Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Grotte de Glace
Sinquerim Beach Bastion
Port Tobacco Schoolhouse
Barracks / munitions storage.
Vloethemveld
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è Pasta... E Pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Green-Wood Cemetery, overlooking New York Harbor.
Where Our Team Looked for Joy During Pandemic Lockdowns
1 day ago
The 2,653-mile-long Pacific Crest Trail spans the entire West Coast from Canada to Mexico.
Meet the Volunteers Who Keep Thru-Hikers Moving
2 days ago
The Haskell Free Library and Opera House building on the U.S.-Canadian border.
Could New Border Restrictions Literally Tear the Haskell Free Library Apart?
2 days ago
A woman peering into the cave of Sarah Bishop c. 1900.
The Curious History of New England’s Hermit Tourism
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All India Cherrapunjee The Root Bridges of Cherrapunji
AO Edited

The Root Bridges of Cherrapunji

Centuries-old bridges grown from tangled roots.

Cherrapunjee, India

Added By
bertieinindia
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Living Root Bridges   ahinsajain / CC BY 2.0
Living Root Bridges   ahinsajain / CC BY 2.0
Root Bridges of Cherrapunji   Arshiya Urveeja Bose / CC BY 2.0
Living Root Bridges   Vinayak Hegde / CC BY 2.0
Living Root Bridges   ahinsajain / CC BY 2.0
Living Root Bridges   ahinsajain / CC BY 2.0
Living Root Bridges   ashwinkumar / CC BY-SA 2.0
Living Root Bridges   ashwinkumar / CC BY-SA 2.0
Living Root Bridges   Anthony Knuppel / CC BY 2.0
Living Root Bridges   Unlistedsightings / CC BY 2.0
Living Root Bridge   ashwinkumar / CC BY-SA 2.0
Living Root Bridge   ashwinkumar / CC BY-SA 2.0
Living Root Bridges   ashwinkumar / CC BY-SA 2.0
Living Root Bridges   Anthony Knuppel / CC BY 2.0
Living Root Bridges   Anthony Knuppel / CC BY 2.0
Steel Bridge on Route to Rainbow waterfalls   psushant577 / Atlas Obscura User
View of the Double Decker root bridge in Nongriat from the downstream side.   connect / Atlas Obscura User
A child’s perspective while crossing the root bridge Nongthymmai, found on the way to Nongriat.   connect / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In the depths of northeastern India, within sight of the India-Bangladesh border, in one of the wettest places on earth, bridges aren't built—they're grown.

The southern Khasi and Jaintia hills are humid and warm, crisscrossed by swift-flowing rivers and mountain streams. On the slopes of these hills, a species of Indian rubber tree with an incredibly strong root system thrives and flourishes.

The Ficus elastica produces a series of secondary roots from higher up its trunk and can comfortably perch atop huge boulders along the riverbanks, or even in the middle of the rivers themselves. The War-Khasis and War-Jaintias, two closely related tribes in Meghalaya, long ago noticed this tree and saw in its powerful roots an opportunity to easily cross the area's many rivers. Now, whenever and wherever the need arises, they simply grow their bridges.

In order to make a rubber tree's roots grow in the right direction—say, over a river—the people of southern Meghalaya have used several different strategies. Sometimes, the roots of the trees are simply pulled, tied, twisted, and encouraged by hand to merge with each other, until, over time, they form the desired architectural structure. Root bridges have also been made by creating scaffolds out of wood and bamboo, and then training the young roots out across these temporary structures, replacing the more perishable elements many times as they rot in the intense monsoon seasons.

In some places, such as around the village of Nongriat, betel nut trunks, sliced down the middle and hollowed out, are used to create root-guidance systems. The thin, tender roots of the rubber tree, prevented from fanning out by the betel nut trunks, grow straight out. The trunks also have the added advantage of providing the roots with additional nutrients as they decay. When they reach the other side of the river, they're allowed to take root in the soil. Given enough time a sturdy, living bridge is produced.

The root bridges can grow for as long as the organism they are a part of remains healthy, though they can take many years to initially become functional, the length of time being dependent on local conditions such as the health of the tree, the way the bridge is being grown, and the availability of nutrients in the soil that its being grown in. However, once root bridges become established, they're extraordinarily strong—strong enough that some of them can support the weight of 50 or more people at a time. In fact, because they are alive and still growing, the bridges actually gain strength over time—and some of the ancient root bridges used daily by the people of the villages around Cherrapunji may be well over 500 years old. 

The roots bridges of southern Meghalaya come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes. They have been known to grow as long as 170 feet, and soar 80 feet above the streams they cross. Most living root bridges only have a single span, yet several have more than one, arranged as either as two parallel spans,  or as two bridges stacked one over the other, such as the famous "Umshiang Double-Decker Root Bridge."

The practice of creating new living bridges, and of preserving ones already in existence, is over large parts of Southern Meghalaya slowly fading out. In many villages across the region, the root bridges are little more than a memory.  However, since they began attracting attention again in around 2004, local dedication to the bridges has, at least in a few places, kept them from being destroyed in favor of steel ones. What's more, a few new root bridges are currently under construction. In the village of Rangthylliang, an entirely new bridge is being grown using a bamboo and wood scaffold, and at the double-decker site in Nongriat, a new, third span is currently being grown above the other two, and should be ready for use within a decade.

The Atlas Obscura Podcast is a short, daily celebration of all the world's strange and wondrous places. Check out this episode about the Root Bridges of Cherrapunji.

Related Tags

Long Now Locations Bridges Architectural Oddities Trees Architecture Plants

Know Before You Go

While there are dozens of root bridges, which can be found all throughout the valleys between (very roughly!) the towns of Mawsynram and Dawki, few of these are easily accessible, or have nearby tourist facilities. To visit the bridges in the more remote areas, a local guide is an absolute must! A number of these bridges can be reached from Cherrapunjee Holiday Resort. Local maps to the bridges are available from the Resort. The "Umshiang Double-Decker Root Bridge" is located in the village of Nongriat. Visitors can walk here from the small village of Tyrna. The village is accessible from Cherrapunjee by shared or private taxi. From the village, 2500 steps must be traversed to reach Nongriat. The walk takes about 1.5 - 2 hours each way. Nongriat offers basic accommodation to visitors, so it's possible to stay overnight for a more relaxed experience. Serene Guest House is the best run establishment in Nongriat. From Nongriat, short hikes can lead you to several nearby root bridges, include several upstream from the village, a small, nice one, in the village of Mynteng, and several spectacular examples in the village of Nongthymmai. A large number of living root bridges are known to exist in the jungles around the town of Pynursla. To reach these, many of which are deep in the jungle and require several hours of tough hiking, make sure to find a reliable, local, guide. The Rangthylliang Eco-Tourism society comes highly recommended, and can arrange your stay while in the area. Another option for visiting root bridges is the beautiful, remote, village of Kongthong, which has several in the near vicinity. The Kongthong Travelers Nest is a great base to explore the area from, with several spectacular root bridges within a few hours walk. There's also the village of Shnongpdeng, in the West Jaintia Hills, near Dawki, which can be used as a great staging area to explore several villages with root bridges. Recommended are Kudeng Rim, Padu, and Burma. All of these villages have very little in the way of tourist facilities, so make sure to ask for help planning your visit in Shnongpdeng! Please respect the area's natural surroundings. 

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Delhi and Rajasthan: Colors of India

Discover Colorful Rajasthan: From Delhi to Jaipur and Beyond.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

bertieinindia

Edited By

sprijntjes, Kangto, Allison, connect...

  • sprijntjes
  • Kangto
  • Allison
  • connect
  • psushant577

Published

July 22, 2009

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://babakoto.eu/Articles/India/Cherrapunjee/Cherrapunjee-English.htm
  • http://www.twobirdsbreakingfree.com/ultimate-guide-to-cherrapunji.html
  • http://www.cherrapunjee.com/rootbridges.php
  • http://www.indiabeat.co.uk
  • http://www.cherrapunjee.com.
  • https://livingrootbridges.com/threats-to-meghalayas-botanical-architecture/
  • https://knowledgeofindia.com/trek-to-rainbow-waterfall-in-meghalaya-detailed-guide-to-rainbow-falls-meghalaya/
  • https://footloosedev.com/living-root-bridge-nongriat/
  • https://www.lostwithpurpose.com/nongriat-root-bridges/
  • https://www.lostwithpurpose.com/guwahati-shillong-cherrapunjee/
  • https://livingrootbridges.com/
The Root Bridges of Cherrapunji
Latikynsew Village
Cherrapunjee, 793004
India
25.21863, 91.66264
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Cherrapunji

Cherrapunjee, India

miles away

Lakkatura Tea Garden

Sylhet, Bangladesh

miles away

Lala Khal

Lala Khal, Bangladesh

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cherrapunjee

Cherrapunjee

India

Places 2
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Cherrapunji

Cherrapunjee, India

miles away

Lakkatura Tea Garden

Sylhet, Bangladesh

miles away

Lala Khal

Lala Khal, Bangladesh

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cherrapunjee

Cherrapunjee

India

Places 2
Stories 1

Related Stories and Lists

The Artisans Behind India's Living Root Bridges

bridges

By Dania Rodrigues

The Root Bridges of Cherrapunji

Podcast

By The Podcast Team

The Indian Village Where Every Person's Name Is a Unique Song

music

By Zinara Rathnayake

Toward a Better Understanding of South Asia's 'Living Bridges'

bridges

By Isaac Schultz

10 Extraordinary Places That Celebrate 10 Years of Atlas Obscura

List

By Dylan Thuras and Josh Foer

The Atlas Obscura Kids' Book Is On Sale Now!

books

By Dylan Thuras

Related Places

  • Şehzadeler, Turkey

    Saruhan Bey Pine Tree

    A centuries-old pine tree is growing through the floor and roof of this building.

  • Alnwick, England

    The Treehouse Restaurant at Alnwick Gardens

    This giant wooden treehouse within a sprawling garden has its own eatery.

  • Tharp’s Log.

    Three Rivers, California

    Tharp’s Log

    A 19th-century cabin built into a hollowed-out Sequoia tree.

  • St. Patrick’s Basilica.

    Montreal, Québec

    St. Patrick's Basilica

    Its columns were all carved from the same white oak tree.

  • Visitors stand on a 130-foot-high spiral tower.

    Binz, Germany

    Treetop Tower of Rügen

    A long spiraling walkway winds through the woods, and around a copper beech tree at the center.

  • Ohrdruf, Germany

    The Living Fence

    Made from trees and then abandoned, this fence is still growing along a path in Germany.

  • The Platanenkuben.

    Nagold, Germany

    Platanenkubus

    A German town is growing a building out of trees.

  • The Ash House.

    Nentershausen, Germany

    Naturbauten Park

    At this unusual park, domes, ladders, chairs, and more are made from trees.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.