Northeast India, as a biodiversity hotspot, is home to a plethora of charming and often enchanting natural treasures, one of which I was fortunate enough to visit in 2014. My family and I were visiting Mawlynnong, a village located in Meghalaya, the ‘Abode of Clouds’, renowned for being the cleanest village in Asia. Some of the locals told us about something which is a must-see when in Mawlynnong, a ‘Living Root Bridge’ locally known as ‘jing kieng jri’ located just a few kilometres away in a village named Riwai. Intrigued by the name and the praise it received from the people, we decided to go and see the unique-sounding bridge for ourselves. After a short drive and an easy hike through the tranquil rain forest of Riwai, we reached a place that looked like a sight straight out of a fantasy novel, where the beauty and magic of nature were almost palpable. Deep within the emerald forest, sunshine glittered through the canopy of tall trees, illuminating the bridge formed of tree roots that appeared to be as old as time. The living bridge, which loomed majestically over the stream flowing through the forest, was adorned in a beautiful velvety green by moss, lichen, and new sprouting leaves. Looking around amidst that scene, with the sound of the water rushing through the forest floor, I could almost envision fairies and unicorns roaming around.
At that age, I was so taken aback by the captivating view that the intricacies like how, when, or why the bridge was built did not even cross my mind. It was only but a few days ago when my mother mentioned it while reminiscing about the trip, that my interest was piqued, and I decided to read up about the Living Root Bridges of Meghalaya, which are a quintessential example of the perfect amalgamation of architecture, human innovation, and nature. Documented for the first time in 1844 in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, the bridges may themselves date back a few more centuries as per the department of environmental studies at the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong. Presently there are 11 functional root bridges in Meghalaya, the most of which are in and near Cherrapunji, one of the wettest places on earth. Among them, the Double Decker Root Bridge over Umshiang river in Nongriat village is the most famous and popular tourist attraction. In addition to being a delightful natural wonder, the two levels of the bridge provide a utilitarian purpose as well. Due to significant rainfall during the monsoon season, the water level of the Umshiang river rose and often submerged the lower bridge, prompting the villagers to construct the second level. In the past few years, a new bridge is being engineered at Nongriat which will make it a triple-decker bridge, which according to the locals will help attract more tourists.
Originally built by the members of the local Khasi Tribe of Meghalaya to connect isolated villages and cross rivers and streams, these bridges have over time come to facilitate commerce, connected villagers, and even lead to the formation of new relationships among the people, along with attracting tourists and improving the socio-economic conditions of the region. The Khasi tribe’s indigenous process of constructing the root bridges is just as intriguing as the outcome. Made up of interwoven living prop roots of Indian Rubber trees (Scientific name: Ficus elastica) belonging to the fig family, these bridges serve as a more stable and sustainable alternative to the man-made wooden bridges which decay and get destroyed in just a few years due to the region’s prolonged monsoon season. To establish a strong foundation, the rubber tree trunks are planted on both sides of the bank and the young tender prop roots of the trees are directed across either with the help of temporary bamboo scaffolding or through hollowed out betel nut tree trunks, which rot and disappear over time after guiding the roots of the desired path. Stones and pieces of wood are used to fill the gaps, which get embedded in the floor of the bridge. As they are grown from roots and not constructed of perishable material, root bridges take around 15 to 30 years to be created and become strong enough for people to be able to cross them. They also persist for centuries, only getting more robust and durable with time as the roots keep getting entangled and strengthened.
Today, when sustainability and eco-friendliness have become such an essential and integral necessity of life, I believe that there is a lot that can be learnt from the Living Root bridges which embody a sacred and precious relationship between human beings and nature. It is an example of bioengineering that demonstrates how nature has the answers to all problems; all one needs to do is be creative, patient and sensitive to all forms of life, and voila, a sustainable future manifesting a successful symbiotic relationship between man and nature will no longer be unattainable.
The Living Root Bridge in Riwai, Meghalaya
The Double Decker Root Bridge in Nongriat, Meghalaya
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Living_bridges
The Bridge floor
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Living_bridges#/media/File:A_bridge_made_from_trees.jpg
Bibliography:
- Shankar, Sanjeev. “Living Root Bridges of Meghalaya.”
- Chaudhuri, Punarbasu, Subarna Bhattacharyya, and Alok Chandra Samal. “Living root bridge: a potential no cost eco-technology for mitigating rural communication problems.” Int. J. Exp. Res. Rev 5 (2016): 33-35.
- https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/living-root-bridges-clean-village-mwalynnong-india
- https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/XG0VvYWuoy7fLoKL6WoHfP/Why-Meghalaya-is-building-new-root-bridges.html
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Hello there, I’m Upasana Patgiri…
Currently a student of Bachelor of Planning from School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal, I like to describe myself as a nature enthusiast and an inquisitive person. My interests are varied, from painting, embroidery and photography to trekking and cycling. I also like to cook, travel and learn new skills. Being a student of urban planning, discovering and learning about different places, concepts and ideas excite me and I hope to keep on exploring, questioning, finding answers to things, going ahead in life.
1 comment
Very impressive article.