Experiencing the lifestyle of Khasi residents is a must for every visitor to Mawlynnong. Here, the society is a matrilineal one where women take control of everything, from economy to managing household. The youngest girl in a household inherits the property and children take their mother's surname. Unlike other parts of the country, girls here are free to choose their life partner but within the community.
Interestingly, the village boasts of 100 percent literacy rate. There is a primary school in Mawlynnong which has maintained zero student dropout rate so far. Apparently, students are taught nuances of cleanliness in the classrooms from an early age. Agriculture is the mainstay and besides paddy, villagers grow cash crops like bay leaf, betel nuts and local spices. They also cultivate fruits like oranges, papaya and pineapples, which are sold in Shillong and often in bordering areas of Bangladesh. Their staple food is rice and fish, which is available aplenty in the local water bodies. While some villagers are also into fishing, there is a strict no to cattle and poultry rearing. Villagers reason that livestock rearing would create dirt in the village. While the entire village maintains a strict cleanliness regime, Khasi women can be seen either washing clothes or cleaning the village roads throughout the day.
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