation Front of Tripura and the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland. They wage war against the government, and some fight among themselves.

After the British left in 1947, India kept the northeast highly restricted, more so after a war with China in 1962.

Nearly 98 percent of the northeastern states are wedged between China, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar. Only 2 percent is connected to India through a narrow corridor called the Chicken's Neck.

In 1995, the states of Meghalaya, Assam and Tripura lifted the restricted area permits that required visitors from elsewhere in India or abroad to get permission from the federal government before traveling into the region.

Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland are considering lifting similar restrictions. For now, tourists can come in groups of four or more.

Until recently, the Japanese were the main foreign visitors to Manipur. They came to pray at the graves of their forefathers, who were killed in World War II, when Manipur was occupied by the Japanese.

"The insurgency problem is there. But local people are very well disposed toward Indian and foreign tourists," says Jim Perry, 37, a Canadian who runs a tour company.

Perry, the son of missionaries, had spent his childhood in Meghalaya. He married a local Khasi woman and is settled in Shillong.

Perry has started a Web site, www.culturalpursuits.com, and that has helped attract tourists. Last year, he organized trips for 50 tourists from the United States, Germany, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium and Britain.

"The region has tourism potential, but it is not being tapped. There is a lack of publicity," Perry says.

In 2000, nearly 170,000 tourists, including 2,387 foreigners, visited Meghalaya state, says Sudhir Kumar, assistant divisional manager of the India Tourism Development Corp.

"We are trying to encourage tourism by creating an infrastructure, involving the private sector. We plan to turn a lot of old unused government buildings into hotels," says P.S. Thangkhiew, the Meghalaya state tourism secretary.

The federal government's cease-fire and a dialogue with the most powerful insurgent group in the region, the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah), has raised hopes of peace.

The government in Assam, the biggest state in the northeastern region, has also offered to begin talks with another separatist group, the United Liberation Front of Assam.

The militant groups accuse the federal government of exploiting the region's rich oil, timber and mineral resources and neglecting the local economy. There is very little development in the northeast.

However, the influx of hundreds of thousands of poor Bangladeshis have aggravated tensions in the region. Powerful student groups have been demanding that Bangladeshis be sent home.

The Manipur Students Union organized a three-day general strike last August to press its demand for reintroduction of entry permits to check the entry of outsiders into the state.

Still, this corner of India has its appeal.

Cedric Dordevic, 34, a French fashion photographer working for U.S.-based Fairchild Publications, first visited the region six years ago to judge a beauty contest.

"I saw some of the most beautiful girls in their traditional attire," he says. "I love this place. I am promoting the region as a tourist destination through various magazines."

There are daily flights to Assam's state capital, Gauhati — also spelled GuwahatI — the gateway to India's remote northeast region, from New Delhi ($300 round-trip) and Calcutta ($140 round-trip). Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya state, is a two-hour car drive from Gauhati. A rail journey from New Delhi to Gauhati takes 24 hours on a fast train, costing $55 in an air-conditioned sleeper coach.

GETTING AROUND

Taxis are easy to arrange from the airport and hotels, as well as from major landmarks in Gauhati and Shillong. Shared taxis are cheap and easily available. Bus service between cities and towns is available, but not very comfortable.

LODGING

Mid-range and top hotels cost $18 to $42 per night. All hotels include cable TV and bathrooms with hot water.

DINING

Fish is on most restaurant menus, spicy and cheap. Hotel restaurants serve tasty, but expensive Indian and Chinese cuisine. Burgers, fries and milkshakes are available at reasonable prices.

MISCELLANEOUS