Living Root Bridges in India
In the depths of northeastern India, in one of the wettest places on earth, bridges aren’t built – they’re grown.
The living bridges of Cherrapunji, India are made from the roots of the Ficus elastica tree. This tree produces a series of secondary roots from higher up its trunk and can comfortably perch atop huge boulders along the riverbanks, or even in the middle of the rivers themselves.
Cherrapunji is credited with being the wettest place on earth, and The War-Khasis, a tribe in Meghalaya, long ago noticed this tree and saw in its powerful roots an opportunity to easily cross the area’s many rivers. Now, whenever and wherever the need arises, they simply grow their bridges.
In order to make a rubber tree’s roots grow in the right direction – say, over a river – the Khasis use betel nut trunks, sliced down the middle and hollowed out, to create root-guidance systems.
The thin, tender roots of the rubber tree, prevented from fanning out by the betel nut trunks, grow straight out. When they reach the other side of the river, they’re allowed to take root in the soil. Given enough time, a sturdy, living bridge is produced.
The root bridges, some of which are over a hundred feet long, take ten to fifteen years to become fully functional, but they’re extraordinarily strong – strong enough that some of them can support the weight of fifty or more people at a time
Because they are alive and still growing, the bridges actually gain strength over time – and some of the ancient root bridges used daily by the people of the villages around Cherrapunji may be well over five hundred years old.
All the credit for this post goes to Atlas Obscura’s Wonderful Post on living root bridges
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That is unbelievably awesome! It’s a symbiotic relationship like non other. The humans get a safe mode of self renewing passage, and the trees get a nice root-massage and the smell of stinky feet.
that is truly amazing!!!!
Striking photos…I don’t know about photography, but these are some intriguing images.
I’m guessing these people aren’t still growing bridges and living in the jungle, but instead in the region’s standard type of housing. Naive, I know; I apologize if I’m being offensive. It’s impressive simply for being a different way of life than I’ve ever known, and intriguing, like I said, but my first impression when I saw the lady in the photo was, “man, I’d want to move.”
thats so cool
Surreal and beautiful!!!
Awesome photos…love it.
Nature never seizes to amaze me
Very nice photos.
Looks like other planet! Great!
Wow, never been to a place like that. I need to travel farther away.
where is this place in india???
south??
These pics are from my part of the world, its that part of the world where ppl have not literally cut off their roots from their past, even though like one of the commenters said, they live in standard type of housing. The beautiful part is that bridges are still being ‘grown’ like this…u have to see it to believe it and you’re all welcome to travel to this part of the world which is like no other…
God is Great!
Very nice photos!!!
I live in the same country. Disgrace I’ve never been to Cherapunji
. Lovely nature.
Amazing pictures, I really have to go there, maybe next year, when I finish my rtw.
Exotic indeed and as a Indian i am proud about its sanctity and beuty. Having good knowledge of the terrain may i warn the dreamers you will have to break ur ass trekking to the inside of these forests and no helicopters pls.!!If you are to tough trekker welcome to India!
wow who knew of such wonders i fell off my chair no really u can see the bruizes
We need to plant a few of those across our river
I would really like to cross all these bridges, great pics thanks.
In 2007 the area was logged off, to make houses………. now all that remains are stumps, & rotting bridges, & people wading through the streams.
This brings to mind the elves from the Lord of the Rings. They grow their houses from trees.
Very interesting great pictures. Go green!
[...] Posted by dragonfly jenny on 26 Dec 2009 at 01:56 pm | Tagged as: Permaculture/Sustainability A tribe of people living in northeastern India make living bridges by training the roots of rubber trees to grow across rivers. It takes some years for the bridges to become fully functional, but once they do, they are strong. And they only get stronger with age. Some of the bridges are up to 500 years old and capable of accommodating 50 people at once. The bridges are beautiful and you can see pictures and a description here [...]
WTF!
Excellent natural sites around the world. It proves that we must preserve our nature before it is all too late..
Looks like Avatar a tad
Japan appears to have its own form of living bridges as well.
http://atlasobscura.com/places/vine-bridges-japan
Lovely
Amazing Photos!
Thank you for posting!
That’s well cool!
Loving the pictures!
this root bridge is in Mawlynnong in Meghalaya,India. This became famous in the north east region of India after Mawlynnong was given the tag of ‘Cleanest Village’ by the Meghalaya Govt as a publicity move. I have seen other villages just as clean as Mawlynnong. You do not have to trek to get to the bridges. Mawlynnong is accessible by car. To get to the bridge you will need to walk downhill for about 15 mins tops. The villagers have also made a “machan” combining 4 trees; which is about 3 stories top Bangladesh is visible.
Love the pictures. I hope the tourists don’t wreck it.
what planet is this on?
it looks like something right out of Avatar.
WTF? Spiderman on last photo!
I am surprise slash happy I never seen this in a movie. I want to see this in person!