SHILLONG, JAN 29: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for nominating the state’s iconic Living Root Bridges, locally known as Jingkieng Jri, for UNESCO World Heritage Site recognition.
“Friends, as you all aware, the Jingkieng Jri or the Living Root Bridge has been sent as the official nomination of the government of India for the UNESCO World Heritage site. I take this opportunity to thank the Prime Minister as well as the Minister for Culture for considering our nomination,” Sangma said in a video statement.
The nomination dossier, titled “Jingkieng Jri / Lyu Chrai Cultural Landscape, Meghalaya,” was formally submitted in Paris by India’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Vishal V. Sharma, to Lazare Assomo Eloundou, Director of UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre.
Terming it as a historic milestone for Meghalaya, Sangma in his submission to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Submission of the Jingkieng Jri / Lyu Chrai Cultural Landscape (Living Root Bridge Cultural Landscape) for inscription on the UNESCO
World Heritage List marks a landmark moment for the State and its people.”
He said that the nomination reflects 8 years of collaboration involving 63 villages, 42 cooperatives, and 120+ living root bridges, showcasing a united, community-driven stewardship of heritage.
Sangma also emphasized that the site represents an interwoven system of forests, rivers, pathways, customs, and ecological practices, demonstrating an exceptional relationship between people and nature in the Khasi and Jaiñtia Hills.
“Rooted in the values of collaboration, love, respect, trust, and hard work, this landscape offers a powerful example of climate resilience, where human ingenuity and ecological wisdom coexist in Harmony,” he said.
Notably, during his interaction with the Prime Minister, CM Sangma was seen wearing a kurta crafted from Kala cotton sourced from Kutch in Gujarat, paired with a jacket woven from Eri silk in Garo Hills, subtly reflecting the confluence of textile traditions from western and eastern India.
