Cherrapunji & Living Root Bridges

Cherrapunji, traditionally known by its indigenous name Sohra, is a high tableland at an elevation of 1,430 metres on the southern face of the East Khasi Hills in Meghalaya. Dropping sharply into the low-lying plains of Bangladesh down below, the region features a rugged mountain landscape cut meticulously by deep vertical canyons, colossal limestone cave networks, and some of the world's highest plunge water drops, including Nohkalikai, the tallest plunge fall in India. The unique bio-engineering highlights of the surrounding valleys are the world-famous Living Root Bridges, grown painstakingly over decades by the indigenous Khasi clans who guide the aerial roots of the Ficus elastica trees across thundering mountain rivers. The crowning achievement is the Double Decker Living Root Bridge hidden deep inside the river valley floor at Nongriat village.