Meghalaya’s lush tropical jungle is home to several artificial natural marvels, many of which are obscured by clouds and rain most of the year. Members of the intrepid Khasi tribe have created live root bridges that sprout from the roots of old rubber trees endemic to the northeastern region. During the long monsoon period, the root bridge offers a more permanent alternative to wooden ones, which rot and are destroyed by the rain.
How do living root bridges work?
Meghalaya’s live root bridges are indeed the only ones in the world. To be clear, these are not built. They are grown! Thick and heavy roots are woven together later to make a strong bridge people can walk on. These bridges are much better and more robust than wooden ones, so rain doesn’t hurt them.
People from the Khasi tribe have been making these braided bridges for generations. These roots come from some ancient rubber trees only found in northeast India. Some of these are probably older than 500 years! Interesting, right?
History of Living Root ‘Bridges’ Meghalaya
Almost two centuries back (exactly 180 years), veterans from the Khasi tribe living in Meghalaya came up with the concept of building a living bridge by inserting rubber tree roots into open Areca canes.
The origins were taken care of and nourished until they were big enough to reach the other side of the river, get wholly tangled up, and become strong enough to carry heavy loads.
Living Root Bridges: Where to Find Them
Living Root Bridges can be found in the West Jaintia Hills district, the East Khasi Hills district, and a few other places in Meghalaya. These are among the places in India that need more tourists.
But Cherrapunji and Shillong have a lot of the best root bridges. Here are the ways to get to these beautiful places. Both of these places can be reached from Guwahati.
- 10 Days North East India Package
- North East Package for 13 Days
- Shillong Cherrapunji Mawlynnong Tour
- 5 Nights 6 Days North East Itinerary
- North East Package for 8 Days
- 4 Days Meghalaya Tour Package
- 4 Days North East India Tour
- 7 Days North East India Itinerary
- North East Travel Package 7 Days
- 17 Days North East Itinerary
Here are a few well-known of these living root bridges:
Root Bridge with Two Stories
This is their most famous and beautiful, and getting here is no small feat. And once you’re here, you’ll be taken to a completely different world. The whole area looks like a green page from the Jungle Book. The place is mysterious and full of long-lost secrets.
It has excellent views of waterfalls, small villages, living root bridges, and colorful butterflies. You’ll feel different energy when you breathe in the smell of wet soil and strange flowers. The journey to the buried world starts in Tyrna Village, and it takes a healthy person almost three hours to get there, with two or three breaks in the middle.
But if all 3,600 steps lead to a place like this, it was worth it. With a waterfall in the foreground, this almost 3-kilometer-long bridge crosses the Umshiang River at 2400 feet.
Ritymmen Root Bridge
The Ritymmen Bridge is about halfway to the Nongriat Double Decker Root Bridge. This 30-meter-long bridge is considered the longest and is a real eye-catcher. Most visitors who don’t want to descend all 3600 steps do so after first examining this particular stairwell.
Root Bridge in Ummunoi
This single root bridge is 1400 feet tall and is likely the longest living root bridge in the area. This bridge is well-known and is about 74 m long.
The Mawsaw Root Bridge
After you reach the Nongriat Double Decker Bridge, get some energy and walk for another half an hour to the Mawsaw Bridge. Natural swimming pools are the best thing about this place, so you can’t miss them.
Mawlynnong has a bridge with a single root
The village of Mawlynnong has already caught people’s attention worldwide because it was named the “cleanest village in Asia” But a few kilometers before the village is a tiny place called Riwai Village, home to each of the fantastic single-living root bridges.
Best time to go to Meghalaya to see the Living Root Bridges
Meghalaya has a climate that is the same all year long. For the majority of the year, the weather is mild and foggy. But stay away from June to August, when it rains a lot and the roads get slick. It also gets hard to walk through the woods and go down steps.
Several exciting information about these bridges
- They are manufactured from the roots of rubber trees or Ficus elastica trees.
- Some root bridges took 10 to 15 years to reach their final shape.
- Some roots rot because they are always near water, but others rise to replace the sources that have died. This gives the bridge the stability it needs. When fully grown, these roots can last up to 500 years.
- Thanks to UNESCO, these Bridges in Meghalaya are on the list of World Heritage Sites.
When is the best time to see the living root bridges?
The whole area gets rain most of the year, so the weather here is always excellent, misty, and breezy. But from June to August, when it rains a lot, it’s best to stay away from this part of the country. Rest, because every month is lovely.
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