The natural living root bridge is one of nature’s beautiful creations built to cross the rivers within the forest about years ago. The natural living bridge is present on the way to the Mawlynnong village. Wonderful greenery as you move towards the villages from the highway. Narrow roads enter from the main highways towards the bridge.

History of Living Root Bridge

This living root bridge is located near Cherrapunji and Mawsynram they are the wettest place in the world. The highest rainfall is observed in these areas it was during the rainy season when rivers and lakes flooded and Khasi people found it difficult to cross the rivers as it used to be flooded with the continuous and highest rainfall.

Construction of the bridge is manmade they used the longest and strong roots of rubber plants. Rubber plants have the characteristics of bending, tying, and developing the bridge. The roots of the planted rubber plants require at least 10 years to grow its roots to 30 years. This bridge developed by the Khasi tribes is still witnessed by us.

The bridge can survive for centuries, and if you trek around the villages more than one natural living root bridge is seen in the villages of Meghalaya. Biological and technical knowledge of the tribe can be assumed after looking into the natural conception of building a bridge without structural or material calculation.
Trees were planted on the sides of the bank when the rainfall was less and allowed to grow of the trees. Though it was not easy in the area of high rainfall as chances of flowing down of plants were maximum.
After the rubber tree roots grew they were twisted and tied allowing them to grow up to form a natural root bridge. It is an eco-friendly example that supports the growth of greenery that increases the conserving earth and its nature.

Ferdinand Ludwig decides to use the phenomenon for eco-friendly environment
Professor of green technologies in landscape architecture, Ferdinand Ludwig from the University of Munich and Thomas Speck who is a botany professor of the University of Freiburg together have worked, researched on 74 bridges.
In 2019 Ferdinand Ludwig and Thomas Speck, a group of researchers from Germany had visited Meghalaya to understand and study the living root bridges. According to them, this can act as a specimen for modern architecture. In recent modern architectural designs that are inclined to work on the development of eco-friendly structures. The living root bridge is a unique survival of architecture within the village of East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya.

Photographs of the living bridges are taken to work on the development of 3D slides of the bindings and ties of the roots of the rubber trees. For gathering knowledge about the bridge the researchers met the local tribes and builders, maintenance groups to understand the concept of the structure of the living root bridge.
According to Ludwig, this is highly beneficial when the architects and their designs look for high green infrastructure in urban or cities. Cities require higher green infrastructure to reduce air pollution and this concept can heal a great part of the damaged atmosphere.

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Meghalaya is an attractive and most visited place of the country.

Tourists from all around the world visit India for Cherrapunjee which is stated to be the world’s rain capital. The Amazon basin which receives the highest rainfall gets beaten by this Indian town.

Meghalaya’s crown Shillong is also one of the most visited tourist locations in India. Meghalaya means the abode of clouds in Sanskrit, and it literally signifies its name’s meaning.

Meghalaya is one of the seven northern sisters and it has been of archeological interest since time immemorial. Located between the Khasi Hills, this cozy and beautiful place is India’s hidden paradise. Meghalaya’s most important and attractive feature is the root bridges that are naturally grown bridges from the roots of the trees intermingled.

Mawsynram, the village in Khasi hills is reportedly the highest rainfall receiving village in the world. It is located 15 km west of Cherrapunjee and the citizens are mostly tribals of the Khasi, Garo or Jaintia tribes which have been living in the hills since generations.

High in moisture and humidity the moisture clad clouds and winds reach the village from the Bay of Bengal. The location and features of the place contribute significantly to the wide variety of Flora and Fauna. Ranging from exotic birds to flowers that trap insects, all is available in Meghalaya.

The tales of Meghalaya are ancient and interesting. It is said that a family was traveling when a storm hit them and they got divided, the trees saw their situation and pitied them. For helping them reunite the trees grew out their roots and formed the bridges to help them reach each other. Cherrapunji holds two Guiness world records for receiving the maximum amount of rainfall in a single year.

Meghalaya is well connected with the roads and has a strong transport system, but due to rains the most of the time in a year the roads are blocked. It is often said that when you are at Meghalaya always carry an umbrella.

The Tribals claim Meghalaya to be the state of Gods. There are myths and legends that accompany the scientific fact of Meghalaya being the rain capital of the world. The Leap of La Kilai is a waterfall that is surrounded by another myth which goes like, there was a woman named La Likai who remarried after death of her husband to take care of her child. But the step father killed the child and anguished La Likai became the waterfall which till today carries her moans.

Meghalaya is the capital of rains and myths. The tribals and natives live on agriculture and hunting. Paddy is the most grown crop. The natives also have adapted to the rainy atmosphere. The state is not well connected to the country with one of its side (northern) being connected to Bangladesh and the other to Mizoram.

The State has been the target of naxalism and political conflicts which have died down now as it has started to develop.

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