SHILLONG, JUN 28: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for mentioning Meghalaya’s living root bridges in the latest episode of Mann Ki Baat, saying the recognition honours the Khasi and Jaintia communities behind the decades-old tradition.
In a post on X on Sunday, Sangma said he was “deeply grateful” to the Prime Minister for spotlighting the Jingkieng Jri during the radio address.
Deeply grateful to Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji for spotlighting Meghalaya’s living root bridges in #MannKiBaat.
Jingkieng Jri are a gift from one generation to the next — grown patiently over decades by our Khasi & Jaintia communities. Your words honour their faith in… https://t.co/avkLL7gJWo
— Conrad K Sangma (@SangmaConrad) June 28, 2026
Calling the bridges “a gift from one generation to the next,” the Chief Minister said they have been “grown patiently over decades by our Khasi & Jaintia communities.”
“Your words honour their faith in living in harmony with nature,” he wrote, tagging PM @narendramodi and @PMOIndia. Sangma added that Meghalaya is working to secure UNESCO heritage status for the living root bridges.
“As we take this heritage forward to UNESCO, the whole of Meghalaya stands proud,” he said.
The living root bridges, crafted by guiding the aerial roots of rubber fig trees across streams, are concentrated in the state’s southern districts. They are regarded as a model of sustainable, community-driven bioengineering and form part of Meghalaya’s official bid for UNESCO World Heritage inscription.
