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| Root bridges, Cherrapunji,India. .blogspot.com |
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| Chirrapunji, India drishtiias.com/ |
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| Seven sisters falls, Cherrapunji, India. wikipedia.org |
Above image: Water cascades down Meghalaya’s steep cliffs. It is one of the wettest regions on Earth.
An
unusual example of this is the occurrences of strong
and sturdy roots
in the forest areas. A
particular
species of Indian rubber tree known as ''Ficus
elastica''
grows roots that are so strong that they can, at
a time, support
the weight of dozens of people.
They are being used by the villagers to build bridges, using entirely roots and some old bridges can,
at a time, easily
support 40 to 50 people. They
are almost 18 inches broad and 6 inches thick and rigid. These
strange natural roots
form
strong natural bridges
that
can be used and served
as regular bridges upon which people can walk without fear of sudden
snapping in the middle of the bridge.
They are really strong and will not give-in
that easily.
Further, it is a tough job to cut them loose.
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| Khasi tribal children, Cherrapunji,India944 . enwikipedia.org |
How
are the root bridges built?
Engineers
build all kinds of bridges world over using latest technology but the
tribes living here - Khasis of Meghalaya, grow natural root bridges
with
skill and dexterity and the knowledge of local trees and plants, They
use
tree trunks for areal mobility.
Some of these bridges are more than a hundred feet long. The Umshiang Ficus Elastica or the Rubber tree produces strong secondary roots from their trunks they have been set-up to grow in a particular direction using betel-nut trunks as scaffolding across the gap connecting the trunk on the other side. They form sturdy living bridges over decades. 'The Umshiang Double Decker Bridge' is truly one of a kind in the entire world. It takes 10 to 15 years for the root bridges to fully grow and join roots on the opposite side of the river. They continue to grow and gain strength as years go by. Later they become fully functional. A double-decker root bridge in Cheerapunji is one of the main attractions in Meghalaya. The growing tourism in the region supports the local economy. These pretty old root bridges continue to stay strong provided they are being taken care of periodically. The extra roots from the plants need pruning. If unchecked, they might decay and become unusable for the people with the loss of strength. Some ancient root bridges are said to be over 500 years old. .
No
cement, no concrete, no steel and no-substandard-contractors and no hard work like sweat hogs; lots
of energy savings. Here, the people live in the of comforts of mother
Nature thus keeping the symbiotic relationship between man and nature along with numerous fauna, the roots and trees support.
''Cherrapunji"
means 'land of oranges.' This place NE part of India still holds the world record for the most rainfall in a calendar
month and in a year. It received 9,300 mm (366 in) in July 1861 and
26,461 mm (1,041.75 in) between 1 August 1860 and 31 July 1861.
The local tribes Khasis
follow a
matrilineal
culture-the husband after marriage settles down
with the bride's family.
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