GUJARAT – BUNGA HOUSES – KUTCH REGION

Location

• Bhungas are mainly found in

desert islands (fertile land in the
middle of the desert) in the
northern parts of Kutch region
of Gujarat- specially Banni and
Pachham (literally meaning
pashchim- west).

• Certain communities build the

bhungas in the other rural areas
of Kutch

CONTEXT

• Banni and the rest of the Kutch where bhungas are built used to be rich pasture land.

• Animal husbandry and leather works are still main occupations of the people.

• As an additional economical activity, embroidery and wood carving are highly evolved in
the region.

• The climatic changes are extreme and rain is sparse but very intense during the rainy
season.

• The scarcity of water is such that every three years there is a famine.

• Banni is a flat plain area with silty clay soil type.

• There are no stones or aggregates available for construction. Hence mud and thatch are
most commonly used locally available construction materials.

• Local wood also available various grasses of 18-20 types are found in the region, which
are also used for construction.

• Sometimes, Limestone is used to make walls of bhungas. Most bhungas in Pachham use
limestone in uncoursed rubble masonry for construction of foundation and the
superstructures may vary.

• For centuries, the main economic activity of the communities in this region is cattle
grazing.
 • Thus, they were living more a nomadic life and due to that, the right of owning land did
not suit their lifestyle.

• The land right was always shifting. Hence construction of permanent structures was not
very common.

HOUSING / SETTLEMENT TYPOLOGY

• The villages in Banni and Pachham, as in

other desert areas of Rajasthan, are conglomerations
of different vandhs.

• Each vandh is constituted of a few vaases.

• A Vaas is a united-family unit where entire

family is staying and sharing one or more common
open

space/s.

• Large plinth is constructed

• Also thinking of future expansion that may

be required

• In the beginning a randhaniu for cooking

and two bhungas for living/ sleeping, are
constructed.

• Sometimes an open pavilion is also added

as a sitting area or for receiving guests.

• All the structures in a vaas share a common

plinth.

• As the family grows, more bhungas are

added surrounding the intial units. This
units are added depending on the
requirement of the family in random
fashion, yet forming central spaces for each
small family unit.
 • Along with the bhunga, there is a
rectangular hut, often smaller and less
important and is called choki.

• There are size variations in chokis, the

larger ones being used for living space and
smaller ones for cooking space

• Usually it is seen that human settlements

are formed by building houses next to each
other, but in desert areas of Kutch (and also
Rajasthan), the vaases are located at farther
distance from each other.

• This can be attributed to the scarcity of

water, pasture and other resources.

• A family needs certain area and resources

within its reach in order to survive, and
hence to avoid sharing the scarce resources, the other family would start its vaas at a
distance.

• Most of their daily activities happen in the open spaces outside of the built structures, so
constructing the vaas at distances provides them privacy.

DISASTER RESISITANCE / STRUCTURAL SYSTEM

• Earthquake imparts lateral forces on the structure. Due to the circular plan of a bhunga,
one half part of a bhunga always reacts as an arch against the forces applied from any
direction that the earthquake waves hit the structure.

• Thus, bhunga uses a circular shape for its maximum advantage against lateral forces of
an earthquake.

• Corners are the weaker parts against lateral forces of an earthquake. Since there are no
corners in a bhunga, it makes the structure more stable in earthquake situation.

• The walls of a bhunga are very low. This helps the stability of the structure during the
earthquake.

• This is possible due to the conical shape of the roof of bhunga, which comes quite low at
the periphery while still forming high ceiling near the central usable space.

• Roof of the bhunga is made out of thatch and is light weight.

 • Lightweight roof is also very helpful against the lateral forces of the earthquake and
causes less damage.

• Bhungas are independent circular structures and do not share common walls with any
structures. Thus there is no impact of load of one structure on the other. They react
independently to the lateral forces of the earthquake.

• Its circular shape helps during the cyclones too. There is no obstruction to the wind
movement. The circular shape does not create big pressure difference between two sides
of the structure.

Climate response

• In mud or stone construction of bhungas, the walls are thick. This makes the surface less
penetrative for the heat. The lipan done on the walls is also less conductive which adds to
the thermal comfort inside the bhunga.7

• Bhungas have small openings, this helps in extreme climate of the region.

• Thatch roof is a weak conductor of heat and adds to the thermal comfort.

• The roof overhang of a bhunga comes quite low casts shadows on the walls and protects
the walls from the direct
GUJARAT – BOHRA HOUSES

BOHRAVADS

• A Bohra settelement is called as the Bohravad

• There are two broad categories of Bohrwads:

• 1.One has an organic layout

• 2. while the other is strictly geometrically laid out

• These neighborhoods have a structural unity and give a

general impression of relative orderliness and

homogeneity.

HOUSE LAYOUT

• It is basically a deep house-plan with three (or four) sequential rooms one behind the
other. Variants of regional Gujarathi houses to their cultural requirement
• Certain concepts like clear separation between the public and private, the necessity for an
in-between zone at the entrance level, the intense need for privacy, etc. have brought
about specific devices and spatial configurations that reflect the religious tenets
• Generally a joint family system is followed. The kitchen is common to all and it becomes
central to the family.
• The spatial hierarchy in the typical Bohra house has a sequence of otla (entrance
platform), deli (arrival space), avas (courtyard), parsal and the ordo (room).
 • The upper floors mainly house the bedrooms and the agashi (terrace).
• The Bohrwad is made up of three to four storeyed-high houses arranged in a high-density
layout. The individual courtyard becomes an air and a light shaft where the cooler air
sinks below and the hotter air escapes out of the roof.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE HOUSE:

 The basic plan of a Bohra house is found to be very similar to that of a Hindu house
which conforms to the general pattern of a medieval row house.
 In a Bohra dwelling the typical space organisation is as described below.
 At the ground level one enters the house through a portico raised about 75 centimetres
above the street level.
 Through the main door, one steps into an anteroom, known as dehli separated by a light
screen from the inner court to ensure privacy inside the house. This space usually houses
a stair which directly leads to the upper floors.
 From here visitors are directly led up to the formal sitting room on the first floor.
 Next the court, open to the sky, houses all the services on its side walls. The space
immediately after the court is fully open on the courtside and referred to as baharni
parsal (external portico). This is followed by a room known as andarni parsal (internal
portico).
 Such seemingly incongruous designation of these spaces is with reference to the last
room of the house, the ordo (family room), which is the sanctum of a Bohra family 's life.
 For all practical purposes, on the ground floor, the Bohra family uses the spaces beyond
the inner court and the space immediately following the court becomes an external
portico, followed by an inner portico and then the family room.
 The upper floors are normally organised as independent rooms on either sides of the court
around which the services are located.
 In the case of a house with more than one upper floor, the stairis also located in the area
around the court. This space is known as ravas. On the top floor, the ravas becomes a
terrace separating the rooms in the front and at the back.
 A double lean-to roof over both these rooms allows an attic space underneath known as
daglo.
Use of spaces
 Contrary to the other communities, the Bohras rarely use the raised, street side portico,
which is used extensively by other communities for various activities such as sitting
space for elders and play area for children. This could be attributed to the greater
confmement of women in the social set up of the Bohras.
 Once inside, the anteroom serves as the second buffer between the inner and external
domain. Generally, light wooden screens are placed to avoid a clear view into the house
from the street. This also serves as a brief meeting point between the menfolk and casual
visitors.
 The staircase to the first floor is located here and directly leads the guests to the first floor
sitting room.
 On the ground floor, beyond the anteroom, is the family domain into which only the close
relatives and family friends are invited.
  The open to sky court helps ventilate the whole house besides letting in light on all floors.
The kitchen and other services are located around the court.
 The court as well as the baharni parsal are used for dining and lounging and all domestic
activities are also carried out here.
 Bethak - a large wooden platform with storage underneath and a soft cushion on the top -
is the dominant piece of furniture in this space.
 These spaces actually are the hub of the family world and used throughout the day.
 Next, the andarni parsal, being covered, extends the use in monsoon when the court is
unusable. Andarni parsal often has a swing whichis popular in hot climates to keep cool.
 This space is used predominantly as a family lounging space during the hot afternoons.
 Beyond it the house ends in the family's living room ordo, which is richly decorated with
seating ill traditional style placed on the floor. The cupboard on the extreme rear wall of
this room is always designed in Islamic traditions representing the concept of nine
squares known as navkhand.
 Such a cupboard with intricate carvings is an inseparable component of a Dawoodi's
house.
 This space is used to entertain relatives, and family friends and for sleeping. Generally a
service lane separates the next parallel row houses.
 This barely ensures ventilation and natural illumination is extremely low in this room on
the ground floor. The first floor is reached by a stair from the anteroom at the ground
floor.
 From the first floor upwards, the stair is often provided near the court, allowing for an
independent use of the rooms on either side.
 A large room at the back on this level is generally used as a formal living area and guests
are entertained here.
 The windows mostly have double shutters, one of wood and the other of stained glass.
 The room in the front is used as a multi-purpose space and sometimes has a covered
balcony.
ORNAMENTATION

• The facades enhance the totality of the physical ambience of the built environment.
 • Built by craftsmen, they reveal their comprehensive understanding of the elements of
design, the nature of the building materials and versatility of craftsmanship.

• The unity of facades has been achieved by similarity of building types, materials of
construction and commonality of a design vocabulary.

• There is a lot of aesthetic attention paid to the making of the windows, entrance doors,
columns, brackets, grills and other elements.

• In the embellishments they use only non-figural and abstract geometrical patterns as per
the Islamic tradition, which rejects animate objects (gods, people, birds and animals) in
carving.

GUJARAT HAVELIS (URBAN)

 The wooden traditional houses of Gujarat – an urban phenomenon – conforms to a general character in
their organisation and articulation – i.e. narrow frontage representing composite wooden facade and
sharing of common walls on longer sides; defined spatial components; bonding-timber construction; and
densely articulated within confined settlement pattern known as pols – an empirically
evolved labyrinths.
 These characteristics were the product of cultural patternof time, caste division, male-
female equation, exigences of joint family, social, and religious mores as well as
contingent to climatic and structural requirement.
 The primary spaces of the house were identified by particular names; not in conjunction
with their allocated functions. Proceeding from the street-to-house level,the entrance is
defined by a narrow raised plinth with steps known as o t l a or o t t a – a prelude to the
threshold of the house known as u m r o
 O t l a – a communication zone between outsider and the house residents – encompasses
a row of columns supporting the wooden facade which is worked out in accordance with
the length of wooden member is varied in terms of its treatment and its width subjected to
the status of the owner.
 Its elemental nature was highlighted by its carving which made it ornate and exquisite in
beauty – as an image builder for the house.
  The o t la leads to a buffer space mainly used asreception room and thereby nominated as
b a i t h a k , which was directly associated to the open-to-sky interior courtyard known as
c h o w k – a nodal point linkingall the spaces together.
 The interior facade flanking the c h o w k were richly carved like the frontal facade,
befitting the main centre of the house.
 The c h o w k was attached to the r a s o d u n (kitchen), paniyaro (place for storing
drinking water), and the puja (prayer room) – all three being considered as sacred spaces.
 The c h o w k , therefore apart from acting as transitional and functional focus, also
represented the religious centre of the dwelling. P a r s a l was a semi-open space
connecting chowk and the living areas like o r d o or o r d o o , which was the last room,
furthermost from the street and thus the most private room.
 They open in the c h h i n d i (a narrow rear streets) by the means of small windows that
facilitated cross ventilation. The function of these rooms was for both storage and
sleeping.
 The need for privacy in the business transaction (mainly in North Gujarat) led to the
development of d i v a n k h a n u , on the upper floor, which ultimately became sign of
aristocratic and symbolized high status and wealth of the owner.
 The roof of these kind of houses were invariably sloping covered with
n a l i y a s (claytiles), but some areas were also left flat (known as a g a s i ) and are used
for sleeping on summer nights and also for several domestic activities.

GUJARAT WOODEN CARVINGS

Wooden architecture in Gujarat evolved

organically portraying a complex picture of
various lifestyles leaving behind an eloquent
history demonstrating the elegance of prevalent
cultures taking shape under the influences of different
rulers and religion. From the creation of grand palaces
and temples to the formation of the local
dwellings, wooden architecture displayed itself
as a common denominator used effectively for different purposes. This is where wood carving as
a unique cultural entity had its origin. The traditional art of wood carving of Gujarat encompassed in
itself - the historical profiles, cultural varieties, mythological fables, religious beliefs, social sensitivities,
inherited tradition, proficient techniques, man’s interpretation and expression of nature and much
much more. Elemental and eternal wood carving through newer forms and applications has
carved a niche for its intrinsic versatility and value as one of the majorart forms of Gujarat. This
traditional art flourished in magnitude mainly the urban centres of Gujarat, where it became an
integral part of the life of people of Gujarat. Among these there existed a community solely
dedicated to artistic pursuits. These were the master builders
and skilled craftsmen having the grace and the magicto
create, express and depict the essence of nature, society or
religion into awe inspiring forms. Therein lies the birth and
the formation of the wide and spectacular ornamentation brought
about by the wood carvers of Gujarat. Defying the phenomenon of
individuality, though created by the individuals and driven by the
intangible forces of culture, this visually enchanting art is a
projection of society, which was made possible through the
repertory of vast ornamental forms. Encountering time, these
forms underwent subtle change and are silent witnesses to the history.
Since wood was scarce in Gujarat, it was imported from elsewhere for the building of temples
and houses. Intricate carving techniques have been perfected in the wooden architecture of
Gujarat. These wooden houses are still found in the old residential areas of Ahmedabad. The
more opulent houses are called havelis. The brackets, window frames, columns, etc that face the
road are exquisitely carved. Most of them have a chowk (courtyard) that in addition to providing
ventilation and sunlight, also acts as the salon. It is unfortunate that today these havelis are
falling apart.
Possessing such a long tradition, it is not surprising that house-making in wood had attained the
status of high art centuries before the arrival of the Middle Ages in India, though examples of
great beauty are found only in Gujarat, some regions of the Himalayas and in the south of India.
The famous havelis of the towns of Gujarat represent the splendour of this ancient tradition of
architecture. There are literally thousands of such havelis existing till this very date in these
towns of Gujarat. The town of Vaso in Kheda district is world famous for its beautiful havelis.
A typical haveli of Gujarat has a central place called chowk (open court) from which many
rooms open,where people of the household gather. A typical Gujarat haveli displays carved
brackets ; their facades are also covered with carvings. The struts in such a haveli generally have
filigree-like work and the doorways display decorative ornamentation. The havelis in Vadodhara
and Vaso are in better condition.
These havelis once stood as a symbol of power and prestige of a family in society. The carvings
of these havelis have the power to spellbind the onlooker, which is why they are considered the
ornaments of architecture of our world.