People
like me, who love adventure in travelling, love to stay close to nature, breathing
virgin air will love trekking Nongriat’s Living Root Bridge in Cherrapunjee.
“3,500 seediyan hai. Pehle niche phir upar jaati hai, phir
village aur bridge aata hai
As a
student all of us has read that Cherrapunjee, located at an altitude level of
1484 meters (4869ft) is the wettest place in the world. Since then Cherrapunjee
was alive in my dreams.
Travelling of Shillong is considered to
be incomplete without a visit of mystique Cherrapunjee. There are plenty of
places to visit in between Shillong and Cherrapunjee, rich with fall off the
mountains in thunderous waterfalls, abundant with forests, natural caves, and a
thriving flora and fauna.
Cherrapunjee-Abode in Clouds
Truly Cherrapunjee is abode
on clouds, paradise on earth, the home of indigenous tribes and exotic
cultures. It was our third day in Shillong and Cherrapunjee was still to explore.
I was very excited, keen to find Cherrapunjee of my dreams: hills, fern, orchid
and low cloud. The sights and match my imagination.
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| Land Scape of Cherrapunjee |
Cherrapunjee also called Sohra which is known to be the
wettest place on earth: Distance of Cherrapunjee from Shillong is
hardly 55 km and can be traveled in just 2 hours with the help of shared taxis
and local buses plying all day from Bada Bazaar, the main market to buy all
sorts of fresh vegetables and fruits in Shillong.
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| Google Map-- Cherrapunjee to Nongriat--Double Living Root Bridge |
Buses
and taxis will drop passengers to the main market near the Sumo taxi stand in
upper Cherrapunjee. One can find the popular hostels for backpackers and other
cheap options like dormitory option for budget travelers. 
What is a Root Bridge
and how they are formed?
The root bridge is most
commonly found in the state of Meghalaya, and it is one of the major tourist
attractions of the state. The root bridge can be formed naturally as well as
guided by men.
Roots of rubber fig trees
are used to build the most common root bridges, and this practice is most
common in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills and carries out from generations by local
tribes.
The root bridge is formed by
guiding the roots of the rubber tree and often tangling and twisting them so
that they can grow and strengthen over time. Sometimes scaffolding is used to
provide external support to the roots so that they are capable of holding the
human weight.
The bridge formed by the
roots easily holds the human weight, and the bridge remains healthy until the
tree is healthy. The bridge naturally self renew and rejuvenate itself.
Scaffolding can be in the form of Bamboo trees or wires as per the need and
area.
A Hidden Paradise “Nongriat”, is a small village in Shillong known for its famous Double
Decker living Root Bridges, Single Root Bridge, Rainbow waterfall and many such
natural private pools with small waterfalls.
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| Starting point at Village Tyrna |
How to reach Nongriat: There are no direct roads to Nongriat. The
closest village to Nongriat is Tyrna.
You
can hire a shared cab from Cherrapunjee or get a private cab. The cab will drop
you till Tryna village. Book your cab in advance for your return journey as
Tyrna is quite off the road and you will not find vacant cabs there.
You
can get a local cab driver booked in advance from Shillong or Cherrapunjee, to
pick you up from Tyrna for your return journey.
The
path to the double-decker root bridge is three kilometers long. It has
approximately 3,500 stairs and descends and again3, 500 stairs up in return. The entire trail is a treat to the
eyes.
You will find the famous Double decker root bridges here,
overlooking a beautiful waterfall and a natural pool. One of a kind to
experience.
The
Rainbow waterfall involves some more trekking uphill. But the view is worth it.
Beautiful blue waters you can't resist taking a dip into.
You
will find plenty of butterflies here some are as big as your palm. Huge
boulders, screeching sounds of insects, flowers and fruit trees all throughout
the trail. If you come from a big busy city, you will witness a completely
opposite life here. Rooted to simplicity and far away from urbanization.
Nongriat has two
homestays. (Byron's Homestay and Charley's Guests House). Very basic yet clean
and comfortable.
Do
not expect a luxurious stay here as this place is a very simple and does not
have all the modern amenities available.
The
food here is delicious and generously served. It's a buffet service so you can
help yourself with a good satisfying dinner.
Trekking to Double Root Bridge starts from Tyrana to Nongriat.
We
stayed at the dormitory in Cherrapunjee on the 2nd night of our Shillong Tour as
I had to explore and take up the most fascinating activity- the trek to the
‘double-decker root bridge’ of Nongriat village on the third day.
Nongriat village lies in Tyrna, is around
15 kilometers from the Cherrapunjee town. The road in the Cherrapunjee town is
good but as Tyrna starts approaching the condition of road starts
deteriorating.
It
was around 6.00 AM when we started our most adventurous and thrilling trekking to
Double Root Bridge in Nongriat village.
It
took 30 minutes for me to reach the parking of Tyrna village from where the
trek to the Double Root Bridge and single root bridge starts. The parking area
has a few small shops where one can purchase items like chocolates, water
bottles, bamboo sticks, etc.
Though
this trek may look stressful, it is not something impossible to do. And even if
this place includes climbing some odd 3600 steps the view down there is worth
it.
After reaching Tyrna Village we re-energized us with breakfast
and warmed up with cup of hot tea at nearby food stall. Few boys were selling
bamboo canes to be used as trekking poles, and a few locals were offering
services as guides.
Though
this trek may look stressful, it is not something impossible to do. And even if
this place includes climbing some odd 3500 steps the view down there is worth
it.
I
was carrying a small backpack and thought it would be wise to bring only the
camera bag and drop the rest of the stuff at the shop. The boy at the shop
charged 50 rupees for taking care of my bag till the time I complete my trek.
With only a camera bag in hand, I was feeling much lighter and
started my trek. As per the locals, to reach the Double Decker Bridge one has
to descend 3500 stairs and it excludes the walking in between the stairs and
other bridges.
The trek is, no doubt, challenging, long and
tiring but it’s totally worth it and I can guarantee that the experience of the
trek and the beauty of the surroundings is so magical that it will definitely
stay in your memory forever.
I
think, before even discussing about how to go to Double Decker Root Bridge and
sharing other details, you may need to know if you’re fit enough to do this
trek. I would say, yes, you need to be fit for this trek.
The
most difficult part of the trek is the stretch where there are extremely steep
steps. Climbing these steps while coming back to the starting point will be a
good test of your stamina and strength.
But if you do not rush and take frequent
breaks during the trek, it is not going to be that difficult. The descent is
also quite tricky as it causes a lot of strain on the knees and calf muscles
due to the steep stairs. Take it slow and you can do it successfully.
We started
climbing down the steps, navigating through a small village first. Pots of
marigold in canary, orange and copper- brown lined the steps. This is the
easier part of the trek, with the steps nicely levelled and iron railings on
the sides to hold on to.
Clouds were moving one
direction to another way and clash with each other with unique lightening.
Beautiful rainbows were created down to the waterfalls. A unique scene created
by nature to entertain tourists. It’s nature’s gift to human on the earth.
From the top, I was seeing thousands of
stairs going down, looked like these stairs will lead to the earth's crust. One
thing to keep in mind while descending a trek is to maintain the balance as
gravity will be pushing down.
In
most of the patches, the tourism department has constructed handrail for
support yet I was keeping extra precaution. After a 30 minute trek, I reached a
small village compound with small shops.
The stick helped me to
navigate down the steep descent. Before climbing down a step, I transferred my
body weight on to the stick so I didn’t trip on. It is not just the number of
steps that is so overwhelming and intimidating, it is also their character-
steep, serpentine and vertiginous.
From here the path divides into two-part, one goes to
Double Decker Bridge and the second goes to the single root bridge. Since the
double-decker bridge is the main attraction of the area, I decided to visit it
first and visit the single root bridge while returning.
Double Root Bridge
Finally,
after a further trek of one hour and thirty minutes, I reached another village
with a signboard showing the direction of the double-decker bridge. Knowing
that the root bridge is a few hundred meters more, I was filled with excitement
and soon reached the entrance/ticket point of the double-decker bridge.
After
paying the entry fees for Camera, I reached the double-decker bridge and was
amazed by its construction. Though the bridge was not long, the way it was
spanning from one tree to another was spectacular.
Anyway,
I reached Tyrna in good time and thankfully also got a lift on a car carrying
some foreign tourists. Otherwise transport between Tyrna to Cherrapunjee,
although a short stretch, can be problematic.
It felt as though I had arrived in paradise. With chirping birds that began to emerge after the downpour, the
double-decker bridge in the middle of a thick jungle, set right across a
rumbling waterfall and over a gentle water stream, was a sight to behold.
A short walk from the village is the Living
Root Bridge. The first view of the root bridge mesmerized me and made the tiring
trek fully worth every drop of sweat and every ache in my body. It felt as
though I had arrived in paradise.
With chirping birds that began to emerge
after the downpour, the double-decker bridge in the middle of a thick jungle,
set right across a rumbling waterfall and over a gentle water stream, was a
sight to behold.
The
water was so clear, cool and fresh and it was alluring me for relaxing dip. I
just made do by sitting with my feet swaying in the water and periodically
dipping my face in it.
Ahh, I so didn’t want
to go back. It is quite natural to feel like this in the middle of nature,
completely off the grid, where one can unburden the stresses of daily life and
try to find a rhythm between self & nature.
Two bridges running parallel to each
other and made up of roots; it was something I witnessed for the first time. I
went close to the tree to see how the bridge was formed, and it looked like
roots were braided with each other like a girl's hair.
Local
people have placed a wooden plank on its entire length to reduce the direct
weight on the bridge. It looked like a sensible decision as the bridge is the
main attraction of the area and directly and indirectly, provides a livelihood
to a lot of people. There
is a small pond near to the bridge and rocks give a shape of a waterfall.
There
are a few shops nearby to the bridge, and I went to a shop operated by women
with her children,
helping her in every possible way. I was not sure if they go
to school but then climbing 3500 steps every day to go school requires a lot of
dedication.
People
living in these areas have adapted themselves according to nature and
topography and gave the impression that India is not what we see in metro
cities, but real India lies in villages.
Anyways,
I had a heavy breakfast in the morning, and I was not in a mood to stop until I
return the point I started my trek. I reached the double-decker bridge around
10 AM and stayed there for about 30 minutes, clicked photos, shot video, and
had a tea. After spending a considerable amount of time, I moved to trek the
Rainbow Falls.
Return from Double Root Bridge
I
left the double-0decker bridge at 11:00 AM and took another one hour to reach
Rainbow waterfalls. I stayed at the Rainbow waterfall for around one hour and
then started returning. While returning, I took another 45 minutes to reach the
double-decker bridge and again clicked a few more pictures.
I
knew that no matter how many photos I click, they can't explain what I saw with
my eyes. I went for another tea break at the same shop where I had tea when I
reached the double-decker bridge and started returning from the double-decker
bridge by 1:30 PM.
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| Rainbow Water Fall |
My calculation
said that I would take a minimum of 2 hours to reach the starting point as
while returning, I won't be spending time taking photos, but the climbing 3,500
stairs will be a challenge.
If
anyone is planning for the double-decker bridge, I will recommend staying there
at night.
After
one hour and thirty minutes of climbing, I reached the bridge where I crossed
the stream, and I knew I had made it to the half-way mark. From the bridge, the
real climb began, and now I can see stairs going only upward and no falt path
or stairs going down. I started taking breaks after every ten or fifteen
minutes of the climb as I was exhausted.
After
another 15 minutes of the trek, I reached the point from where the path splits
into two, and in the morning, I took the one leading to double root bridge. Now
it was my turn to visit the single root bridge. A 15 min of a walk (not trek)
and I reached the entrance of the single root bridge.
The
place looked deserted as I was the only one at the entrance gate. Again I paid
the fees for visiting the bridge and turned off my camera as I was not in the
mood to pay extra amount for the camera.
I
walked on the bridge to see how it formed. The single root bridge is longer
when compared with the double-decker bridge. The bridge spans over a broader
water stream in comparison to the double-decker which spans over a small pond.
By
the time I completed the single root bridge, it was 3:0 PM, and I had still
some 500-600 stairs to climb. I started climbing again and took another 30-40
minutes to reach the starting point of the Double-Decker Bridge.
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| Khasi Tribes |
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| Two Khasi girl |
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| A Beautiful Khasi Girl |
Once
I arrived there, I took a rest for around 15 minutes, ordered some snacks and
hot Coffee to refresh and to gain some energy, and paid 50 rupees to the boy
who took care of my bag.
It is interesting to tell here that Sylhet a City of
Bangladesh is only at a distance of 48 km from Cherrapunjee.
The End
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Nongriat’s Double Decker Living Root Bridge. (3,500 stairs down, 3,500 stairs up)” with help
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