The Natural Root Bridges in Meghalaya

Posted On November 30, 2012

Come to India and enjoy the beautiful travel delights here in this part of the world. Visit the most unique destinations here and also experience the pleasures of a land that has the best kind of delights. Visually a kaleidoscope of energy and vibrance, the states of India offer some of the best tour delights in this part of the world in India. Meghalaya in India is a great place to visit with the best sights that could be offered for all the tourists here.

Deep in the forests of the Indian subcontinent there are some fascinating structures on earth which give you the best travel delights and the most fascinating visual treats for a tourist here. Meghalaya brings forth to you the incredible root bridges which are not only natural structures but absolutely lovely living structures. These are one of the best examples of living architecture here. the bridges were initially constructed by people from the nearby villages around the lovely Cherrapunjee region. The bridge was built with stones and tree trunks and then the roots of the Indian Rubber tree were used . the Bridges then gradually got encased in the roots thus bringing about a living structure that is today a major highway for the Meghalaya inhabitants.

These bridges lie at the foot of the Meghalaya plateau and are the most fascinating constructions in this part of the world. the Khasi tribe who live in the valleys adjacent to Bangladesh have actually trained the branches and the roots of the trees to result in living bridges crossing the rivers that actually divide the villages into two. These bridges today seem to belong to God and are very close to Mother Nature.

The bridges are growing stronger every day and it takes them around 10 to 15 years to get totally functional. One they are formed their life span is around 500 to 600 years. This is much longer than a conventional bridge.

Located around 1000 metres from the Meghalaya plateau this is a lovely natural sight here in this part of India. The surface of the bridge has bits of wood and rocks added to the mix so that it is easier to cross. There is also another reason why wood has been added. The wood decomposes and it gives nutrients for the roots of the tree growing around it. The area gets around 15 metres of rein each year . So a normal wooden bridge would completely rot. But the growing bridges are alive and they are still growing so they gain strength over a period of time.

The locals have guided vines and roots from the local rubber tree which is found across the rivers. They have used hollowed out trees to result in a root guidance system. When the vines and the roots go to the opposite bank they are allowed to take root. Thus a very strong bridge is produced. In fact there are some bridges which take around 10 to 15 years to get totally functional.