Living Root Bridges - An Oldest Art Form of Meghalaya to Form Bridges.

 

Meghalaya is known as a living root bridge because a number of root bridges are known to exist in the jungles. These bridges are made by Khasi and Jaintia tribes who have mastered the art of wrapping thick roots together to form a structure that has a capacity to hold more than 50 people. Meghalaya's most famous root bridge, the "double-decker" bridge is in Cherrapunji also known as Sohra one of the wettest places on earth. There are 11 functional living root bridges in this area, situated about two and a half hours drive from Shillong capital city of Meghalaya. Sturdy and strong, these bridges are made of LIVE roots of a rubber tree. These are quite stable bridges and do not even move around as you walk on them. Ficus Elastica is the botanical name for these plants.

 

 

Locally, the Living Root Bridges in Meghalaya are called Jing Kieng Jri. The exact date or year of their origin is not known but they have been around for over 180 years now. Meghalaya is known for the fact that it receives the highest rainfall in the World. In fact, Cherrapunji (Sohra) is recorded as the wettest place on earth. The heavy rains of the region cause a lot of flash floods and this restricts the movements of the local Khasi and Jaintia tribes of Meghalaya. The various bamboo bridges that were built over the various rivers were not sturdy enough to withstand the gushing rivers and were often, swept away. The ingenious tribes discovered a robust solution with the living root bridges.

 

 

The Living Root Bridge in Meghalaya is a unique attraction that is largely associated only with this state of India. The Meghalaya Living Root Bridges are found across the state and they all vary in their lengths and structure. It takes around 15 years for a new root bridge to become strong enough to bear the weight of people crossing it. However, it will continue to grow and strengthen even more over time. The art of building the Living Root Bridges has been passed from generation to generation of the Jhantia and Khasi tribes of Meghalaya. The earliest date is unknown but the first chronicle of it is said to be in the 1800s. If you talk to the locals, they keep saying that they have always done this – from the times of their great grandparents. It seems to be pretty much a tradition that has been kept alive.

 

 

An alternative to the root bridges around Cherrapunji, there's also a substantial root bridge near Mawlynnong village - and it's readily accessible. Renowned for being declared the cleanest village in Asia by a travel magazine, scenic Mawlynnong also promotes itself as "God's Own Garden". The village is located near the Bangladesh border, around three hours from Shillong. To reach the root bridge, drive to Riwai village, a few kilometers before Mawlynnong. From there, it's approximately a 15 minute walk one way. The beauty and cleanliness of the village is also outstanding. It's obvious that the residents have high regard for the environment. While the root bridge is undoubtedly remarkable, its surroundings feel like a place where magic happens. There are waterfalls and natural swimming pools, clusters of huge brightly colored butterflies, mysterious sounds of the forest, and so much ancient wisdom.

 

 

Cherrapunji is known as one of the the wettest places on earth. The rainy season starts in April and continues until October. Most of the rain is received during June and July. It rains intermittently during the rest of the monsoon months. In January the dry winter season, average maximum temperature is 16 degrees Celsius. This drops to around 5 degrees Celsius at night. In July the wet monsoon summer season, average temperature increases to a maximum of 22 degrees Celsius during the day. At night, it drops to an average of 18 degrees Celsius.