No steel, concrete, or cement: Meghalaya’s living bridges take 30 years to grow but get stronger with age. How villagers create them from tree roots

In the lush hills of Meghalaya in northeast India, some of the world’s most remarkable bridges are not built with steel, concrete or cement. Instead, Khasi and Jaintia communities have perfected the art of growing living root bridges from rubber fig trees. These natural bridges can take 15 to 30 years to become strong enough to cross, but unlike conventional structures, they continue strengthening as they age. Their roots thicken, intertwine and fuse over time, creating sturdy pathways across rivers and ravines. The centuries-old tradition is now drawing global attention for its remarkable blend of indigenous knowledge, sustainability and living architecture.

Bridges that take decades to grow

Known locally as jingkieng jri, these bridges begin with a tree rather than a construction site. Villagers plant rubber fig trees (Ficus elastica) near a river, stream or ravine and wait for the tree to produce aerial roots, as per Science Daily. The young roots are flexible enough to be guided across gaps.

Traditionally, villagers thread them through hollowed-out betel nut trunks or bamboo, using these as temporary supports. As the roots grow towards the opposite bank, they eventually take hold there. More roots can then be directed across the same passage, gradually creating a wider and stronger structure.

Why these bridges grow stronger

The remarkable part is what happens after the bridge becomes usable. Instead of deteriorating simply because it is old, a living root bridge continues to grow. Roots carrying weight become thicker, while roots that meet and remain in contact can fuse together through a natural process known as inosculation.

Over years, this turns a collection of individual roots into an increasingly interconnected structure. Stones may be added between the roots to create a more even walking surface, while some bridges also feature woven root handrails. Research has documented living root bridges stretching more than 50 metres, although most are considerably shorter.

A tradition passed through generations

Growing one of these bridges requires patience on a scale rarely seen in modern infrastructure. A bridge can take 15 to 25 years before it is capable of safely carrying people, compared with only a few years for a conventional concrete bridge.

For Khasi communities, however, the process is more than an engineering technique. It represents a relationship with the surrounding landscape and a tradition handed down through generations. Much of the knowledge remains rooted in oral practice, making the dwindling number of skilled practitioners a growing concern.

Meghalaya’s living engineering marvel

The living root bridges of Meghalaya offer an unusual lesson in sustainable design: sometimes, the strongest structure is one that never stops growing. As interest in plant-based architecture increases among researchers and architects, these bridges are being studied as examples of how humans can work with nature rather than simply build over it.

In 2022, Meghalaya’s living root bridges were added to UNESCO’s tentative World Heritage list, bringing greater recognition to the tradition. Yet their future depends on preserving the knowledge needed to grow the next generation. A root bridge may survive for centuries—but the human skill behind it must survive too.