Bhonga House

VERNACULAR
ARCHITECTURE
THE BHONGA HOUSE,KUTCH,GUJARAT
POOJA S J
VI SEM “A”
3PD18AT036
PDACEK
KUTCH
Kutch district is a district of Gujarat state in western India, with its headquarters (capital)
at Bhuj. Covering an area of 45,674 km², it is the largest district of India. The area of Kutch
District is larger than the entire area of states like Haryana (44,212 sq. kms)
and Kerala (38,863 sq.km)The population of Kutch is about 2,092,371. It has 10 Talukas, 939
villages and 7 Municipalities.[3] The Kutch district is home to the Kutchi people who speak
the Kutchi language.
Kutch literally means something which intermittently becomes wet and dry; a large part of
this district is known as Rann of Kutch which is shallow wetland which submerges in water
during the rainy season and becomes dry during other seasons. The same word is also used
in Sanskrit origin for a tortoise. The Rann is known for its marshy salt flats which become
snow white after the shallow water dries up each season before the monsoon rains.
Location of Kutch district in Gujarat
Rann of Kutch
CLIMATE
• The climate of the ecoregion is subtropical.
• Temperatures average 44 °C during the hot summer months, and can

reach highs of 50 °C.
• During the winter the temperature can drop to or below freezing.

• Rainfall is highly seasonal.
• The Rann of Kutch is dry for most of the year, and rainfall is concentrated
in the June to September monsoon season.
• During the monsoon season, local rainfall and river runoff flood much of
the Rann to a depth of 0.5 metres.
• The waters evaporate during the long dry season, leaving the Rann dry
again by the start of the next monsoon season.
Culture
According to the 2011 Census, Kachchhi speakers are a majority in 5 out of the 10 tehsils:
Abdasa (76.06%), Lakhpat (69.71%), Mandvi (62.48%), Nakhatrana (54.54%) and Mundra
(50.66%). In addition, they are 43.39% in Bhuj, 18.06% in Anjar and 14.13% in Gandhidham.
However in Rapar and Bhachau, they are only 0.14% and 1.05% respectively.
The language spoken predominantly in the Kutch district is Kutchi classified as a dialect
of Sindhi. A common misconception is that it is a dialect of Gujarati. The script of the Kutchi
language has become extinct. It is now mainly written in the Gujarati script. Samples of Kutch
script are available in the Kutch Museum. The increased use of Gujarati language is mainly
because of its being a medium of instruction in schools.
Traditional Dresses of Gujarat
The traditional Gujarati dresses for men

include kediyu or kurta on the top and dhoti or
chorno at the bottom. Women in Gujarat
wear sarees or chaniya choli. Recently, they have
started wearing salwar kameez as well. Read in
detail about traditional dresses of Gujarat
Traditional Dresses of Gujarati Men
1. Chorn:
Chorno is a type of cotton pants that the Gujarati men wear. It looks
like a stitched dhoti and is very loose and comfortable. Chorno either
has a string to tie at the waist or have elastic.
2. Kediyu:
Kediyu is a garment that is worn above the chorno to cover the top
part of the body. A kediyu is frock type kurta with frills, worn by the
men in Gujarat. Kediyu is also referred to as Angrakhu.
3. Dhoti: 5. Phento
Dhotee or dhoti is a long piece of garment that is wrapped around the
lower body of men. The garment is wrapped around the waist and Phento is a headwear or a turban worn by
tucked from between the legs. Gujarati men wore white or light Gujarati men, especially in rural area. It
coloured dhotis for normal wear. consists of a layered cloth wrapped around
the head.
4. Kurta: Jewellery
A kurta is the top worn to cover the torso of men. The Kurtas for Young boys do not wear much jewellery. The
everyday use are made up of cotton. Festive kurtas may have men of Gujarat may wear a gold ring and a
embroideries or some designs in them. gold chain.
Traditional Dresses of Gujarati Women
6. Ghagra Choli or Chaniya Choli - Traditional Dress of Gujarat
The traditional attire of Gujarati women is Chaniya Choli or Ghagra Choli;
Women also wear an Odhni (dupatta or chunni) with it.
7. Chaniyo
The Chaniyo or lehengas is a coloured petticoat or skirt-like garment worn
by the women. The Chaniyo is designed with mirrors and thread work8.
Choli
The women wear Polku or Choli on the top. It is an embroidered short
blouse.
9. Chunni
Chunni, Odhni or dupatta is an elongated piece of cloth to complete the
dress. The churn is worn diagonally and is used to cover their heads.
The women may also wear Kurtas instead of choli known as Zhabo and
lehenga along with it.
10. Saree
A saree is a long piece of garment that is wrapped around the woman's
body, and the excess or the end is wrapped around the shoulder. However, Traditional Jewellery
the Gujarati women wear sarees with the end of the saree in the front of Gujarati Women
The Gujarati women carry house keys with them tucked into the saree that
wraps around their waist with the help of the silver hook. This is because
traditionally their role was to look after the house and house-related tasks.
HISTORY
The history of Kutch can be traced back to prehistoric times. There are several sites related to the Indus valley civilization in the region,
and it is mentioned in Hindu mythology. The region is also mentioned in Greek writings during the reign of Alexander the Great. For a
time, it was ruled by Menander I of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, which was then overthrown by Indo-Scythians. The region was later
ruled by the Maurya Empire and Sakas. In the first century CE, it was under the Western Satraps, followed by the Gupta Empire. By the
fifth century, the Maitraka dynasty of Valabhi took over from which its close association with the ruling clans of Gujarat started.
The Chavdas ruled the eastern and central parts by the seventh century, but Kutch came under the rule of the Chaulukya dynasty by the
tenth century. After the fall of Chaulukya, the Vaghelas ruled the state. By the thirteenth century, the Vaghelas controlled the whole of
Kutch and adopted a new dynastic identity, Jadeja.
Dholavira, one of the largest cities of the Indus Valley Flag of the Princely State of Cutch
Civilisation, with stepwell steps to reach the water level in
artificially constructed reservoirs
THE BHONGA HOUSE
• Bhungas are traditional houses unique to the Kutch region in Gujarat.

• structural stability in earthquakes and for being climate responsive.
• It also protects against sandstorms and cyclonic winds.
• It is constructed using locally available materials like clay, bamboo, timber, etc.
Structurally the roof is placed on two thick wooden posts placed across the
circular walls.
• These two posts bear the weight of the roof.
• Wooden framed windows are set at a lower level for cross ventilation.
• The low hanging roofs cover the walls against direct sunlight and add to the
insulation from the environment.
• The thatched roof is built on top of the walls resting on a spiral frame forming a
cone.
• The traditional bhunga requires periodic maintenance, a regular
application of lipai or lime plastering to the walls and floor, and the
replacement of the dried grass on the roof.
• The exterior walls are adorned with colourful paintings while the
interiors are decorated with exquisite mud and mirror work.
• A Bhonga consists of a single cylindrically shaped room.
• The Bhonga has a conical roof supported by cylindrical walls. Bhonga construction has existed for several hundred
years.
• This type of house is quite durable and appropriate for prevalent desert conditions.
• Due to its robustness against natural hazards as well as its pleasant aesthetics, this housing is also known as
"Architecture without Architects.“
CONSTRUCTION OF THE BHUNGA
• Bhonga is circular in plan, with

cylindrically shaped walls and
topped with conical roof.
• The inner diameter of the Bhonga
is typically between 3m to 6m.
• A Bhonga generally has only three
openings one door and two small
windows.
DURING EARTH-QUAKES
• It performed very well in the recent M7.6 Bhuj earthquake

in 2001.
• Very few Bhongas experienced significant damage in the
epicentral region, and the damage that did occur can be
mainly attributed to poor quality of the construction
materials or improper maintenance of the structure.
• It has also been observed that the failure of Bhongas in the
last earthquake caused very few injuries to the occupants
due to the type of collapse.
ROOF CONSTRUCTION OF BHUNGA HOUSES
• The conical roof of a Bhonga is supported at its crest by a vertical central wooden post, which rests on a wooden joist.
The base of the roof and the wooden joist are generally directly supported on Bhonga walls.
• Sometimes, the roof load on wooden joist is transferred to diametrically placed timber posts (vertical members)
adjacent to the cylindrical wall.
• This reduces the roof-load on the walls.
• The Bhonga wall is usually extended below ground up to the required foundation depth, and separate foundation is
not traditionally constructed.
• In newer constructions, proper strip footing is also used.
WALL CONSTRUCTION OF BHUNGA
• Due to circular shape of wall in

plan, inertial forces developed
addition, the thick walls required
for thermal insulation have high
in-plane stiffness which provides
excellent performance under
lateral loads.
• The roofing in wall are resisted
through shell action providing
excellent resistance to lateral
forces.
• In materials are generally very
light weight, and develops low
inertia forces.
• Since the roof is constructed
from extremely ductile materials
such as bamboo and straw, the
performance of.these roofs is
usually very robust
MATERIALS
These constructions are carried out by local village masons. •

The locally available soft stone can easily be cut or chiselled
into rectangular blocks, which are used for wall masonry.
•The local soil is used for mud mortar and to make adobe
blocks. Locally available timber and bamboo are used for roof.
• The entire construction process, which is carried out by the
mason with very few unskilled laborers, can be completed
within 30 days.
• The construction of this type of housing takes place in a
single phase.
• Typically, the building is originally designed for its final
constructed size.
• Bhongas are never "designed" in the modern context.
However, Bhonga architecture is a very unique aspect of
traditional desert architecture of Kutch region in which the size,
location and orientation of the Bhonga are planned for very
good structural and functional results.

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VERNACULAR

Location of Kutch district in Gujarat

• Temperatures average 44 °C during the hot summer months, and can

• During the winter the temperature can drop to or below freezing.

Traditional Dresses of Gujarat

The traditional Gujarati dresses for men

• Bhungas are traditional houses unique to the Kutch region in Gujarat.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE BHUNGA

• Bhonga is circular in plan, with

• It performed very well in the recent M7.6 Bhuj earthquake

• Due to circular shape of wall in

These constructions are carried out by local village masons. •

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