📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Joydeep Chakraborty
Lifestyle
Meghalaya’s Living Root Bridges Strengthen Over Time, 30‑Year‑Old Craftsman Preserves Tradition
✍️ The Weekend Leader
🗓 29 Oct 2026, 01:36 PM
👁 9
In Meghalaya, living root bridges become sturdier with age. A 30‑year‑old artisan continues the age‑old practice of guiding roots across streams.
Living root bridges, a unique engineering marvel of Meghalaya, are formed by guiding the aerial roots of rubber fig trees across streams and ravines. Over decades, the roots thicken and interlace, making the bridges increasingly robust and capable of supporting heavier loads.
The natural growth process means that older bridges can bear more weight than newer ones, a fact that has been observed by both locals and researchers. The roots adapt to the environment, reinforcing the structure as they age.
A 30‑year‑old local craftsman, who has spent years learning the delicate art of root guidance, is now keeping the tradition alive. He mentors younger apprentices and continues to build new bridges, ensuring the technique is passed on.
These bridges not only serve practical purposes for villagers but also attract tourists, highlighting Meghalaya’s cultural heritage and the sustainable ingenuity of its people.
The natural growth process means that older bridges can bear more weight than newer ones, a fact that has been observed by both locals and researchers. The roots adapt to the environment, reinforcing the structure as they age.
A 30‑year‑old local craftsman, who has spent years learning the delicate art of root guidance, is now keeping the tradition alive. He mentors younger apprentices and continues to build new bridges, ensuring the technique is passed on.
These bridges not only serve practical purposes for villagers but also attract tourists, highlighting Meghalaya’s cultural heritage and the sustainable ingenuity of its people.