India nominates Meghalaya’s living root bridges for UNESCO tag
India’s UNESCO push spotlights Khasi root bridges’ resilience, alongside Sarnath’s ancient legacy & conservation efforts across heritage sites
A file image of Meghalaya's Living Root Bridges (Photo: @SangmaConrad/X)
New Delhi, Mar 23: India has nominated the “Jingkieng Jri/Lyu Charai Cultural Landscape”, the living root bridges of Meghalaya that symbolise harmony between humans and nature, for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List for the 2026–27 cycle.
In a written reply to a query in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the country has also submitted a proposal for the “Ancient Buddhist Site, Sarnath” in Uttar Pradesh for the 2025–26 cycle.
Locally known as Jingkieng Jri, Living Root Bridges (LRB) are Ficus-based rural connectivity and livelihood solutions within the dense subtropical moist broadleaf forest eco-region of Meghalaya in the eastern extension of the Indian Peninsular Plateau, according to its description on UNESCO's website.
Grown by indigenous Khasi tribal communities, these structural ecosystems have performed in extreme climatic conditions for centuries and encapsulate a profound harmony between humans and nature, it said.
The underlying knowledge and skills have evolved through generations and continue to be practised today, affirming their exceptional value and relevance.
"Facilitating connectivity and disaster resilience in more than 75 remote villages in and near the wettest region on Earth, LRB validate outstanding ingenuity and resilience of an ancient culture, where collective cooperation and reciprocity were the fundamental building blocks of life," UNESCO's website noted.
Shekhawat was also asked for details of the special steps taken by the government for the conservation of heritage sites.
"The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) undertakes conservation and maintenance of 3,686 monuments, including 27 World Heritage properties, along with the provision of amenities for tourists such as drinking water, toilet blocks, pathways and landscaping for protected monuments and sites under the ASI's jurisdiction," he stated.
"Conservation and maintenance of these monuments and sites is a continuous process and is carried out based on the needs of the monuments and the availability of resources," he added.
The Minister in his response also shared the list of the 44 sites in the country which are on the UNESCO list -- 36 in the cultural category, seven in the natural category while one in the mixed category -- under the custody of various authorities.
PTI