“Living Root Bridges”—weird….How can Bridges live?
Someone trying to fool me…..
Someone trying to fool me…..
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The First One standing upright |

March 2010 was one of my friend wedding which bought be back to shillong. All credit to him which allowed me to experience the awestruck beauty of nature.
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The resort |

The silence itself was so enamoring that it cannot be explained with “English words”. Believe me you have to come here to experience the feeling.
Well after the dinner, I was told that a trek of almost 15kms is awaiting us in the morning and “Robert” would be our valued guide.
The morning came little too early and we were ready to plunge in the beauty of nature.
After a trek of 10kms we came across the river upon which the Bridges were woven by nature for almost 20years to100 years , so that mankind can thrive in the adversity of the place.
I came across the first of its kind and was mesmerized by the intricate stunner of nature.

The roots belong to commonly called “rubber tree” also known as “Ficus Elastica”.
Grown from the roots of a rubber tree, the Khasis (tribe in Meghalaya) use betel-tree trunks, sliced down the middle and hollowed out, to create "root-guidance systems." 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.
Once the roots have been trained across the stream bed, they anchor in the soil of the opposite bank, providing the foundations for a living bridge. Usually, several roots are threaded together for strength, while others provide handrails and supports for longer spans. Flat stones from the stream bed are used to fill gaps in the bridge floor and, in time, these are engulfed by woody growth and become part of the fabric of the bridge itself.
A root bridge takes around 20 years to become fully functional. Once complete, however, it will probably last for several hundred years and, unlike its non-living counterparts, will actually increase in strength with age.
Known in the Khasi language as jingkieng deingjri (‘bridge of the rubber tree’), the bridges may be anywhere from ten to 30 metres in span. Unlike most artificial structures, they are able to withstand the high level of soil erosion brought about by monsoon rains and, being living material rather than dead wood, are resistant to the ravages of termites.
Wow
ReplyDeleteGreat shots!!Weare planning to visit Cherra so was just checking out and stopped by to say Hi!
ReplyDeleteShantana
awesome.. Thanks for sharing..
ReplyDeleteSri