Sada Pathor

Sada Pathor, white stone, is a stretch of the Dhalai river at Volaganj near the Indian border where the bed is covered in pale rounded boulders washed down from the Meghalaya hills, and the combination of white stone, clear water and the hills rising directly behind is what draws people. The approach is by country boat from the road head at Volaganj, about half an hour up the shallow river, and the site is the bed itself, where visitors wade and sit among the stones. Like the rest of this border strip it is worked for stone, with collection going on nearby. Water level matters: high after rain and clear in the drier months, with boats unable to reach the top when it is very low.

What you actually see

• A bed of white boulders - pale stone washed down from the hills.
• Clear water over the stones - the river running between them.
• Meghalaya hills behind - the border range rising above the bed.
• The boat approach - half an hour upriver from Volaganj.

When to go

July to October for water and flow; the drier months give clearer water but less of it and boats stop short. Half a day. Weekends are crowded. Boat prices are negotiated at the ghat.

Honest expectations

Stone extraction has damaged the riverbed nearby and the working is visible. Boat prices are inflated and negotiated hard. There are no facilities and litter is heavy. Border rules govern how far up you can go.

Nearby

Companiganj is south; Bisnakandi and Jaflong lie east.