Single decker root bridge Travel Guide

There are bridges around the world that are known to be human’s finest creations! But the natural marvel of Living Root Bridges in Meghalaya is mindblowing. These wonderful structures have meticulously grown over a period of time and are among the biggest attractions in Meghalaya.

The ever evolving Meghalaya bridges are made up of tangled thick roots that provide formidability to the structure and make it good enough to hold 50 or more people in one go. They are grown by trained Khasi and Jaintia tribes who have mastered the art of growing root bridges across raised banks of streams running through the dense woods of Meghalaya.

A few minutes’ walk from Mawlynnong is what considered being the most beautiful of all the bridges in the East Khasi Hills, namely the bridge at Wahthyllong. There are still 11 functional root bridges in this area, situated around two and a half hours drive from Shillong. The longest living root bridge is over 50 m in length and located near the small Khasi town of Pynursla these bridges have been quite helpful for crossing the rivers and streams in Meghalaya. Sensationally, even here the versatile banyan tree can weave its brilliance by way of the ladders and suspended walkways that the Khasi have built in order to be able to scale these sheer faces.

The Riwai Living Root Bridge at Mawlynnong Village is one of the most easy ones to access among all the living root bridges in Meghalaya. Unlike the Double Decker Living Root Bridge at Nongriat that takes almost 5 hours to trek to and come back, this Living Root Bridge can be reached after a short 15-minute walk from the village. Most of the Living Root Bridges in Meghalaya can be reached only by hiking through dense cover of forest for several hours while the Mawlynnong Living Root Bridge is across the pathway of a simple village at Riwai. Once you have trekked the distance you will come face to face with one of the most spectacular natural bridges in the World. This Living Root Bridge at Mawlynnong has been made by twisting the roots of the gigantic rubber trees. The Rubber tree roots make a pathway across a stream, making it easy for villagers to commute and cross various waterways that separate their villages from the mainland. Unique to the State of Meghalaya the hardy roots slowly grow to form a cantilevered and intertwined mesh that is later used as a bridge over waterways.

The whole idea of Meghalaya’s living bridges came into the picture some two centuries ago (180 years precisely) when veterans of Khasi clan living in Meghalaya put rubber tree roots into hollow canes of Areca nut palm that met halfway across the stream. The roots were nurtured and cared properly until they grew enough to reach the opposite bank, get completely entwined with each other, and make themselves capable enough to carry heavy weight.

Some of the interesting facts about these bridges are:

• The Living Root Bridges are made from rubber tree roots also known as Ficus elastica tree.
• Some of the root bridges are over 100 feet long and take 10 to 15 years to attain the perfect shape.
• Once fully grown, these roots last for as long as 500 years. While some of the roots decay because of their continuous association of water, others grow and make up for the decayed, thus providing the required stability to the bridge.
• Of all the Living Root Bridges in Meghalaya, the double-decker root bridge in Cherrapunji and the single-decker root bridge in Shillong are the unique bridges in the world and make for prime attraction in the Northeast.
• Living Root Bridges in Meghalaya are recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Sites.