Shillong: Ashoke Lyngdoh opened a heritage museum in Shillong on November 4. The owner of Rock Cliff Homestay spent years turning his obsession with vintage machinery into a public display. He rescued most of his cars and motorcycles from scrapyards. People saw no value in them. He saw potential. He transformed discarded metal into history.
Lyngdoh recalls the process: "These cars and motorcycles are basically all from the scrapyard, mostly." He spent two years restoring a car hauled from Tinsukia, Assam, without an engine or gearbox. One centerpiece is a blue vintage car once driven by his father, who served as Deputy Commissioner of Nagaon in 1963-64. Lyngdoh tracked it down to a circuit house in 2010 and reclaimed it after ten months of bureaucratic work.
The property includes gardens, art, and antiques alongside the vehicles. It is not a finished project. Lyngdoh considers his museum an organic canvas that changes every few weeks. He keeps seven additional cars at his private residence. He calls the museum cars the boys and the others the girls. He takes the machines for Sunday drives when the weather permits.
Beyond his automotive work, Lyngdoh founded Springfield School in 1999. He also supports a school in Thangsning. Visitors can tour the museum between 11 am and 4 pm by online booking. They must scan a QR code upon entry. He limits daily attendance to sixty people. "I don't want it to become a commercial space," he said. He maintains the sanctuary of the site.
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