I recently got back from a 3 week trip to India with my partner. There is so much to unpack here! I will do a series of posts and not necessarily in chronological order. I want to share with you here, now, is our experience in North Eastern India, which is very different than say, Delhi, and other parts of Northern India. We went to a jungle, Meghalaya, which means  “Abode of Clouds.” It’s known for its lush landscapes, high rainfall, and unique tribal cultures, with its capital in Shillong. Formed in 1972 from parts of Assam, it is bordered by Assam and Bangladesh. I was interested in seeing such natural wonders as waterfalls, caves and Living Root Bridges, but it was the root bridges I was most interested in.

Whlle researching India, we watched alot of YouTube Videos. One that really peaked my intererst was a video about The Living Root Bridges which can only be found in Meghalaya, the wettest place on earth. They were originally built as practical, durable footbridges so Khasi and Jaintia villagers could cross rivers and deep, slippery gorges, where normal bamboo or wooden bridges rotted or were washed away. They allowed people to reach fields, forests, markets, schools, and neighboring villages across fast streams and canyons, especially during the monsoon when water levels rise.

In the steep Khasi and Jaintia hills, building and maintaining concrete or steel bridges was historically difficult and expensive, so communities turned to the Indian rubber tree (ficus) as a readily available living material.

Planting and training the roots was a collective, long-term project that elders undertook as an investment for future generations, embedding social and cultural valures in the landscape.

I have to admit, when I first encountered the living root bridges, I was overwhelmed. Their beauty and ingenuity felt almost unreal. I didn’t just fall in love with the structures themselves—I found myself deeply moved by the people who brought them into being.
There was a strange duality in the experience: a sense of calm intertwined with something more unsettling. In some places, the bridges seemed to receive my body effortlessly, as if I belonged there. In others, they felt precarious and intimidating, stirring a quiet fear with every step.

Here is a simplified outline of how Khasi and Jaintia communities traditionally construct a living root bridge using rubber fig trees.

1. Select a site that needs crossing and a select a mature ficus growing on one bank (or plant one and wait until it is strong enough to produce long aerial roots).

2. Prepare a scaffold, usually made from bamboo. Secure this guide firmly to both banks so it can support the growing roots.

3. Select the aerial roots from the rubber tree and thread or place these roots around the bamboo aiming them toward the opposite bank. Tie, bend, or weave the roots as needed so they follow the intended path and stay in contact with the guide.

4. When the roots reach the opposite side, bury their tips in soil so they can root firmly into the ground.

5. Gradually add more aerial roots along the same line, weaving and twisting them together to form a dense lattice.

6. Insert stones, pebbles, and small branches between the roots on the walking surface; over time, the roots grow around and lock these in.

7. These bridges are maintained over decades. There are some root bridges that span 600 years old. The Double Decker Bridge we were on was around 250 years old. The youngest bridge we were on was around 40 years.