“Sometimes roots of two trees on either side of a river grow in a way that the two ends get connected, enabling people to step onto it. Such a bridge is named a Living Root Bridge. They grow stronger with time, unlike human-made bridges, and are made by the villagers from generation to generation, who patiently guide the roots of the rubber trees across the river with the necessary support. The roots are of a species of Indian rubber tree (Ficus elastica), which grows only by a river or a stream side, and thrives only in this climate. These trees shoot out many secondary roots from their trunks, which with time grow strong and live up to a hundred years."
Illustration for a short story based on the magical Living Root bridges of Mawlynnong, a village in the East Khasi hills of Meghalaya, Northeast India. Story by Shrutikantha Kandalii.
