Lessons In Sustainability From The Folk Architecture Of Gujarat

Folk architecture of Gujarat

While most surviving architecture in India has a spiritual or civic purpose, housing was viewed as impermanent, in a similar light to human life. Most houses in the vernacular architecture were built with transient materials such as wood, brick, mud, and grass. While humans who lived in these structures did tend to routine maintenance and repair, if abandoned, the remains of these homes were recycled elsewhere.

Vernacular architecture refers to buildings constructed without professional architectural expertise. This  ‘folk architecture’ reflects local traditions and cultural practices. usually serves immediate, local needs, relying on the skills of local builders and limited by the materials available in its particular region. Even today a large population of rural Gujarat – its tribal and indigenous communities – continue to live in vernacular housing.

According to environmental and cultural trends, vernacular architecture evolves over time. The tradition is similar to handicrafts that transform local materials into functional, culturally sensitive, and aesthetically beautiful constructs. Masons build the structures with their hands and basic tools using skills and knowledge passed down through generations.

Beautiful Bhunga Huts

Rows of bhungas dot the Kutch area of Gujarat. These circular huts built with clay bricks and a thatched roof are visually striking against the desert landscape. Belonging to the pastoral and semi-nomadic communities of Kutch, bhungas were the only structures to withstand the 2001 earthquake. The lipan (mud, dung, and twig combination) used to plaster the huts makes them wind resistant, while the conical roof overlaid with a layer of dung, topped with another layer of grass, provides water resistance.

Women paint the outside of the huts with colorful geometric, floral, and figurative designs using clay and shale rock. The interiors are exquisitely gilded with designs made of mirrorwork set in lime and mud plaster. Built-in shelves and cupboards line the walls displaying pots and other belongings which double as decorations and markers of status.

A cluster of bhungas form Gandhi nu Gam in Ludiya village located 60 km from Bhuj, Kutch.

In the tribal communities of eastern Gujarat, homes are built from split bamboo walls plastered with dried clay or palm leaves with terracotta roof tiles made by the village potter. Women beautify the lipan floors with beautiful arc-shaped patterns, impressed by hand into each fresh layer. This detailing transforms even the floor into an important decorative element.

In the Warli community, people paint a wall to seek blessings, while in the Rathwa community, the main wall of the verandah, which separates it from the kitchen, is decorated with ritual Pithora paintings. The Rathwa community and other indigenous groups live in villages surrounding Chhota Udepur, located 100 km from Vadodara.

Handsome Wooden Havelis

Much of India’s traditional architecture was built with woo, most of which vanished due to the material’s perishable nature,. Fortunately, North Gujarat is strewn with striking examples of traditional wooden havelis remarkable for their rich workmanship. The most pristine havelis are in Ahmedabad’s old quarters.

Gujarat has never had an abundant natural supply of structural timber and imported most of it by sea from Daman, Malabar, and Myanmar. Seasoned teak wood was commonly used because its extremely durable and termite-resistant nature allowed havelis to survive for centuries. Gujarat’s dry climate also aided in the preservation. Wood played a functional role as the structural base, but also served as a canvas that transformed each residence into an artistic statement.

Elaborate carvings cover almost every area of the front facade. The skill and detailing of the wooden engravings rival exquisite Sompura whose artisans showed unique mastery in the buildings they created. Somnath temple, the Sun temple in Modhera, and the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar are examples of their skillful stonework. Doors, which represent gateways to prosperity and well-being, are heavily decorated. Doors are carved with dwarpals (Kshatriya guards holding sticks or spears) and gajuyalas (a mythical creature combining the head of an elephant with the body of a tiger and elements of a bird), to protect against invaders and ward off evil spirits.

The semi-public spaces of the home were the most lavishly emblazoned. The carvings combined Hindu and Jain figurines, Muslim abstract and geometrical motifs, as well as European, Persian, and Maratha influences. The most popular motifs, however, were the ones believed to harbor favorable blessings. These images included plants, leaves, Ganesha, apsaras (celestial dams), and vidhyadharas (demigods holding musical instruments).

The havelis of Ahmedabad also featured unique floral patterns etched into the space above the balcony. This motif mimicked the block designs used by local printers. The exteriors were tinted with Beltel, a black preservative oil, to varnish all of the city’s buildings.

The Pol System

Pols are a distinctive feature of North Gujarat’s old urban centers, particularly in Patan, Palampur, and Ahmedabad. Pols are a dense arrangement of multi-story homes with a garden gate, usually shut at night. Each pol has one or two official gates which serve as secret passages known only to residents connected by adjoining pols. These secret passages provided a haven from invaders besieging a main entrance to a pol.

Historically, each pol was specific to a community, caste, or occupational group. The neighborhood was formed based on cultural homogeneity rather than economic status. At its essence, the pol is a network of narrow, meandering streets, alleys, shrines, and open community spaces with tower-like structures called chabutra.

The typical pol house, usually two or four stories high, is deep and narrow and shares walls with its neighbors. Each story projects beyond the one below, minimizes the penetration of sun and heat, and shades the actual streets during summer. The heart of the home in the courtyard is critical in releasing heated air by convection. Organized around the courtyard are a series of semi-open spaces and rooms. In many of the houses, the courtyard also forms the roof of the tanka, a spacious underground tank that harvests rainwater during the monsoon for year-round use. A tacit system based on degrees of privacy governs who can enter the house and how far past the courtyard or up the steep, single-flight stairs a guest can wander.

Chabutra Bird Feeder s

The chabutra is an ornamental bird feeder erected on a pillar and situated in the center of a pol to provide food and water to birds and animals.. The chabutra also functioned as a meeting space, a resting place for street hawkers, and a stage for speakers. Each chabutra has a distinct flavor. Built of either stone or wood, they display varied combinations of Hindu and Jain carvings, Islamic domes and arches, and colonial influences depicting vernacular architecture. This custom stems from the Hindu and Jain traditions of respecting and caring for all life forms and reflects the charity, compassion, committee, and creativity of these communal structures.

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