Living Root Bridges: One of the World Heritage Sites in India

Shailinda Syiemlieh crosses the nearest bridge to go to the other side of a raging stream as monsoon clouds bring pelting rain to the village of Tyrna. The bridge is not your typical metal and concrete building. The structure is really made up of a single enormous fig tree that is situated by the riverside, and Syiemlieh crosses it over using a jumble of aerial roots that have been tightly twisted and knotted together. The bridge contributes to the environment of the area in addition to being a part of the scenery.

Tyrna, a city with hundreds of these bridges, is located in the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya, close to the Bangladeshi lowlands. They have assisted the native Khasi and Jaintia populations for ages in crossing swollen rivers during the monsoon season.

Some of the wettest places on Earth are found in Meghalaya. The world's wettest village, Mawsynram, receives 11,871mm (39ft) of rain annually, which, if it fell all at once, would drown a standard three-story home. Second place goes to nearby Sohra, which averages 11,430mm (37.5ft). Bangladesh's humid lowlands are passed over by monsoon winds that blow north from the Bay of Bengal between June and September. When these air currents collide with Meghalaya's mountainous topography, they split open, ushering in heavy downpours.

The rural villages of Syiemlieh's forefathers used to be separated from adjacent towns by monsoon downpours, so they trained live aerial roots of Indian rubber fig trees (Ficus elastica) to construct a bridge spanning raging rivers.

How These Bridges are Beneficial?

Such live root bridges are an example of indigenous climate resistance, according to researchers. In addition to facilitating connection, these bridges draw tourists and provide cash for the local population. Researchers have discovered that they also have healing effects on the environment. Scientists are hoping that this idea of native living architecture may make it easier for contemporary cities to adapt to climate change.

Construction of Living Bridges

These bridges need decades of labour to construct. The process starts with the planting of a Ficus elastica seedling, a tree that thrives in Meghalaya's subtropical environment, in a good crossing location along the riverside. The trees first form substantial buttressing roots, and then, after approximately ten years, they begin to mature and send up secondary aerial roots. These aerial roots are rather elastic and have a propensity to sprout and connect together to produce sturdy structures.

The Khasi bridge builders use a centuries-old technique in which they weave aerial roots onto bamboo or wooden framework, wriggle them across the river, and then plant them on the other side. The roots gradually become shorter and thicker as well as producing daughter roots, which are likewise trained across the river. These roots are intertwined by the builders with other roots, branches, and trunks of the same or other fig trees.

They join together spontaneously through a process known as anastomosis, wherein branching systems such as leaf vessels, tendrils, and aerial roots, weave into a thick framework-like structure. Stones are occasionally used by Khasi builders to fill up gaps in root systems. Over time, this root system becomes strong enough to support weight; some bridges may accommodate up to 50 people at once.

Who is Responsible for Their Maintainance?

The maintenance of the bridge is continued by the generations who come after the original bridge builders. Small bridges may be maintained by a single person, but the majority need the help of an entire community, occasionally multiple villages, or the collaborative efforts of families. Some bridges date back 600 years and this process of upkeep and improvement through the generations can persist for decades. In addition to being a sort of construction that regenerates, living root bridges become increasingly durable and self-healing over time.

In part due to the work of Morningstar Khongthaw, a resident of Rangthylliang village and the founder of the Living Bridge Foundation, there has been a resurgence in interest in root bridges. Khongthaw and his group raise awareness about root bridges, maintain and repair existing bridges, and build new ones.

Role of Living Bridges in Important Functions of Environment

Root bridges, in contrast to conventional bridges, are also in the centre of their surroundings. The trees also collect carbon dioxide throughout the course of their existence, which acts as a greenhouse gas. They aid in soil stabilisation and landslide prevention. According to Lyngdoh, a scientist at the Biodiversity Institute of India and a native of Meghalaya, root bridges may not be able to perform better than the traditional kind in every way.

For instance, a traditional bridge can support more weight. But he adds that compared to the contemporary bridges we have, "root bridges are considerably more valuable to a broad range of natural species." "A mosaic that is ingrained in the forest is the live root bridge. The bridge and the forest in its natural state are not distinguishable to species."

One aspect of this, according to Julia Watson, an architect and assistant professor at Columbia University whose research focuses on nature-based indigenous technology, is altering how we see trees.

The root bridges have traditionally benefited the community economically in addition to being a part of Khasi culture. When villages and adjacent cities were formerly connected by a network of bridges, residents could use that route to transport and sell betel nuts and broom grass.

It is now a popular tourist destination. In response to the influx of tourists, homestays opened. Locals constructed camping areas and led tourists through the steep bush. Everything from crisp packs to bottled beverages was heaped in improvised stands.

Watson expects that architecture influenced by the living root bridges, albeit still in its infancy outside of Meghalaya, would one day play a significant role in cities, benefiting the urban air, soil, and wildlife. Watson claims that living infrastructure can sustain a wide variety of creatures in addition to people. "To exist, we require that biodiversity."

Written By: Devika Mishra

Edited By: Nidhi Jha