Shillong, Jan 15: After nearly eight years of sustained effort, Meghalaya’s iconic Jingkieng Jri / Lyu Chrai Cultural Landscape, globally known for its living root bridges, has crossed a crucial milestone on the world heritage map. The state has officially submitted the UNESCO World Heritage nomination dossier to the Archaeological Survey of India, which has now forwarded it to UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
The site was included in the Tentative List since 2022.
The submission marks a landmark moment for Meghalaya and its indigenous communities, bringing global recognition a step closer for one of the world’s most remarkable examples of living, community-nurtured infrastructure.
The nomination is the outcome of deep collaboration between the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA), the Living Root Bridges (LRB) team, local and indigenous communities—particularly the traditional knowledge holders and custodians of Syrwet U Barim—along with advisors, government officials, and international partners including the World Bank.
Unlike conventional monuments, Meghalaya’s living root bridges are grown, guided and maintained over generations using the aerial roots of rubber fig trees. They represent a rare cultural landscape where nature, indigenous knowledge, sustainability and resilience come together in living form.
Officials involved in the process described the submission as a powerful example of community-led conservation, rooted in tradition and long-term stewardship of land and ecology.
The nomination is now under consideration by UNESCO’s evaluation bodies, with a final decision expected after the standard review process.
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