Located in the thick tropical forest of Meghalaya, cloaked with rain during most part of the year are the fantastic man-made cum natural wonders of the living root bridges. Created by the people of the Khasi tribe, these roots grow from the ancient rubber trees, seen only in the northeast region. These roots are trained by the Khasis to grow in such a manner as be in the form of bridges on the top of a river. These bridges are an amazing alternative to wooden bridges that dwindle with so much rain falling on them. The most popular tourist attraction of Cherrapunjee, these double Decker living root bridges are 2 bridges that are stacked one on the other, made because of the entanglement of roots.
It is 3 km long and begins from Village Tyrna Village. The bridge stands at a height of 2400 feet. Reaching the upper bridge, which is 20 meter long is a tough but a worth -it task. Please take note that one needs to be physically fit to reach the upper bridge.
A new root bridge takes about 15 years to get strong enough so that it can bear the weight of people who would be crossing it. Over a span of next few years, the roots become even stronger. It is believed that some of the root bridges are over five hundred years old. The most popular one is Umshiang Double-Decker Root Bridge. Not built but grown, these living root bridges are like an astonishment and are absolutely unique.