The Living Roots Bridge of Meghalaya are spectacular monuments of community collaboration
and trans-generational design — certainly no art form for the instant gratification pros of our
21st century!
A mere 7000 steps from the edge of modern living, the root bridges certainly beg the question
of just why exactly the drilling deep into the earth to pull out ore, smelt it into steel then create
a bridge, so people may cross a small gorge, became the only default option.
As evinced, one can gently— over generations of course — weave the tree roots slowly into
mud and earth and let the tree do the bridging— just like the two magical Ficus Elastica trees
on both sides of the gorge have in this tucked away corner in Meghalaya.
Defying gravity and modern engineering, the Living Roots Bridge are more than a
selfie-worthy hotspot—although you wouldn’t think so watching the social media hordes
infinitely clicking until THE perfect picture !
The bridges silently scream—just connect with community, with your earth systems,
with trees and elements around you and
the clues are all around!
True, one can’t cross the pacific on a living
roots bridge and the Golden Gate becomes
quite necessary.
But the living roots bridges don’t ask to be
copied or replicated… They merely signaled
us to read deep into the wisdom hidden in
their roots, in the communities that made
them and in the traditional knowledge that
we’re losing by the second.
On this Earth Day (although every day is Earth Day at Vertiver) we pay homage to the
great architects of the Living Root Bridges in Meghalaya (and wherever else they may exist)
for showing us the way!
