double decker living root bridge, nongriat village, near cherrapunju meghalaya
there are multiple places which are serene and mesmerising in meghalaya but this was the best of it all for me. you need to climb down 3500 steps reach this place. but once you take a good look at in the forest background while immersing yourself in the pure transparent lake from the falls close by, you just stand there marvelling the beauty of double decker living root bridge which is an eptiome of human-nature symbiosis. words can never capture the feelings. this is the best i could do.
living root bridges are natural suspension bridges made from the aerial roots of rubber trees. they are generally found in the hilly regions of the khasi and jaintia hills. khasi tribes(the term “khasi” means “born of the mother”) are known for making these bridges. young pliable roots of the rubber tree are placed in the empty areca palm tree trunks. this guides the roots to reach the opposite side. as the roots grow longer and thicker, they are interwoven and guided to form a lattice-like structure. the roots grow around support structures like bamoboo scaffolding and stones. the process of guiding and training the roots takes years, sometimes even decades. in general it is said to take 15 to 30 years for a full bridge to grow and be ready for use. with proper care and maintenance by the local communities, living root bridges can endure for several centuries, sometimes reaching lifespans of 200 years or more
- Living root bridges are Ficus elastica based suspension bridges within dense tropical rainforests of North Eastern Indian Himalayas.
- majorly grown by Khasi tribes
- taken 15 to 30 years to grows
- lasts for 100+ years
- inosculation - joining by twining
An eco-theandric vision of reality refers to a firm belief in God, Nature and Man as one single indivisible entity. Khasis idolize the earth as “mother earth”,
Khasi Land Tenure system deals with three types of land in Khasi hills, viz., community land (or Ri Raid), privately owned land (or Ri Kynti) and Government land. Community land is managed and owned by the community and performs the role of an emergency reservoir for the benefit of all people. Shangpliang, R. 2010. Forest in the Life of Khasis. New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company
‘Sacred groves’ (or Law Kyntang) are fully developed virgin forest patches from pre-agrarian age. Removal of timber or forest produce from these groves, is prohibited. Tiwari, B.K. et al. 1999. Sacred Forests of Meghalaya. Regional Centre, National Afforestation and Eco Development Board, NEHU, Shillong, p.14.
With exceptional robustness3 under extreme climatic conditions, minimal material cost, remedial properties on surrounding soil, water and air, collective grass root involvement across multiple generations, and support to other plant and animal systems, living root bridges offer an extraordinary model for socio-ecological resilience4 and sustainability.