Few people have heard of Meghalaya, a region in northeast India where there are surprises at every turn. Bound to the south and west by Bangladesh and to the north and east by the Indian state of Assam, Meghalaya is one of the wettest places on earth, with over 400 inches of rain a year, three times that of Seattle. It is also a natural paradise; 70 percent of the state is covered by forests, teeming with a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna. Most interestingly, it is home to the Khasi tribe, the largest of three tribes living in this seldom-visited area of India.

Women Power

In a world where patriarchy reigns, Khasi society is built around women and matriarchy. For millennia, they have established a matrilineal tradition that puts women in a pivotal position in aspects such as inheritance of wealth and taking family names after marriage. The youngest daughter in the family inherits the family treasure, children take their maternal surname while a man must live at his mother-in-law’s home after marriage. Far from being alien to the Khasi, these societal norms have bonded the Khasi people through thick and thin.

Building Bridges

The matrilineal structure of Khasi society is a revelation, but what is even more startling to learn was the way the Khasi live with nature. Sustainability is an overused word these days, but for the Khasi people, it is key to their survival. They know that there’s no alternative but to live sustainably with nature because ultimately, she is the source of all life – human, trees, insects and a host of other sentient beings. A remarkable demonstration of this ethos is the way the Khasi skillfully construct root bridges, blending ancient architecture and human ingenuity with what nature provides.

Root bridges are structures built entirely using tree branches, trunks, and roots. The process of building a root bridge begins with placing young aerial roots in hollowed-out trunks of the Areca Catechu tree (type of palm tree). These trunks provide essential nutrition and protection from the weather to the young roots and serve as a root guidance system. The hollowed out trunk is then supported by a bamboo framework along with the entire structure. Over time, as the aerial roots increase in strength and thickness, the trunks are no longer required. Dead load in the form of stones, timber planks, leaves, and soil are then added to plug gaps and weight-test the living root structure. It may take decades for the root structure to become strong enough to support substantial weight without bamboo props but once that is achieved, a naturally sustainable bridge is built. Unlike the concrete bridges in modern cities, a root bridge will become stronger and more resilient with time.