kutchh architecture culture costume social character, gujarat

PRESENTED BY :

Madhulika SanyalSamriddhi PandeySalman hasanNavneet maharanaMohammad saarim

KUTCHH

KUTCHH CUISINE

KUTCHI KHICHDI

KUTCHI KADI

KUTCHI ROTLA

The people of Kutch believe in simple living and high thinking. The staple food is Rotlas made of Bajri (millet) which the local relish with Butter milk or 'Chhas', Butter and Jaggery or 'Gud'.'Khichhdi' made of rice and dal (pulses) is liked by everyone.

KUTCHI COSTUMES Kutchi Costumes have heavy mirror work and embroidery

work which forms an integral part of Kutchi Handicrafts irrespective of the community or ethnic group to which they belong to.

In the rural areas women wear Chaniya choli during the whole year, Chaniya choli's are of many designs and fashion.

Most men in Kutch wear loose trousers, a long-sleeved under-jacket, a short coat,. a plain or silk-bordered cloth. Normally men prefer white clothes except the Muslims who prefer colored clothes.

PEOPLEOF KUTCHLANGUAGE

The languages spoken predominantly in Kutch is Kutchi and to a lesser extent Sindhi and Gujarati.

RELIGION As per the 2001 census, the district’s

population was 1,526,331 of which most around are Hindus. The remainder of the population adhere to mostly Jainism and Islam.

There are many castes in a typical Kutchi community, such as Rahima (Arbab), Nohriya, Gharana, Lohar Wadha, Hingora,Sanghar, Jat, Langas who are talented musicians, Rathor, Khatri, Bhatti, Hingorja, Khalifa, Hala, Memon, Geerahi, etc

Many of these have migrated from Sindh,Afghanistan,etc.

Many nomadic,semi-nomadic and artisan groups live in Kutch.

KUTCHI HINDUS KUTCHI MUSLIMS

EMBROIDERY OF KUTCH Kutch is a famous

destination for shopping of handicrafts work.

It is a an important landmark for people wishing to study and know more about kutchi embroidery.

Kutch embroidery is dense with motifs and is one of the most beautiful forms of textile art. A variation with mirrors sewn into the embroidery is one of the signature arts of this region.

SILVERY JEWELLERY OF KUTCH

The silver jewellery of Kutch has become an identity for individuals as well as tribal groups wherein specific patterns and locations of wearing the ornament become important.

The silver ornaments of Kutch are a reflection of design purity, where they not only shine for beauty but they shine to make a difference to the bodies that they adorn.

Kutchh, Architectural Character

• The Bhonga is a traditional construction type in the Kutch district of the Gujarat state in India, which has a very high earthquake risk.• 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.“

In the 40 small villages that comprise Banni District, the built-up areas are the round bhunga and the rectangular choki, connected by a raised platform.

INTRO


• These buildings are typically found in flat terrain.• They do not share common walls with adjacent buildings.• When separated from adjacent buildings, the typical distance from a neighboring building is 3.0 meters.• 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. The house unit is typically defined by the platform - otla - that is always raised above the ground, from a few centimeters up to one meter. The otla defines the domain of the home and the place for outdoor activities. On this platform rest various structures composing the household: one or more bhungas (generally up to three), circular houses with diameter ranging between 3 and 6 meters, covered by a conical thatched roof.

Layout of

bungha


A typical bhunga has a door and three or four small and low windows symmetrically arranged around the door. In front of the door and against the wall, lies a low platform, called pedlo, on which traditional furniture are placed: chaosar kothalo or panjaro, manje, and sanjeero. Often the wall is decorated with small mirrors -amblha13- . These mirrors that decorate the walls inside the bhunga also serve to multiply the light. The design on the walls hence appears to be similar to refined embroidery on traditional textiles and garments. The analogy between clay reliefs or paintings on the walls and furniture and embroidery on traditional clothes is stunning and it is interesting how communities distinguish themselves through different decorative patterns, used both in clothing and in wall ornamentations.

Next to the bhunga, but never set against it, there is usually a small rectangular building, called chowki, which presents small variations: the largest chowki are used as living spaces, and smaller as kitchens. Smaller units, about one and a half meter high, not very well shaped and devoid of roof are sometimes set against the bhunga. These units are used as functional spaces for storage or bathrooms

Structure and

conctruction


The components required for the construction of walls and foundations are: crop a) Clayey soil and rice husk for earth blocks. Rice husk is a fibrous material, which shatters into small pieces: the disaggregated grains increase the material’s cohesion and blocks’ strength. b) Cement mortar used for foundations c) Earth sourced from Banni, cow dung and local earth for plaster. The earth sourced from Banni is used just for plaster. This special earth is sourced from Rudramata, 15 km from Bhuj, and its cost is just the transportation cost.

The advantage of using cow dung is that it contains many fibrous particles, such as rice husk, which increase the material’s cohesion

Structure and

conctruction


Earth and rubble stones for filling the platform -otla Production stages of mud blocks are as follows:

1. A trench 30 cm deep and 45 cm wide is dug. Blocks for foundations are laid using a local mud plus cement mortar. The process of laying the blocks is locally called chanter. Preparation of the trench Sun dried earth blocks wall. 2. Walls are raised on foundations, using cow dung plus local mud mortar, mixed with water to make the compound workable. 3. Lintels and doors and window frames are inserted where necessary. 4. A platform-otla-is then built using rubble stone and earth, up to a height of about 45 cm. This is completed by a thin layer of mud, called lipan, which is applied also on the walls of the bhunga to protect them at the base. Building of Building of a sun dried earth blocks wall. Photo Hunnar Shaala Women applying lipan. Photo Hunnar Shaala Preparation of plaster

Structure and

conctruction


The mixture for the plaster layer, locally called gobar lipan, is made with cow dung and local mud. Water is added to improve its workability. A first layer is applied on the outer surface of the wall, and smoothed using hands. It takes about a day to complete it, and then another layer is applied on the inner surface. These inner and outer layers are alternated, up to seven layers applied on both surfaces of the wall. The last layer of Lipan is done using earth sourced from Banni and cow dung34 . 34 Vastu Shilpa Foundation for Studies and research in Environmental Design, Earthen Architecture of Kutchh : practices of building with the land, August 2001. 25

laying of foundations


The components required for roof’s construction are:a) One horizontal beam – adi - of diameter 15 to 18 cm. b) A base for the vertical kingpost - patli - size 5x7x25 c) A central kingpost ranging from 180 to 270 cm, diameter 10 cm. d) A cone - Mann - at the top of the kingpost, diameter 40 cm, 45 cm high. e) Babool wood rafters forming the backbone of the roof – vali -, having a diameter between 6 and 8.75 cm, 365 cm long. Between 20 and 24 of those are distributed on the wall’s circumference. Eventually another wood, called Nilgiri,.f) Culms of split bamboo which constitute the secondary warping - khapatis - diameter 2 .5 cm, length 365 cm. 23 bundles with approximately 20 elements per bundle are required. Nabool wood was traditionally used, but because of lack of nabool, bamboo is the current option. Rope - kathi -, 1.25 cm thick. 30 kg of rope are required. :

h) Straw - kheep - for roofing. 500 bundles are required. The branches of this dense plant are very resistant and have few leaves: Their linear nature helps them to shed the rain.

laying of foundations


Points of the beam on the wall, so that the wall bears a more uniform load. For the design of wall decorations, the walls of the bhunga are covered with a paste made of donkey dung, earth and Fevicol (a glue). Decorative patterns are incorporated onto this surface. For colors, minerals are extracted from a dam near Khavda. These offer a range of five colors: ochre, red, brown, white and dark gray. The minerals are milled, mixed with water and used to paint the walls of the bhungas. Inside, the mural relief decorations are accompanied by functional elements such as niches and shelves. The size of a bhunga may vary depending on limitations imposed by the size of the available wooden structural components, but generally the diameter ranges from 3 to 6 mt. The shape of the buildings also varies: rectangular buildings like chowkis display same materials and construction techniques, along with a pitched roof. The source of materials may also vary. If the earth sourced from Banni is suitable for mortar, more often local earth is used as a readily available and appropriate material. Instead of cement mortar, a mixture of cow dung and earth is also appropriate for foundations. Mangalore tiles are sometimes used as roofing components instead of thatch. Although insulating performance is not the same, small openings for ventilation can be left between tiles, while taking care to prevent water seepage. Use of Mangalore tiles for roofing at Dhumado, a traditional hamlet, unusual for the region as here the earthen dwellings are rectangular, rather then cylindrical.

•Roof construction ranges from the simple to the very ornate.

•Banni, Kutch

Decorations of exterior


Modification to Building Recent Bhungas constructions have used wide variety of construction materials. These include the stone or burnt brick masonry either in mud mortar or in cement mortar. Traditional roof consists of light-weight conical roof, while some recent constructions have used heavy Mangalore tiles on roofs. Some recent constructions have used circular strip footing below the wall, while traditional construction simply extended the walls below ground level. Though essentially unchanged, a few homes have tiled roofs instead of thatch. Platform drains off water which gathers because of the impervious soil, even though the rainfall is meager.

Materials


• Due to circular shape of wall in plan, inertial forces developed in wall are resisted through shell action providing excellent resistance to lateral forces.• In addition, the thick walls required for thermal insulation have high in-plane stiffness which provides excellent performance under lateral loads.• The roofing 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.• Even in situations where the roof collapses, its low weight ensures that the extent of injuries to occupants is very low.

• In several Bhongas, the roof joist is not directly supported on the cylindrical walls, but is supported by two wooden vertical posts outside the Bhonga, which further improves seismic resistance of the inertia force generated in the roof.

Climatic Response


In some instances, reinforcing bands at lintel level and collar level have been used to provide additional strength.• These bands are constructed from bamboo or from RCC. These increase the lateral load-carrying strength greatly and increase the seismic resistance of the Bhungas.• These constructions are carried out by local village masons.• The locally available soft stone can easily be cut or chiseled 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.• Bhungas 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.

Climatic Response


The vertical load-resisting system is others (described below). 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. Lateral Load-Resisting System The lateral load-resisting system is others (described below). Due to circular shape of wall in plan, inertial forces developed in wall are resisted through shell action providing

ENTICING GUJARAT Art and Craft

Gujarat— The Land of Mesmerizing Art & Crafts

INTRODUCTION

If a trip to Gujarat is next on your bucket list, you would be amazed to know that you are in for a flush of cultural boom, with a vividness of arts and craft fused together to make this Indian state pretty much worth the visit.

Famed to be the most vibrant state in the country, the suburbs of Gujarat are perfect anecdote of the rich Indian art and culture. Whether it is the vibrant mix of colors intertwined together in a beautiful pattern or elegant needlework, Gujarat is a paradise for art lovers that dazzle your eyes with its own style of craft.

To Know more, play through the slides...

NEEDLEWORK

• Toran (embroidered doorways decoration with hanging flaps)

• Pachhitpatis (embroidered frieze),

• Chaklas (embroidered square pieces)

• Abhala (mirror inset embroidery)

Elegant, beautifully crafted with dark and contrasting threads; you will definitely fall in love with these amazing pieces of art!

Some of the many needlework crafts include:

Patola Sarees

In 2013 when Kirror Kher donned the ramp in Gaurang Shah’s collect of Patola saree, she stunned the audience. The Gujarati Patola Sarees feature:

• Colorful geometrical pattern

• Striking and bold color theme

• Finest hand woven fabrics

• Zari and Bandhani

Jewelry

Women’s love for jewelry isn’t hidden from anybody and Gujarat is known for its cult and classic jewelry designs worldwide. The prime metals used in making Gujarati jewelry include but not limited to:

These metals are crafted into beautiful marvel of art studded with eye dazzling stone works are worth buying.

• Gold• Silver • Iron • Brass

Home Furnishing

• The traditional floor spread Namadas and Dhurries woven with camel, goat hair , wool and cotton• Woven quilts• Kalamkari table covers, tablemats and table linen with block printing

Clay Items

Pottery is the oldest craft technique of Gujarat and it seems that Gujarat has mastered this traditional art form. Some of the clay arts include:

• Terracotta toys • Mud wall painting• Utensils • Plaques

It’s a real treat to see the raw clay molded into the beautiful art craft.

Wood Craft

• The lacquered furniture of Sankheda and Minakari furniture from Rajkot is quite famous.

• The furniture and woodcrafts of Surat, Kutchh and Saurashtra are equally popular.

• The precision and minute wooden carvings with hand painted motifs and traditionally ornamented gives them esthetic touch.

Painting

Angular features and bold colors are the specialty of Gujarat Paintings. From traditional Kalamkari, Plethora art form to modern painting, Gujarat is a connoisseur for art work.

REFERENCES

1.Housing report-World Housing Encyclopedia2.Wikipedia.org3.www.artinue.com4.www.youtube.com

http://www.artinue.com/

http://www.youtube.com/

THANK YOU

kutchh architecture culture costume social character, gujarat

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