Shillong: The Meghalaya government has embarked on a formal bid to secure UNESCO World Heritage recognition for the state’s ancient living root bridges. Officials announced dedicated funding and research initiatives at a workshop in Shillong, marking a significant step towards preserving these bioengineered marvels.
The initiative is a collaborative effort between the state’s Arts and Culture Department, UNESCO, INTACH, and the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency. This structured attempt aims to document and preserve the living root bridges, which have connected communities across rivers for generations.
Multiple research projects are already underway to examine the bridges’ construction and cultural significance, with local communities actively participating in documentation efforts. The centuries-old bridges, found primarily in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills, demonstrate remarkable indigenous engineering.
Junhi Han, Chief of UNESCO’s Culture Unit for South Asia, praised the bridges as “extraordinary examples of harmony between nature and humanity”. She emphasized their unique status as products of traditional knowledge rather than industrial construction.
Former UPSC Chairman David Syiemlieh highlighted the practical importance of the bridges for rural communities while noting that several have been lost over time. He stressed the urgent need for conservation efforts to protect the remaining structures.
The workshop, titled “Guiding the Preparation of World Heritage Nomination Dossier for Living Root Bridges”, signals Meghalaya’s serious commitment to joining the exclusive list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. If successful, the living root bridges could become India’s first bioengineered structures to receive such recognition.
Local communities continue to maintain these natural bridges using traditional techniques passed down through generations, making them living examples of sustainable architecture and indigenous wisdom.
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