Man-made bridges inspire approval, admiration, approbation and appreciation; but what about bridges created by nature in its playful mood? Perhaps they inspire, awe and amaze even more because no engineering skill or creative talent can even remotely match them, let alone emulate them.
Root bridges are formed when trees overhanging flowing streams join and intertwine over the water to create a passageway, usually narrow, but wide enough for people to carry themselves across. It can only be speculated how these branches join over the stream, at what stage of growth, and whether human hands also lend themselves to the natural engineering.
What is not difficult to decipher is that the primary human contribution is to exploit such a bridge. And what is equally evident is the fact that these unique creations of nature present a sight of such marvel and grandeur that they appear to be extended limbs of trees on either side standing in a deep embrace, conjuring an intricate, Narnia-like fantasy.
A new root bridge takes about 15 years to get strong enough to bear the weight of people. Over the next few years, the roots become even stronger. It is believed that some root bridges are as much as five hundred years old. Such elaboration and complexity evokes astonishment and incredulity and makes one wonder at this facile and fetching craft of nature.
Although root bridges are present in many parts of the world, the ones in the Indian state of Meghalaya are the most spectacular. One of the oldest and most famous of these, the living root bridges at Cherrapunji are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These are reported to be about 120 years old, stout, sturdy and still serving the purpose of over 3,500 villagers on either side of them.
Building Blocks
Ficus elastica, the Indian rubber tree also known as the rubber fig, rubber bush, rubber plant, or Indian rubber bush, is the tree that conjures these divine creations. A large tree growing up to 30-40 meters develops aerial and buttressing roots responsible for intertwining lateral branches creating such bridges. The process is often slow and haphazard but the result is invariably spectacular.
Cherrapunji
Cherrapunji is home to the Khasi tribe, an ethnic group of Meghalaya and its most populous tribe, comprising 48% of the state’s population. The last census placed their population at over 15 lakhs. Culturally unique for following a strict matrilineal system, they are among the few Austroasiatic-speaking peoples in South Asia.
Cherrapunji’s most famous claim till recently was being the wettest place on earth. It receives 450 inches or 11,430 mm of rain on average every year. This distinction has now been usurped by its neighbour Mawsynram, located on the Shillong Plateau about 35 miles (55 km) southwest of the state capital.
But Cherrapunji is still special for its abundance of living root bridges, each more beautiful than the other. Ummunoi root bridge is the oldest and longest, 74 meters long and at a height of 1,400 feet. The Ritymmen bridge is 30 meters long while the Umkar bridge stands out in the the monsoon season when a waterfall gushes down its centre. Mawsaw bridge derives its beauty from the natural swimming pool formation with limpid water the brook beneath the bridge forms.
The Double-Decker
But perhaps the most spectacular of these outstanding root bridges is the Double-Decker bridge at Umshiang. It is not only the most popular but also the most elaborate. Starting from Tyrna village, it spans a total length of 30 meters and stands at a height of 2,400 feet. Reaching the upper bridge, which is shorter at 20 meters, is a tough but enticing venture.
Surrounded by the thick tropical forest of Meghalaya and cloaked with rain during most part of the year, this lovely spectacle of nature presents a surreal sight and offers a soul-lifting experience. The natural outgrowth of the roots over the years were also shaped by the local Khasis to provide a remarkable alternative to wooden bridges that would decay and dwindle with the omnipresent rain. The twin bridges so stacked make them perhaps the only one of its kind in the whole world.
Humans may boast of their innovation and enterprise, their skills and perseverance, and may have created extraordinary examples of their engineering genius and technical prowess, but the Umshiang Double-Decker Root Bridge, not built but grown, has a power to mesmerise the beholder in a manner both ethereal and real quite unlike any other structure on earth.
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