MAWLYNNONG – The Village On The Edge

My brother and I peeking through the roots of the root bridge

A few years back, we were on a family vacation to the wettest place on earth -  Cherrapunjee -  a small town nestled in the East Khasi hills of Meghalaya, one of the states of north-eastern India. The 2 hour drive to Cherrapunjee from Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, was an enchanting one. The journey began with clear skies, lush green forests, deep gorges and the numerous waterfalls along the way. On nearing Cherrapunjee, the visibility had reduced to near-zero because of the thick clouds that engulfed us, making it seem as if we were floating through the clouds. The villagers went about their daily chores oblivious of the thick mist which surrounded them. They were used to living among the clouds all their life. The state has indeed been aptly named ‘Meghalaya’, meaning ‘abode of the clouds’.

The village of Mawlynnong is a short drive from Cherrapunjee, and its claims to fame are its living root bridges and having won the acclaim of being the cleanest village in Asia. Our visit could not have been timed more perfectly. The monsoon showers had brought out the best in the lush greenery. The entire area has an abundance of different varieties of orchids hanging from the trees. Small streams gurgled down alongside the artistically maintained cobbled streets. Neat hedges and beautifully maintained gardens adorned the small, neat cottages adding to their beauty. With everyone busy in their homes, the only sound one hears in the village is that of the cicadas and crickets. Garbage bins made of bamboo dot every nook and corner, a sign of the consciousness regarding cleanliness among the villagers. The Khasis are very ingenuous in the use of bamboo in their everyday life and are known for their cleanliness. You always see them cleaning their houses, sweeping their porches or hanging washed linen. We were invited for tea by one of the village locals . As expected, the house was spick and span with all the steel utensils sparkling. We discovered that Khasis put locally available natural resources to good use. The house was entirely made of bamboo, including the doors, windows, walls, floor and even the furniture like chairs and tables. Tender bamboo shoot is also used as a garnishing in their food.

The village even boasts of a well equipped guest house. It is actually a house built on the branches of a huge tree overlooks a clear gurgling stream. A bamboo bridge leads up to the house.

 I call Mawlynnong ‘a village on the edge’ because of its location. It is located on the edge of a plateau overlooking the Indo-Bangladesh border at an altitude of 4908 feet above sea level. One can see the Bangladesh plains from atop the tree house, climbing which required quite a bit of courage since they go right till the top of the tallest trees. The view from up there is a rewarding one.

The next noteworthy facet of our trip was our visit to the living root bridge. The Khasis must be one of the very few people in the world who have put nature to such a novel use. They have learnt the art of training the roots of trees to span their streams and rivers. Mawlynnong boasts of one such marvel. In order to reach the bridge, we had to climb down the slippery, moss covered slope with great care. It is a 10 minute trek to the edge of the river, where two huge rubber trees grew on either side of the river. This particular species of rubber, Ficus elastica, has an incredibly strong root system. It produces secondary roots from the higher parts of its trunk, which are made to grow in the right direction by using hollowed out betel nut trunks sliced down the middle. Over time, a sturdy living bridge is produced. Since they’re living and growing, these bridges actually strengthen over time. So whenever the need arises, the people of this community simply grow their bridges! We walked up and down the bridge a few times in awe, clicked a few photographs and watched the village kids frolic in the river below before climbing up the slope to reach the village again. The journey uphill was an exhausting, owing to the extremely high humidity levels.

 If you haven’t visited Mawlynnong yet and seen its unique culture and equally intriguing root bridges, perhaps it’s time you packed your bags and made your trip to this enchanting land. Bon voyage!