Meghalaya Bets on Eco-Tourism with ₹70 Cr Living Root Experience and Music Retreat Project
In a major push to eco-cultural tourism, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Saturday inspected the upcoming ₹70 crore Living Root Bridges Experience Centre and the Wahkhen Residential Music Retreat at Wahlyngkhat under the Pynursla sub-division in East Khasi Hills.
Calling it one of the “very important projects” for the state, Sangma said the site was chosen because “the living root bridge density is very, very high—one of the highest in the entire region and the state.” He added, “We are here in Wahlyngkhat right now where, as you can see, the Living Root Bridge Experience Centre is going to come up.”
The twin initiatives—₹30 crore for the experience centre and ₹40 crore for the music retreat—are being taken up under a Community Public Private Partnership (CPPP) model with the support of local communities. The aim, Sangma said, is to offer tourists a complete and immersive experience of Meghalaya’s natural and cultural heritage.
“Through this particular Living Root Bridge Experience Centre, the tourists who come in will be able to understand the entire culture, the history and the techniques and the different locations where these living root bridges are,” he said. “It will completely make the overall experience for the tourist even more special.”
He further noted that the project is not limited to the centre alone. “There is an entire trek out here, which will be another experience for the tourist,” Sangma said. “Along this trek, there is the Wahkhen village also which is known for its traditional music, where we will be putting up the music centre, where people can go and train as well as experience the traditional and the local music.”
The state plans to integrate nearby villages such as Mawkyrnot, Rangthylliang, and Mynrieng into a dedicated trekking circuit. Supporting amenities will also be developed to boost accessibility and enhance the tourism ecosystem.
Sangma emphasized the need to create a holistic tourist destination. “This entire area is being built up as a complete circuit, where people can come and experience the living root bridges, have the necessary facilities, and also experience it through these museums and experience centres,” he said. “They’ll be able to get complete knowledge about the history, culture and the entire overall living root bridges of the state of Meghalaya.”
The initiative marks a significant stride in Meghalaya’s vision to position itself as a destination for experiential and sustainable tourism, rooted in its indigenous identity and natural marvels.
