Living root bridges are common in the area of the city of Cherapundji , Meghalaya in eastern India , and are one of the oldest examples of arbo architecture . They are traditionally created from the aerial roots of rubber-bearing ficus by the Khashi and peoples [1] . In the 20th century, without losing their transport significance, these suspension bridges became a bright attraction of the region, which has always attracted tourists.
To form a living root bridge, the flexible hanging roots of a ficus are directed through a stream or river. At the same time, guides from bamboo can be thrown to the other side, replaced by new ones if necessary. If we use the longened trunks of the betel palm , inside which the growing root of the ficus is passed, then they, supplying the roots with the nutrients of the decaying tree, stimulate faster root growth. Young roots are often twisted or tied together so that they .
Rubber-bearing ficus is well adapted for fastening on steep slopes and rocky surfaces; reaching the opposite shore, the root grows into the ground. The root system of the tree grows and continues to develop on the other side of the river. As the tree grows, the roots grow and harden, becoming thicker and stronger. In the warm and humid climate of eastern India, it takes about 15 years to create a new bridge. The work is rather laborious, the process of "growing" the bridge in the right direction requires constant monitoring and attention [2] .
The main advantage of the root bridge in the humid climate of the tropics is that while the tree is alive, the bridge is protected from decay [3] . Moreover, the older the ficus, the stronger the bridge. A fairly old and strong living bridge is able to withstand the load of up to 50 people [4] . If the tree is healthy, the life of such a self-healing bridge can be up to several hundred years [5] .
The tradition of creating living bridges goes back to antiquity; information was not preserved when they began to be built for the first time. Europeans heard of such bridges in 1844 when a Scottish orientalist, Henry Eul, published an article in the journal of the Asian Society of Bengal .
The longest of the existing living bridges (more than 50 meters in length) is located between the villages of Mavkirnot and Rangtillan. There are several double parallel bridges, the most interesting of which is near the village of , with this double bridge one canvas is on top of another.
Other structures from aerial roots are also known, for example, in the village of Kuden-Rim, hanging stands were made between several trees from which local people watch football.
Gallery
Longest Root Bridge at Rangtillan Village
Double Bridge at Nongriat Village
Mawlinnong Village Bridge
Living bridge under construction
Notes
- ↑ Brent Lewin, India's living Bridges, Reader's Digest Australia, November 2012, p. 82-89
- ↑ How are Living Root Bridges Made?
- ↑ The Living Natural Root Bridges in Meghalaya
- ↑ Living Bridges of Meghalaya and Cherapundji
- ↑ Root Bridges of Cherapundji