‘Mother Nature’s pathway’: Scindia awed by Meghalaya’s living root bridges

Pynursla, Nov 2: Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia expressed awe at Meghalaya’s world-renowned living root bridges, describing them as a “vision of the past” and a timeless symbol of harmony between humans and nature that must be treasured and protected.

Scindia on Saturday, visited one of the tallest living root bridges at Rangthylliang village in the East Khasi Hills district, where he interacted with local residents and community elders who have preserved these centuries-old natural wonders.

Accompanied by environmentalist Morningstar Khongthaw and others, the minister spent time exploring the towering bridges that stand hundreds of feet above the forest floor.

“When you come here, you are transported to a vision of the past — the beauty and tranquility of Mother Nature, her creativity as she wraps her arms around the earth and provides a pathway for us mere mortals to meet and connect,” Scindia said in a video posted on Instagram on Sunday.

He described the living root bridges as a reflection of the deep bond between people and their environment, adding, “The natural beauty of Mother Nature, her enveloping warmth, is something we, as humans, as Indians, and as the people of Meghalaya, must always treasure and worship because she is our protector and provider.”

Calling his visit “an enthralling experience,” Scindia said he was humbled to be “in touch with the soil of Meghalaya and the roots that have given birth to generations of natural-born people.”

“With profound humility, my head bows in reverence to her (Mother Nature),” he said, urging everyone to pledge to “spread her wonder far and wide” and to protect and nurture nature just as she has nurtured humankind “for millions of generations.”

The minister also praised the Living Roots Foundation, led by Morningstar Khongthaw, for its efforts to preserve, protect, and transmit the traditional knowledge of root-bridge making to future generations of tribal communities along the southern slopes of the Khasi Hills.

Khongthaw, who interacted with the minister during the visit, told PTI, “I am delighted to have had the opportunity to interact closely with the Union Minister for DoNER. I urged the Centre, through him, to highlight these living engineering marvels of Meghalaya. We need to preserve the bridges.”

Scindia was in Meghalaya as part of a two-day visit, during which he also laid the foundation stone for the ₹233-crore Sohra Circuit Project under the Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE) scheme on Saturday.

The project aims to strengthen tourism infrastructure and create sustainable livelihood opportunities in Sohra, formerly known as Cherrapunji.

Earlier this year, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also visited a living root bridge in the Sohra area, praising the indigenous engineering and community-led conservation efforts that continue to safeguard Meghalaya’s natural heritage.

PTI