West Jaintia Hills is a district in the state of Meghalaya in north-eastern India. It was created on 31 July 2012, when the erstwhile Jaintia Hills district was bifurcated into West Jaintia Hills and East Jaintia Hills. The district headquarters is located at Jowai, which also functions as the principal urban and administrative centre of the Jaintia region.
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| State | Meghalaya |
| Headquarters | Jowai |
| Formed | 31 July 2012 |
| Predecessor | Jaintia Hills district |
| Region | Jaintia Hills |
| Predominant community | Pnar (Jaintia) |
| Autonomous council | Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council |
The district lies in the eastern part of Meghalaya, on the Shillong–Silchar corridor. It is bordered by East Jaintia Hills district to the east, East Khasi Hills district to the west, the state of Assam to the north, and Bangladesh to the south. The terrain is hilly, forming part of the Meghalaya plateau, and is drained by tributaries of the Myntdu and other rivers. The climate is influenced by the south-west monsoon, and the district receives heavy rainfall, with significant cloud cover during the monsoon months.
The district is administered by a Deputy Commissioner under the Government of Meghalaya. For traditional and customary matters, the area falls under the jurisdiction of the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council, which functions under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India. The district is sub-divided into community and rural development blocks, with Jowai as the principal civil station and seat of district-level offices.
The population is predominantly composed of the Pnar (also referred to as Jaintia), a Khasi sub-group, with smaller communities of War-Jaintia, Biate and other groups. The Pnar language, written in the Roman script, is widely spoken alongside Khasi and English. Christianity is the majority religion, while indigenous Niamtre traditions continue to be practised, especially in and around Jowai. The annual Behdienkhlam festival, held at Jowai, is among the most significant cultural events in Meghalaya.
The economy is largely agrarian, with paddy, maize, ginger, turmeric, betel leaf, oranges and broom grass among the principal crops. Limestone and other minerals occur in parts of the Jaintia Hills, although large-scale mining activity is more characteristic of East Jaintia Hills. Small-scale trade, handlooms and handicrafts also contribute to local livelihoods. Jowai is a regional commercial centre serving the surrounding rural areas.
National Highway 6 (formerly NH 44) passes through the district, connecting Shillong with Silchar in Assam, and forms the principal transport artery. Jowai is linked by road to Shillong and to settlements in East Jaintia Hills and Assam. The nearest airport is Shillong Airport at Umroi, and the nearest major railhead is at Guwahati.
The creation of West Jaintia Hills in 2012 was part of a broader administrative reorganisation in Meghalaya intended to bring governance closer to the people in the hill districts. The district preserves the cultural and political identity of the Pnar community and contains several sites of historical importance associated with the former Jaintia Kingdom, including the monoliths and temple at Nartiang.