India: discovering the living bridges of Meghalaya

In the northeast of India, in a subtropical forest, men have built bridges to cross these vast, sometimes rugged spaces. Living bridges made from the roots of trees, also living, woven by the hand of man. A unique technique in the world that gives rise to real works of art.

Suspended from the mountains of northeast India, in the mystical setting of the state of Meghalaya, curious bridges made of intertwined tree roots have been growing for centuries. These works were designed by the hand of man. 27 meters above the ground, a family came to maintain one of them. Built more than three centuries ago, the bridge was shaped with bare hands, without a single nail, just with tree roots that grew and intertwined. “If we don’t take care of this bridge, it will deteriorate and could disappear,” said Kroli Khonglam, a resident of Meghalaya.

Indispensable for locals

Unique in the world, there would be several hundred living bridges in India. They made the region famous. “It’s the first time in my life that I’ve seen such a thing. It’s a magnificent bridge,” exclaims a tourist. Capable of supporting dozens of people at a time and resistant to the onslaught of time, these bridges are essential for the habitats of the region because they allow the villages to be linked together. Morning Star Khongthaw, from the Living Bridge Foundation, has created an association to preserve them.