Meghalaya's living bridges and their architect

Shillong: Navigating the dark, dense forests of Meghalaya’s Cherrapunji by foot amid the notoriously wild monsoon rains is nearly impossible. The region —locally called Sohra — is amongst the wettest in India, with an average rainfall of around 11,600 mm per year. 

As residents of the Siej village in the East Khasi Hill district struggled for transport, young Hally War began mastering the art of binding roots to construct a bridge. Little did he know that this expertise would, decades later, fetch him a Padma Shri.

The art of building root bridges was passed on across generations in War’s family. As a boy aged around 10 years, he saw the elders in his family develop bridges through roots — famously called the “living root bridges of Meghalaya”.

He hails from the Khasi community, one of the three major tribes of Meghalaya — the other two being Garo and Jaintia.

Over time, he picked up the skill of pulling roots, binding them together, and forming a bridge. The work is tedious and takes around 45-50 years.

The result of his persistent effort was the Umkar living root bridge, built by binding the roots of the Ficus Elastica tree (Rubber Fig tree).

The remarkably sturdy bridge can withstand the weight of 25-30 people at one go, with War’s remarkable skill ensuring that some parts also provide support where walkers can rest their hands on each side of the bridge. 

Though the root bridge now has a concrete counterpart, for decades it was the only way for Siej residents to pass through the forest. The region also has two other bridges built by War’s ancestors.

Metres away, atop a small hill and surrounded by lush greenery is War’s house, where he stays with his wife Philoris Khyllep and the rest of his family, including his four children — a daughter, son Willingson, and his two brothers.

For years, his skill and service went unrecognised. However, things changed around a decade ago, when tourists popularised his work. 

War was overjoyed when his name featured in the Union government’s list of Padma Awards. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma also visited his place recently.

“I thank God, the central and state governments for this honour,” said War, now in his 60s.

Willingson explained that his father was teaching his skills to other youngsters, thereby ensuring that the age-old abilities of the Khasi community were passed on to posterity.