Dawki is a small town in the West Jaintia Hills district of the state of Meghalaya in north-eastern India. Situated on the banks of the Umngot river, close to the international border with Bangladesh, Dawki is known for its clear river waters, its road border crossing with Bangladesh, and its role as a trading point between the two countries.
| Type | Town / border post |
|---|---|
| State | Meghalaya |
| District | West Jaintia Hills |
| Country | India |
| River | Umngot (also called the Dawki river) |
| Border | India–Bangladesh (Tamabil on the Bangladesh side) |
| Languages | Khasi, Pnar (Jaintia), English |
Dawki lies in the southern fringe of the Meghalaya plateau, where the hills descend sharply towards the plains of Sylhet in Bangladesh. The town sits along the Umngot river, which is widely noted for its exceptionally clear, green-tinted water during the dry season, when the riverbed becomes visible from boats. The surrounding terrain is forested and limestone-rich, and the area receives heavy monsoon rainfall typical of the southern Khasi and Jaintia hills.
The town is connected to Shillong, the state capital, by road via Pynursla, a journey of roughly 80 kilometres. It is also linked to nearby tourist points such as Mawlynnong and Shnongpdeng, a riverside hamlet upstream where boating and camping are popular.
Dawki is one of the principal land crossings between India and Bangladesh in the north-east. The Indian side at Dawki connects to Tamabil in the Sylhet division of Bangladesh. The crossing is used both for passenger movement and for cross-border trade, particularly the export of limestone, coal and boulders from Meghalaya to Bangladesh. The Land Customs Station at Dawki is operated under the Indian Customs administration, and integrated border facilities have been developed at the post over time.
An iron suspension bridge over the Umngot, built during the British period, has long been a landmark of the town and continues to carry road traffic across the river.
The Dawki region historically formed part of the Jaintia kingdom before its annexation by the British in the mid-19th century, after which it came under the Khasi and Jaintia Hills district of Assam. Following the partition of British India in 1947, Dawki gained importance as a frontier point between India and East Pakistan, and later Bangladesh after 1971. Meghalaya was carved out as a separate state in 1972, with the area becoming part of the Jaintia Hills district. The district was further bifurcated, and Dawki today falls under the West Jaintia Hills district, with Jowai as its headquarters.
In recent years, Dawki and the adjoining village of Shnongpdeng have emerged as significant tourist destinations in Meghalaya. Visitors come for:
The local economy is based on cross-border trade, transport, limestone and boulder quarrying, small-scale agriculture, and a growing tourism and hospitality sector. Truck movement related to the export of stone and coal contributes substantially to economic activity around the border post.