When the Indian government announced the Padma Shri awards on January 26, 2026, the name that symbolized silent strength was none other than Hally War. The 67, year, old farmer and ex-village headman of Siej, a village in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills, was recognised for his commitment of more than fifty years to raising living root bridges, which is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating examples of indigenous engineering in India.
These bridges, formed from the aerial roots of the rubber fig tree (Ficus elastica), serve as links between isolated villages that are separated by rivers which become very dangerous during the monsoon season. The locals neither build them, they are 'grown, guided and passed down through generations'.
War used to sit and listen to his grandfather telling him, when he was just ten years old, the Jingkieng Ksier stories, the golden bridge of the sky and earth. For the Khasi people, these were nature lesson stories.
One fine morning, near the Ummunoi River, War saw the villagers struggling to get across the fast, flowing water. This encounter made him decide what he would do for the rest of his life. "I saw their sufferings", War said. My grandparents taught me that the living roots could be made into something lasting.
Natures Genius in the Wettest Spot on Earth
War mastered the ancient technique of carefully guiding flexible aerial roots along hollow bamboo frames until they slowly formed a natural bridge over the river. Over a period of 15 to 30 years, these roots become so tightly intertwined that they form giant ropes capable of supporting the weight of dozens of people. Not like concrete bridges, they can self, heal, change, and last for hundreds of years.
The Virtue of Waiting for Future Generations
Root bridges of the living kind are never created for instant gratification. Those initiating the work might not even live to see the completion of the bridge. War refers to this as trusting in the future.
While many went away to Siej looking for modern jobs, War remained and after almost four decades in that position, he was the village headman. He still takes a keen interest in the upkeep of several bridges, one of which is the Umkar Living Root Bridge that has currently become a top eco tourism site. He warns people that the only danger to these is neglect, not time.
Hidden Cultural Heritage to Global Recognition
Wars creations were largely unnoticed outside the Khasi hills for a couple of decades. This changed after a number of international documentaries came out, featuring Meghalaya's living architecture. By 2025, tourism grew significantly with thousands of visitors coming to see Siej each year.
In 2022, India nominated the living root bridges for inscription on the World Heritage List of UNESCO, calling them the peak of the human, plant relationship. The Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Conrad K. Sangma, took the cabinet on a trek to see Wars creations in the early part of 2025 and highlighted the work as a climate, resilient infrastructure solution based on the wisdom of ancestors.
Recognition at the Highest Level
Governor C.H. Vijayashankar honored War in the Republic Day celebrations. War accepted Padma Shri award with his usual humility.
This prize is for my village and ancestors. They taught us to live in harmony with nature not to be its enemies, he remarked.
Why the Story of Hally War is Significant
Here is a man whose life is a testimony to a very different and yet radical concept of sustainability, one that goes by the pace of time. Hally War's bridges are not mere relics but rather blueprints for the future of these systems of living, verifying that Indigenous knowledge can provide solutions to environmental challenges that are not only effective but also beautiful and harmonious with nature.
