Living Root Bridges

The living root bridges of Meghalaya, called jingkieng jri in Khasi, are footbridges grown from the aerial roots of the rubber fig tree (Ficus elastica) across streams and rivers in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. The living root bridges are guided rather than built: villagers train the young roots along bamboo or areca palm frames until they reach the far bank, take root and thicken. A bridge can take fifteen years or more to carry people, and it grows stronger with age.

Root bridges were first described in print by a British officer in 1844, and some in use today are believed to be well over a century old. More than seventy are known across southern Meghalaya, where some of the heaviest rainfall on earth made ordinary timber bridges rot or wash away. The best known is the double-decker bridge at Nongriat, below Cherrapunji (Sohra), where two spans grow one above the other. In 2022 the Jingkieng Jri cultural landscape was added to India's tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage status.

What to see

• The Umshiang double-decker root bridge at Nongriat
• Natural blue pools below the bridges, good for a cool dip in the dry season
• Rainbow Falls, about an hour's walk beyond Nongriat
• The Riwai single root bridge near Mawlynnong village
• Khasi villages and betel nut groves along the trail

What to wear

The walk to Nongriat is a descent of about 3,000 stone steps from Tyrna, with a steep climb back, so wear trekking shoes or trainers with firm grip and quick-drying clothes. Carry a rain jacket or umbrella, as showers are frequent even outside the monsoon, and pack a spare shirt, since the humidity is high. Dress modestly in the villages. The Khasi women's dress is the jainsem, a long draped tunic pinned at the shoulders, and men wear the jymphong, a sleeveless tunic, on festive days.

Local food to try

Khasi food centres on rice and pork. Try jadoh, rice cooked with pork and turmeric, dohneiiong, pork in a black sesame sauce, and tungrymbai, a fermented soybean dish. Small village stalls at Nongriat serve rice, dal and noodles to trekkers, and Sohra market has local eateries. Vegetarian choices are limited, so ask for dal, vegetables and rice. Local oranges and honey are sold along the road.

Good to know

• Best time: October to April; the monsoon makes steps slippery and streams fast
• Walk in daylight, ideally starting by 8am; aim to be back up by 4pm
• A small village entry or trail fee is collected at some bridges
• Allow a full day for Nongriat, or stay overnight in a village guesthouse
• Tyrna trailhead is about 12 km from Sohra and about 65 km from Shillong
• Do not carve, pull or step on young roots; take all rubbish back up

Nearby places

Most visitors base themselves in Shillong, about two hours away by road, or in Sohra. The clear waters of Dawki and the Umngot river are a natural pairing with the Mawlynnong root bridge, and Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati is the usual first stop when flying in.