The Himalayan Ecology Project by soumitri varadarajan

Academic exercise undertaken by the second semester students of the post-graduate program in Design at the Department of Industrial Design, School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi. Guided by Parag Anand & Aditi Singh

PREFACE The Himalayan Ecology Project began with the Industrial Design Department partnering with the Deer Park Institute, located at Bir, in the Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh. The Deer Park Institute was started in 2006 with the prime aim to restore and revive classical Indian Philosophical Traditions, Culture and the Arts, and have since then worked closely on Ecological issues of concern in the Himalayas in areas of organic agriculture, traditional architecture, local knowledge systems of health and healing, folk lore and on a zero waste Himalayan network. In mid-February, the Second Semester Design Studio with its faculty members and 16 students visited the region to document and gain insight in rethinking design of products, processes and systems for communities in the Himalayan region. They further worked towards finding design opportunities and gaining strength in creating and developing green design practices, creating innovations towards sustainability and reclaiming, recognizing and reviving local traditions. Water purification by design, passive heating, up-cycling of non-biodegradable waste and its management, tapping energy from natural resources, developing eco-livelihoods, creating products for sustenance of local traditions, means to generate livelihood from revival of local knowledge systems to curb migration of local youth were identified as potential areas where design could make a meaningful impact. This 8 week exercise involved brainstorming with experts from the region, ideation by creating mock-up models and detailing to create a design proposition. The outcome has been 16 rooted and grounded design solutions that stem from the ecology of the region, using materials and processes prevalent locally and that generate employment opportunities while integrating with the existing style of living of the community. We see these interventions and the partnership leading towards creating pilot projects and model practices that can be shared across Himalayas with the help of the Deer Park network.

Aditi Singh Assistant Professor

Parag Anand

Associate Professor

Contents 1. Energy

2. Water

3. Waste Disposal

4. Livelihood

5. Material & Construction

6. Kitchen & Cooking

7. Art & Crafts

8. Land-use

100

ENERGY 1.1 Introduction

1.2 Background

1.2.1 Our Focus

1.2.2 The Himalayan Landscape

1.2.3 Energy sources in the Himalayan Region

1.2.4 Energy canvas of Himachal Pradesh

1.3 Treading the paths of energy flow

1.3.1 Lifestyle responsive energy usage

1.3.1.1 Upper Bir

1.3.1.2 Lower Bir

1.3.2 Energy trails of daily life

1.3.2.1 Traditional Houses

1.3.2.2 Contemporary Houses

1.3.2.3 Community level Energy usage

1.3.3 The Deer Park Scenario

1.3.4 Other Encounters with energy sources

1.4 Face to face with people

1.4.1 Encounter One: Hybrid house

1.4.2 Encounter Two: Brick and stone house of Chandresh

1.4.3 Encounter Three: KAVITHAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MUD HOUSE

1.4.4 Encounter four: Shops in Lower Bir

1.4.5 Encounter Five: Sambhaavnaa Community

1.5 What we tapped?

1.5.1 Secondary usage of energy resources

1.5.2 Present energy usage - Pros and cons

1.5.3 Potential energy sources

1.5.4 Why and where can we intervene?

1.1 Introduction 8

“As the saying goes, the Stone Age did not end because we ran out of stones; we transitioned to better solutions. The same opportunity lies before us with energy efficiency and clean energy.” — Steven Chu

The changing lifestyle across the country has driven the masses to ruthlessly exploit the unsustainable energy sources around them. Be it a sprawling urban city or a serene hillside village, both has its own tales to tell about the increasing energy usage and the unexplored energy sources surrounding them. Given India’s increasing energy demands and diminishing fossil fuel reserves, on which we are presently dependent on, by 2035 our country will become the second-largest contributor to the increase in global energy demand. Amidst the country’s ambitious plans to expand its renewable power industries the renewable energy usage graph is showing a very meager upward curve.

1.2 Background

Deer Park, Bir

Image courtesy Kartik Mahon

The tour was aimed at documenting the life patterns of Himachali settlement in the regions of Bir and the

various repercussions of their current lifestyle. Nestled in the foothills of the Dauladar ranges, Bir is a rural hillside setting inhabited by native Himachalis on the upper regions and refugee Tibetans in lower hill pockets. We were provided a platform by the Deer Park Institute, Bir which specialises in the study of classical Indian wisdom traditions. With workshops in various multidisciplinary fields held all throughout the year, the Deer Park is an open institute for all the aspiring people from all over the country with a preference given to the locals from the neighbourhood. The various conversations we had with Prashant Varma, the director of the Deer Park, threw light on the various scenarios and issues that prevailed in the region. According to Prashant there is an alarming increase in the level of plastics being relentlessly disposed-off in the serene hillsides of the Kangra valley. The climate change is slowly trickling down to effect the lives of common man; the unseasonal winter showers hamper the agricultural calendar and the prolonged summers creates tension on water availability. On a socio economic level, the optimistic Tibetan community that is looking forward to going back to their land in turn finds themselves disassociated with the locality they reside in. Though indirectly, this adversely affects the social construct and ecological balance of the region. Even with the cultural infiltrations happening in the refugee societies, there is still a gap to be bridged between the community and the vast Himalayan expanses that house them currently.

The Himalayas are basically divided into different ranges namely, the outer Himalayas (Shivaliks), the lesser Himalayas (central zone), The Great Himalayas (northern zone). The lesser Himalayas gradually increase the altitude at around Dhauladhar and Pir Panjal ranges, which fall in the same category. The climate ranges from tropical at the base of the mountains to permanent ice and snow at the highest elevations. The diversity of terrain, climate and altitude support the wide range of plant and animal communities spread across these mountain ranges.

Energy

These discussions help us identify various study domains which needs interventions at various levels. Our areas include: kitchen, livelihood, architecture, energy, water, garbage, arts and crafts and land-use. Brainstorming sessions held within the whole class churns out unique and innovative ideas for each of these domains and hence opening up our minds to fresh prospects in the area of interest. Next is the data collection and research level which would help us built a foundation for the future proposals and interventions.

1.2.1 Our Focus This research paper studies the various energy facets of the Himalayan region with Kangra valley as its focus study domain. Deer Park is a model that is used to effectively discuss and brainstorm various opportunities and threats that prevail in the energy sector of the Kangra valley. Moreover the lifestyle and cultural constructs of the various ethnic groups residing the region are studied and analysed to understand the energy usage patterns and their outcomes. We hope that this understanding on the prevailing energy trends would help us explore the untouched energy reserves of the Himalayan ecosystem and tap them efficiently.

1.2.2 The Himalayan Landscape The Himalaya- the ‘abodes of snow’- is one of the youngest and highest mountain ranges of the world, stretching over 2400 km between the Namche Barwa syntaxis in Tibet and the Nanga Parbat syntaxis in Pakistan. The Himalayas give rise to the monsoons of the Indian subcontinent. Their ice laden peaks and glaciers feed many of the life giving rivers and its tributaries for the plains. The northern part of the Indian peninsula contains the most fertile alluvial soil, rich in minerals, because of the irrigation directly facilitated by these mountains.

Political Map of Himachal Pradesh

1.2.3 Energy sources in the Himalayan Region The dictionary meaning of the word ‘Energy Source’ is any source from which energy can be obtained for heating, light, and power. These sources have evolved and traveled a long distance from human and animals to fossil fuels, naturally available energy sources like solar power, harnessing of wind, and the most potent but unstable energy sources like Uranium and Plutonium. The state of Himachal Pradesh is an energy surplus state with 20,376 MW off grid energy supply happening per year. The main sources of energy in Himalayas can be subcategorised under solar, wind, biomass, and potential hydro power through the small streams flowing down the hill, present in profusion in the entire Himalayan region. The region faces extreme winter snow and harsh climatic conditions, even though the presence of energy from all solar, wind and biomass is abundant.

Himalayan Divisions

The wind potential of energy in the Himalayan region is less as compared to hydro and solar potential. The wind speed in the Himalayan region is not enough for commercial or big scale exploitation of the wind power. But it is perfectly suited for the production of small scale power generation like for agricultural usage.

Solar Energy can be thoroughly utilised at a household level. Harnessing solar energy with the help of efficient solar equipment like solar cooker, solar water heater, solar street lamps, etc. is very convenient and is also a very clean form of energy. The basic household usage and source of the energy in Himalayan region can be subcategorised as:

• Energy used in form of electricity • Energy used in form of heat obtained from burning wood • Energy used from running water • Solar energy harnessing by solar heaters, solar lights, etc. • Energy obtained from combustion or digestion of organic materials or simply biomass. • Energy for transportation is generated from petrol or diesel, which is non-ecological 10

1.2.4 Energy canvas of Himachal Pradesh While the vegetation becomes scantier and winters extreme, the thermal energy needs in the state of Himachal Pradesh increases with elevation, especially near the alpine zones. This variation results in a firewood consumption variation of 0.48–2.91 kg/person/day. Shortage of firewood in higher regions compels the people to depend on lower quality and polluting biomass for their heating needs. Kerosene consumption ranges as 0.23–0.43 litres per capita per month from rural to urban areas. In the recent years most of the rural households has started using LPG, even though its usage is not frequent. LPG consumption ranges from 0.82–2.47 kg per capita per month from rural to urban areas of the State. Conveying LPG to higher terrains and inaccessible regions is a painstaking task for the people.

Annual available solar energy in HP

Info courtesy IIS Bangalore

Himachal Pradesh has a commissioned electricity capacity of 6728 MW and the major share of the installed capacity comes from central and joint sector. The state sector produces electricity from 579 MW of majorly hydro

(394 MW) and renewable resources (185 MW). It has a connected electricity grid length of 82742 km. Over 98.2 % of its 17495 villages are electrified. At the annual per capita electricity consumption of 829 units, the total consumption was 5814 Million Units (MU).Nearly half of this is consumed by industries and one-third by domestic sector. Since the demand for electricity is expected to increase with population and commercialization, the state intends to expand its capacity to 23000 MW by 2022. While all the other states in India suffer from power shortage, Himachal Pradesh generates surplus power which is sold to other states in the country. Himachal Pradesh, being the country’s one of the largest hydropower producers, generates 8,418 MW of energy per year as in 2013. Out of this 930 MW is given out on sale from the month of April to October, when the power generation is surplus.

1.3 Treading the paths of energy flow 1.3.1 Lifestyle responsive energy usage The search to find out the vibrant lifestyle of the region took us on a ride up and down the hills of the picturesque Kangra valley. We had been already briefed by Prashant about the inhabitant pattern of Bir - the Upper Bir is mostly occupied by the native Himachalis whereas the Lower Bir is inhabited by Tibetans on refuge.

1.3.1.1 Upper Bir We stroll up the hill along the mud pathways. Mustard flowers, paddy, cabbage fields fill up the expanse of land stretching all around us. These terraced farmlands are occasionally broken up by green houses and small clusters of houses. Unlike Lower Bir, shops or any sort of commercial ventures are a very uncommon sight here in Upper Bir. People are very welcoming and do not hesitate in offering whatever little help they can to us. As we scale up the hills we come across women carrying bundles of firewood on their head, those engaged in construction works and one weaving in front of her house. The women of Himachal Pradesh are very hard working. Most of the Himachalis living here are engaged in agriculture, livestock farming, weaving, carpentry and a few are employed in labour centric fields like tea estates which are rapidly vanishing. Most of the youth in the locality are directly or indirectly employed in the tourism industry. This more or less selfsustainable community depends largely on its surrounding for livelihood. Gadgets and vehicles other than the basic are also a rare sight up here in this part of Bir.

Energy 11

Upper Bir: Energy trails

Lower Bir: Energy trails

The newer houses are built in concrete and the older ones are built in mud. As more and more people are experiencing repercussions of modern construction techniques, a few hybrid houses are also beginning to take shape. Illumination in houses is provided by incandescent bulbs, tube lights and CFL lamps while cooking is done by firewood, dung cakes, kerosene and LPG. The villagers do not use fans or heaters even during the peak of the climates. Burning of firewood and cow dung cakes are the major heat generating techniques followed here even today. Even though the usage of electricity in households is very minimal, irrigation in fields and water scarcity in summers requires engaging electric pumps for the supply of water. Solar powered street lights are also located along a few tarred roads of the village.

1.3.1.2 Lower Bir While we walk down the tarred road from Deer Park to Lower Bir, shops and houses line up the narrow streets.

Many small monasteries and halls housing prayer wheels are located in between this part of Bir where Tibetan run shops are dominant. Stationery shops, shops selling CDs, vegetables, branded accessories, boutiques, small eateries selling momos and thupka- are all stacked side by side along the streets. Every other minute you see a gleaming, expensive two wheeler zooming past the road, showcasing the investment pattern of the people around. As pointed out by Prashant, the non-involvement of Tibetans in land related occupations are very evident; they consider their stay in India as a transit point in their lives. The Tibetans residing here are carefree people who welcome conversations. They recite their past stories with reservations but speak readily about their daily chores they follow here. Many of them are monks who attend monasteries and are on vacation during the months of January and February. A few others run cafes and restaurants serving Chinese and Tibetan cuisine.

1.3.2 Energy trails of daily life The journey to jot down various energy trends existing in the region drove us to different types of house forms. There was an evident difference in the energy usage trends in various built forms, owing to their construction materials, usage and the inhabitants occupation. The thermal energy needs in rural households varies as we go up the altitude while the vegetation gets scantier. Accordingly, the energy sources exploited and the purpose for which they get exploited also varies drastically.

Energy

Most of the shop buildings are either single or double storeyed with steps ascending from the road level. CFL lamps and tube lights are used for illumination. Fans and electric heaters are a common sight in these modern concrete buildings. Solar water heaters are installed in a few restaurants and LPG cylinders aid cooking in all of the eateries. Though street amenities are scarce, they are occasionally lit up by the solar powered street lights. Except during peak winters when the clouds blanket everything, solar energy is available in abundance in this State.

while a few houses use CFL lamps for the purpose. Dung cakes, firewood and kerosene are used for cooking while LPG usage is very minimal. Firewood and dung cakes are burnt to keep people warm during winters.

1.3.2.1 Traditional Houses Traditional houses in these regions have walls made of mud or sun baked bricks. Most of the houses are single or double storeyed, the first floor height being lesser in the case of the latter. The roofs are crafted using wooden rafters and purlins with slate tiles nailed onto them. Even if the land owned by an individual is large, the space usage within a house is very minimal and efficient compared to that seen in an urban setting. The houses share walls where the packing of houses within clusters are really dense, reducing the exposure to the external atmosphere. Amidst the heavy hailstorm happening in Bir we interview a few Himachali villagers. Entering their house tells us how efficient the traditional construction materials have helped them regulate the temperature in response to the exterior climate; inside, its warm during winters and cool during summers explaining the absence of heaters and fans in these houses.

Traditional chulah

Image courtesy Vishal Sengar

As we engage in conversations with the people of Upper Bir, there is a common view on the storage of firewood during harsh winters. This is a major constraint in a few rural households. Usually a small platform suspended and shaded by the overhangs of the sloping roof is

The major sources of energy they resort to are firewood, dung cakes, electricity, kerosene and LPG. Incandescent bulbs and tube lights are the major sources of illumination,

Firewood storage shed

Traditional house: Energy sources

Image courtesy Vishal Sengar

assigned for timber storage. A few houses have either separate or attached rooms to their houses to keep the firewood dry and a few others store it in the attic space

In recent years, water shortage is felt during the summer months of June and July. Electric water pumps are installed in the storage tank near the stream in Upper Bir to meet the water needs of the communities of Bir.

Firewood left in the open

Image courtesy Vishal Sengar

near the roof of their sloping roofs. Still there are houses where a proper wood storage space is missing; the wood is left in open allowing them to get wet and hence causing inefficient burning.

1.3.2.2 Contemporary Houses 14

The modern houses that have sprouted in these villages have brick walls and concrete flat roofs, mimicking the urban built forms. These houses are generally double storied while a few are single storied. Space availability within the houses is slightly higher than that of traditional houses hence increasing the energy needs of a household. The use of modern construction materials as well contribute to the increased dependency on external energy sources for insulation from the outside weather.

Solar street lights

Image courtesy Kartik Mahon

Transporting LPG to higher terrains, inaccessible by direct roads is a tedious process. Fuel in the form of petrol, diesel and manpower is burnt excessively for this purpose. The settlement pattern of the people on theses hills along the accessible roads determine the degree of difficulty of this task of LPG transportation.

1.3.3 The Deer Park Scenario

Electricity, firewood and LPG are the energy sources majorly relied on while kerosene and dung cakes take a back seat. Solar water heaters are installed in a very few houses. Firewood is burnt to keep people warm while LPG is used to meet the cooking needs. Illumination is done by incandescent bulbs, tube lights, CFL lamps and solar lamps are used in a handful of houses. Solar water heater installed at Deer Park

Image courtesy Author

In Deer Park, they try to showcase efficient energy models for the communities residing around them. They utilise electricity, solar power, LPG and firewood as their main sources of energy.

Contemporary house: Energy sources

1.3.2.3 Community level Energy usage Strolling through both Upper and Lower Bir showcases the degree of community amenities setup for the residents. In peak winters, the roads become pitch dark by evening making it impossible to tread without a torch. A very positive development are the solar street lamps that are strewn along the roads, acting as a model for the people to turn towards renewable sources of energy.

Solar water heaters are installed on all individual buildings and this water is mainly used in bathrooms and in kitchens for cooking and cleaning purposes. Firewood is burnt to keep the inmates warm during winters while the exhibition and movie halls house heaters for the purpose. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Presently we have an energy requirement of 25KW per year but we harness power equivalent to 45KWâ&#x20AC;?. As an institute, they are also looking forward to selling the surplus power produced to the grid.

1.3.4 Other Encounters with energy sources Norbulinga Monastery in Dharamshala showcases a very

LPG stove in the kitchen, Deer Park

Throughout the walk up the hills of Upper Bir, heaps of forest refuse are encountered. Kitchen refuse and other biodegradable wastes are also rich reserves of energy left unexploited.

Energy

interesting prayer wheel that is rotated by the speeding water down the streams.

Image courtesy Vishal Sengar

In the streets and villages of Bir, one can witness numerous narrow streams with gushing waters running down the slopes. These waters remain speeding at this pace almost throughout the year expect during two or three months in summer.

Narrow water channel

Image courtesy Pushpendra Kumar

Solar powered rain gauge

Image courtesy Author

1.4 Face to face with people Prayer wheel rotated by running water

Solar energy was tapped for illuminating the streets of Bir and Dharamshala. In Upper Bir, there was a solar powered rain gauge installed in one of the government horticulture development centre. In the plains that interrupt the mountainous terrain quite frequently in this part of Kangra valley, there is always

1.4.1 Encounter One: Hybrid house Walking uphill is always a big task, and over that when there are no specified path, it is even difficult. There was a network of footsteps going in all directions. Greenery was all around with fields of mustard, and litter and garbage here and there. The walk through the village was enchanting. The first house in vicinity which was made of mud caught our eyes. This was the first encounter with a hybrid house. Now the question is, â&#x20AC;&#x153;What is a hybrid house?â&#x20AC;? It is a composite house made out of combination of mud and concrete. Concrete is used at the places where there is water, like toilets and bathrooms.

Water channels running down the slopes

heavy wind flow. The wind tellers near the Sunset point in Bir showcases the strength of wind that blows hither tither in this windy mountain state.

The owner of the house is Rejani but it is being constructed by Didi contractor and is on a lease for 20 years. The house depicts an efficient use of locally available materials. The materials used allows it to stay warm in winters and cold in summers. There were no ceiling fans in the house. The house was a three storeyed structure. The ground floor was inhabited by the land owner and the upper two

harder to find the way in the village of Bir. The second house chosen for interview was a small brick and stone made house. The owner Chandresh was a girl, 23 years old. The house stood alone in the area with the kitchen outside the house smelling of delicious food being cooked inside.

Hybrid house

Image courtesy Vishal Sengar

stories were used by the leasee. Ground floor had two rooms, one kitchen, bathroom and toilet. There was a passage connecting the two rooms, and the staircase which was located outside the house.

The kitchen was the most interesting area. The chulah was situated in the centre of the room and the kitchen was used for other purposes too. The reason for it lies in the fact that the heat produced by the chulah keeps the room warm and make it habitable in extreme cold weather when temperature falls down to -50C. The orientation of the house enabled it to receive maximum amount of sunlight during sunny day times.

Traditional chullah and LPG stove in the kitchen Image courtesy Vishal Sengar

Earlier the firewood needs were fulfilled by the forests but now the Government doesn’t allow cutting of trees. This forces people like Chandresh to resort to other options. “We gather firewood from our own compounds and during winters we buy it from the market”, says Chandresh. The rain drenched all of the fuel wood which was kept in open besides the house. The need for a shelter for the timber was deeply felt. But after interviewing the owner the fact that there is always a separate shelter for fuel wood, it is also stored in the attic in some of the houses.

Mud walls, wooden rafters and slate roofing Image courtesy Vishal Sengar

The floor also had a chimney made in the mud brick wall. The heat of the chimney bakes the bricks around and makes it even stronger. The materials used in the house were mud bricks, locally produced, bamboo which is also locally available in the market and in the surrounding area, bamboo mats which are essentially layers of woven mats of peeled bamboo pressed with resin in between. These mates are locally available in the nearby market places. Logs of wood were used as long beams; these logs are cut from the jungle with the permission from the authorities.

1.4.2 Encounter Two: Brick and stone house of Chandresh Moving ahead was difficult. The hailstorm made it even

Brick and stone house of Chandresh

Image courtesy Author

The house was colder than the outside environment. The owner had inhabited the house for the last 10 years. Use of wood was extensive in the house. It was used for cooking, heating water, etc. LPG is seldom used in the house in seasons when wood is scarcely available. The wood burnt is taken from within the compound or bought from the market. Biomass is also used along the wood. Electricity is used in minimum amount, which is just sufficient to illuminate the house. There were no ceiling fans and only CFLs and bulbs were used for illumination.

Kitchen detached from the house

Energy

on while a few used solar lamps. Solar water heaters were used in a few restaurants and cafes. Tube lights, CFL lamps were the main means of illumination while there were a few incandescent light bulbs in use as well. Most of the shops had fans for cooling and heaters for heating.

Image courtesy Author

1.4.3 Encounter Three: KAVITHA’S MUD HOUSE Kavitha, a young enthusiastic girl is the next house visited, interviewed and analysed. The owner of the house Munni devi was an elderly women, who did not understand our language. The layout of the house was two rooms on the ground floor, out of which one room was a room cum kitchen. The house energy usage is also similar to the others. The household sources of energy are electricity, wood cow dung cakes cooking gas or LPG. The pattern of usage is almost similar too. “LPG usage is very less. It is just an alternative for emergencies. We use one LPG cylinder for three to four months”, says Kavitha The walls were made of sun baked mud walls, which completely controlled the temperature inside the house. CFL lamps and tube lights were used for illumination and no ceiling fans or heaters were used by the residents.

CFL lamp used for illumination

Image courtesy Author

1.4.5 Encounter Five: Sambhaavnaa Community Sambhaavnaa is an organisation in Palampur, dedicated to learning and educating the process and politics of policy making in the government. Mrs. Sandhya Gupta is the sutradaar of this organisation which takes keen interest in other activities like safe guarding the ecology and the efficient management of energy resources. Here they engage firewood and dung cakes in traditional chulahs for cooking, solar water heaters and skylights for illuminating up interiors. All the buildings here are of hybrid nature, built utilising wood, mud, cement and slates. The energy usage is optimal and they seldom use fans in the interiors.

Shops in Lower Bir: Energy usage

1.5 What we tapped? Kavitha’s mud house

Image courtesy Author

1.4.4 Encounter four: Shops in Lower Bir Most of the shopkeepers who were interviewed from Lower Bir had the similar energy usage patterns in their shops. Electricity was the main source of energy relied

‘Energy can neither be created, saved nor be destroyed. It can only be transformed from one form to another’. Energy is one thing which is available at the moment, but may not be available later. And this is the most important reason why we should spend these resources and energy judiciously. It is very important how, one taps or harnesses or converts one form of energy into other. And along with

available at the moment but will predictably get more difficult to find. Its burning can cause varying levels of effects; drier the firewood and dung cakes lesser the smoke emitted. Burning of LPG and kerosene causes less smoke compared to firewood.

1.5.3 Potential energy sources

Solar water heaters

Image courtesy Author

that the mode of conversion should be clean and ecofriendly, because of the arising global problems.

1.5.1 Secondary usage of energy resources 18

• Wood used for cooking and heating up of spaces • Cow dung cakes: cooking as well as heating up • Solar used in different forms; electricity, heating etc., • Biomass used in heating and cooking and also in building construction

1.5.2 Present energy usage - Pros and cons Most of the energy sources used by the Himachalis mainly includes firewood, kerosene, LPG, dung cakes, electricity and solar power. Even though the energy cost is negligible, the initial installation costs for the solar energy equipment is high. Solar based energy forms are clean in terms residue or smoke. Firewood is readily

Potential energy sources

The unique combination of the topography and water has great potential to generate clean energy. This provides various potential energy options which are still left unexploited in these regions. The narrow water streams, the persistent winds, the forest refuse; the strong sunrays are all means of energy generation with great potential to be utilised in various activities in a rural household.

1.5.4 Why and where can we intervene? The modernisation and urbanisation in the serene hill slopes of Himachal has led pollution levels to escalate enormously. The incomplete burning of firewood and dung cakes also leads to high levels of smoke in the households. With the existence of numerable potential energy sources, it’s high time the Himachalis rerouted their energy practices and started exploiting the abundantly available renewable resources around them for energy. Even though numerous hydro-electric projects exist in the state of Himachal Pradesh, flowing water can still be tapped for energy at a smaller scale at the local level. Low energy requirements like charging or equipment which need lesser electric power can be run utilising energy generated from these sources. Solar energy is yet another energy source which can be readily tapped. The high initial installation costs of the solar powered devices prevent people from using solar power.

ENERGY

Design Brief 1 Design of a heat-battery to efficiently capture the excess thermal energy dissipated while cooking and using it in the household.

Design Brief 2 Design of a device or a system to tap energy for small scale household use, from the narrow water channels that flow by the village houses.

Soapstone Heat Battery: Ushmak Design Brief 1 Design of a heat-battery to efficiently capture the excess thermal energy dissipated while cooking and using it in the household.

How to use the Ushmak?

Coil Battery: Urjas Design Brief 2 Design of a device or a system to tap energy for small scale household use, from the narrow water channels that flow by the village houses.

How to use the Urjas?

WATER 2.1 Introduction

2.2 Background

2.2.1 Water for Domestic (Including Drinking Water) Purposes

2.2.2 Water for irrigation

2.3 Interpretation of data

2.4 Conclusion: Opportunities for the future, the road ahead

2.4.1 The way forward

2.1 Introduction The primary objective of this project is to assess the water situation in Bir, a village located in the Baijnath region in Kangra District in the west of the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. The task is to design options for improving the accessibility to and distribution of water in this rural habitation by

• Understanding the water situation in Bir • Identifying problems • Identifying viable solutions for the problems

It is therefore important to understand the location, geographical and demographic context. Bir is situated approximately 50 km (31 mi) southeast of Dharamshala at a distance of two to three hours by road. It is 14 km south of Billing, which lies on the way to the Thamsar Pass leading to Bara Bhangal. Geologically, Bir is situated in the Joginder Nagar Valley, Dhauladhar Range of the foothills of the Indian Himalayas. Bir is a noted centre for eco-tourism, spiritual studies and meditation. Bir is also home to a Tibetan refugee settlement with several Buddhist monasteries and a large stupa. According to local sources the historical center of Bir is in Upper Bir (Bir proper). The Bir Tibetan Colony is at the west end of the village of Chowgan, about a 20-minute

Approximate location of Bir

walk below Upper Bir. Other notable landmarks are the Sherab Ling Monastery and Dharmalaya Institute, Ekant Homestay, a Sikh retreat centre, and a few cottages, which is located a few kilometres away from Bir. There are several institutions in Bir that attract students, tourists, volunteers and other visitors from around India and from abroad:

• The Deer Park Institute is a ‘centre for the study of classical Indian wisdom traditions’ established by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche in March 2006 under the patronage of the Dalai Lama. The Institute hosts frequent guest lectures and workshops with reputed scholars and meditation teachers. • The Bir Tea Factory is a longstanding Bir cooperative, which offers tours for those interested in the process of tea production. • The Bir-Billing area is a popular destination for ecotourism and adventure travel, offering para-gliding, hang-gliding, trekking and camping. According to the Primary Census Abstract (Final Data), Census 2011, there are 319 households in the village of Bir. With a population of 1334 persons it is interesting to note that women outnumber the men in Bir, a trend that is noted throughout Himachal Pradesh. The percentage of literate population is about 74 %, which is nearly on par with the national literacy rate of 74.4% though lower than the state literacy rate of 83.78 %.

Rural water supply in India has proved to be challenging to planners and administrators. In Himachal Pradesh the terrain has demanded innovative solutions. Nevertheless under the National Rural Drinking Water Supply Programme (NRDWP) all Census villages in the State have already been provided with drinking water facilities in the mid nineties. As per the National Rural Drinking Water Programme, effective from 1.4.2009, there are 53201 habitations in the State. The status of these habitations is as under: Status as on 1.4.2011 Not Covered

Partially covered

10725

Total NC/PC

10725

Fully covered

42475

Total

53201

2.2.1 Water for Domestic (Including Drinking Water) Purposes The situation in Bir reflects the assertion of the government of Himachal Pradesh that all the habitations have been covered.

Wa t e r

2.2 Background

Observations in the village revealed that all the households had taps within the premises. In addition it was noted that there were a few public taps in the villages as well as some hand pumps that were mainly used by the impoverished inhabitants of the kachha households.

2.2.2 Water for irrigation The chief occupation in Bir is agriculture and most of the workers are involved in cultivation either on self-owned farms or labourers. The main crops are rice, maize, wheat, barley and pulses and vegetables and fruits including apples and litchi. Tea is also an important crop in the area.

25 The water situation in Bir has to be understood in terms of usage. In order to understand this, the methodology proposed is a mix of primary and secondary research. Primary research was conducted in the village: It was considered important to interact with the local inhabitants and officials of the gram panchayat in order to understand local opinion and to arrive at community based answers to the water problems of the village. Several interviews were conducted in the village at the household as well as the village level. These will be supplemented by secondary sources of information comprising existing reports, records and research works (published and unpublished) pertaining to relevant studies in the region in the context of innovations in water management in rural Himachal Pradesh. In this context the rural setting determines the utility of water as being for

1. Domestic (including drinking water) purposes 2. Irrigation purposes

2.3 Interpretation of data Data collected in the village revealed several problems in the existing availability of water. In terms of drinking water it was noted that the sources of water (mainly mountain streams) are plentiful. Although the existing population is small, the fact that there is a large and regular influx of tourists may give rise to shortages of the water resources. Yet, according to the local inhabitants, there are also several problems, which are likely to be aggravated over time. These are as follows:

• The village is divided into Upper Bir and Lower Bir. The existing water supply flows from Upper Bir to Lower Bir, and there are complaints that the water gets contaminated in the process. • Each household has a low capacity of storage: at the most 500 litre containers were observed in the homes. • Some shortage is already being experienced by the inhabitants. • A considerable amount of water was observed to be wasted as run off. • It was observed that water flowed through a plastic pipes in some households and continued to flow incessantly even when it was not being used. • According to local sources while there is a reservoir of water on the upper slopes, no filtration system exists.

Water pipe line breakage at hill in Bir.

• The sediment settles to the bottom of the reservoir, and the relatively clear water is then used.

• This causes problems in the rainy season, as the rainfall stirs up the sediment and the inhabitants have to use dirty water for their needs. • Water is presently being purified by the addition of bleach. This has the effect of making the water hard and unpalatable. • Garbage collection un the Kuhls. • Packaged drinking water bottles disposal because of the large tourist population that is a strain on the system.

• Most of the farmers depend on rain fed agriculture rather than systematic irrigation facilities. • In view of this improving productivity and achieving remunerative agriculture should receive focused attention. As per the 73th Amendment to the Constitution, all the rural water supply schemes are to be operated and maintained by local bodies (Village Water and Sanitation Committees, Gram Panchayats and Zilla Parishads and civil societies). Thus with the decentralization of funds, functions and functionaries it is important to have a structured approach to rural water supply Identifying innovative solutions to these problems is important for providing sustainable water supply in Bir.

Drinking water supplies from hills

In terms of water for irrigation the major source of irrigation in Bir is the age old method of directing water from various streams, rivulets and springs through small rills or channels to the cultivated fields: the kuhl system. According to local farmers this method continues to be the most suitable to the local conditions.

Kuhl at Bir

2.4 Conclusion: Opportunities for the future, the road ahead Opportunities for the future include the identification of initiatives for improving the delivery and quality of water for both domestic and agricultural use.

Handpump for drinking water at Mcleodganj

In the context of drinking water improving the system will rely on efficient Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of available water to provide safe drinking water in terms of quality and quantity, with adequate pressure at a convenient location and time at competitive cost on a sustainable basis.

2.4.1 The way forward It is important therefore to address the issues of

• Improvements in operation and maintenance of water supply • Potential for water harvesting for irrigation • Other innovations to satisfy the needs of the inhabitants • Cleaning of garbage in the water Khuls. Water pollution at Bir

• Alternatives for packaged drinking water.

It should be noted that the net irrigated area in Baijnath block is relatively low and the same has been observed in Bir

It is expected that these measures will improve the availability of water in Bir for both domestic, tourists, agricultural purposes, addressing the difficulties experienced in the realms of drinking water and irrigation.

WATER

Design Brief 1 Design of a self-propelled trash-separator to remove plastic and packaging waste from â&#x20AC;&#x153;kuhlsâ&#x20AC;?.

Design Brief 2 Design of a water purification cap for bottles that discourages tourists etc from buying packaged water.

Trash Separator for Bir Design Brief 1 Design of a self-propelled trash-separator to remove plastic and packaging waste from “kuhls”.

Auger propelled by the force of the water, drives the garbage up and out of the “kuhl”

Water Purifying Solution Design Brief 2 Design of a water purification cap for bottles that discourages tourists etc from buying packaged water.

WASTE DISPOSAL 3.1 Introduction

3.2 Background

3.2.1 Background of Deer park, Bir

3.2.2 Concepts of zero waste

3.2.3 Research methodology

3.2.3.1 Aim

3.2.3.2 Sites Visited

3.3 Moving down the streams

3.3.1 Research focal point: Bir

3.3.1.1 Upper Bir

3.3.1.2 Lower Bir

3.3.1.3 Walk around the street and market areas

3.3.1.4 Garbage in Houses

3.3.1.5 Garbage from markets

3.3.1.6 Segregation in Deer Park Institute

3.4 What we learned

3.4.1 Initiatives taken by Government

3.5 Conclusion

3.1 Introduction Developments has made many changes to our lives and our relationship with environment. Our lifestyles are increasingly becoming insensitive to our surrounding. Perhaps waste generation is having much accelerated growth than development. Proper disposal of waste is one of the biggest challenges even developed countries are facing. It has profound effects of environment degradation, resource depletion and our quality of life. The short falls of present disposing methods like landfills and incineration provide opportunity as well as challenge. The impact if left on its own will be disastrous and irreversible in ecosystems, like Himalaya which have a delicate balance with the nature.

The Himalaya is one the most complex and diverse ecosystems of the world, and figures prominently in major biophysical settings of the planet earth. This vast mountain range (over 2500 km in length, and region takes 16.16% of the total area of India) produces a distinctive climate of its own and influences the climate of much of Asia. The great variation in climate and topographical features causes immense diversity in climate and habitat conditions within the region. This phenomenal biodiversity works beautifully to meet diverse needs of the people. The beautiful landscapes, numerous rivers and streams cascading down the mountain slopes, diversity of cultures and religions, and colorful festivals of indigenous/ethnic communities present strong attractions for people from all over the globe, be they nature-lovers, tourists, or seekers of peace and truth. The Himalayan ecosystem is extremely vulnerable due to its geographic location on the Earth, as well as anthropogenic factors leading to changes in the delicate equilibrium, it has with the nature. This coupled with the inaccessibility, fragility and marginality the communities living in the region are relatively more vulnerable to the changes.

3.2.1 Background of Deer park, Bir

Deer Park

Image courtesy Sajana

Deer Park Institute is a center for study of classical Indian wisdom and traditions, established in March 2006 on the campus of a former Buddhist monastic institute. They are responsible for organizing regular workshops, conferences, participatory programs, street plays, screening of films on environmental issues and zero waste concepts in the Institute and local schools.

Poster in Deer Park

Image courtesy Sajana

The negative impacts of localized development activities, the effect of climate-induced changes, and outcome of unsustainable practices and waste generation, on the mountain systems can accelerated environmental degradation, which would be disastrous not only for the local populace, but also for downstream inhabitants. Global warming and its effects on glacier recession and rainfall pattern in India have far-reaching implications.

They have also been produced informative documentaries, printed materials and door to door education to create awareness. Deer Park Institute Deer Park is part of the global Zero Waste movement, which aims to guide people in changing the way they use resources and motivated them to make lasting changes in their attitudes and behavior regarding waste by action at individual level also.

3.2 Background

3.2.2 Concepts of zero waste

The study was concentrated on understanding the negative effects of garbage on Himalayan Ecology and how to improve garbage management system without disturbing the environment through possible design Interventions.

â&#x20AC;˘ Promote the local economy, with a focus on traditional crafts mainly from recycled materials and locally grown and processed foods and drinks,

â&#x20AC;˘ Creating awareness in the community about the health and environmental impacts of the waste.

â&#x20AC;˘ Introduced mindful waste management techniques. â&#x20AC;˘ Facilitate the development of waste management action plans between different community groups and the local Indian and Tibetan administrations. Deer Park has taken an active role in mediating and campaigning for solutions to the waste management problem with policy makers in local government and community decision-makers. They have been able to provide guidance to the Bir Tibetan Society (BTS) in setting up a waste segregation zone at their local headquarters. Also one of the major monasteries in the local Tibetan settlement, the Nyingma Monastery, has now implemented waste segregation.

and website of Deer Park Institute were major source of information. During the village walk in Bir and street walk McLeod Gunj, we got to know about consumption patterns and the locals perception and sensitivity to waste. We also understood the ineffectiveness of the community and local government in collecting garbage from households and keeping the streets clean. Five in-depth interviews of two households, one grocery shop owner, one butcher and the manager of Deer Park Institute constituted our primary survey.

They have been invited few times by Himachal Government as resource people on this subject. In April 2010, Deer Park received a special Appreciation Award from Himachal Government for the effort they have put into bringing awareness of Zero Waste to the communities in Himachal.

3.2.3 Research methodology 3.2.3.1 Aim The data collection was aimed to identify major sources of garbage, different types of garbage collection, segregation and disposal at both household level and community level. Study of prevalent garbage collection and disposal system and disposal system from the government side was also important. The research also needed to be look into harmful effects of garbage disposal in rivers or smaller water bodies.

3.2.3.2 Sites Visited The study started from Bir, a village in Kangra. The initial idea about the issue and the place was given by Mr. Prasanth of Deer park Institute. This along with brainstorming session among the students helped to figure out how to go about the research and what all to look into. Our three day stay in Deer Park Institute gave enough time to go around the village and interact with different section of people there. One morning was spent in Billing, which a famous para-gliding destination. On the way to McLeod Gunj; seat of Tibetan government in exile; sometime was spent in Baijnath. We were able to have close look at the rural life as well as urban life in the Himalaya. We spoke to home owners in various areas in Upper Bir and shopkeepers of Lower Bir. The employees

Wa s t e D i s p o s a l

packaged in biodegradable alternatives to plastics.

Walking through Bir Village

Image courtesy Sajana

3.3 Moving down the streams In Kangra, about 94% of population is in rural areas. The region is covered with uniform patches of barren land, as well as small forests. There is a reasonably good network of roads across the district. Agriculture/farming is the mainstay of economy.

3.3.1 Research focal point: Bir Bir is situated at an altitude of around 1400m. This village is a noted center for eco-tourism, spiritual studies and meditation. Bir is also home to a Tibetan refugee settlement with several Buddhist monasteries. The majority of population is engaged in agriculture and related activities. There is a sizable community of Tibetan refugees in the Bir Tibetan Colony and a small community of international expatriates and long-term students, volunteers, and visitors.

3.3.1.1 Upper Bir This is where traditional inhabitants are livings. The population density is very low. The villagers are mostly farmers where each household have some amount of agricultural land. The community is more of a selfsustained one where they get most of the food from their agricultural produce. People seemed more or less satisfied with their way of life. There did not seem to

be much sensitivity about disposal of garbage, harmful effects of improper disposal on their life and environment and also clogged streams.

3.3.1.2 Lower Bir Tibetan Colony is situated here. Refugees are living

Drains in Lower Bir

Image courtesy Sajana

3.3.1.3 Walk around the street and market areas (including McLeod Ganj)

Outside a village house

Image courtesy Sajana

Roads of Upper Bir

Image courtesy Sajana

River in Upper Bir

The streets are narrow with open drains on either on one side or both sides, which overflows during rain. In Bir, we can see numerous number of small water streams across the road. But all these are dumping points of litter collected from the streets. Local government has placed dustbins in most of the places. In McLeod Gunj, streets are devoid of any dustbins except personal ones like those infront of momo joints. Small heaps of garbage we seen here and there.

Water streams filled with plastic

Image courtesy Sajana

Water streams filled with plastic

Image courtesy Sajana

on government land given to them on lease. Importing goods from Tibet is the main means of livelihood. Their life style and consumption pattern are more of an urban community. Population density is much higher than the Upper Bir. Broken plastic bottles and covers of packaged snakes can be seen everywhere in narrow lanes and open drains.

Shop in Upper Bir village

Wa s t e D i s p o s a l

Waste disposal in Bir village

Image courtesy Sajana

3.3.1.4 Garbage in Houses In houses, irrespective of urban household or rural, composition of the waste remains same â&#x20AC;&#x201C; organic waste vegetable peels, food left over are either dumped into open pit or put below the plants. The plastic waste and inorganic packaging covers are burnt within each household regularly. But most of the time, this inorganic waste is left unattended. The covers are carried by the wind and when it rains, it is carried away along with the surface runoff. As such, in streets and in agricultural land also, plastic packages and bottles can be seen widely.

Waste is carried down the slope

Dust bins in the streets of Lower Bir

Image courtesy Sajana

In Tibetan houses, organic waste is fed into potted plants. And inorganic wastes are collected by a person employed by the community and goes to segregation room, where recyclables are sold to scrap dealer. Most of the poly bags, plastic cans and other containers find use either inside the house as containers for storage in kitchen or as pots for planting a simply stay strewn across the paths.

Waste Segregation Centre

3.3.1.5 Garbage from markets Pit where plastics are burned

Image courtesy Sajana

Every shop has its own dustbin, which is being emptied by an appointed person who cleans public dustbins and

also sweeps streets. The collected garbage is send to segregation room, where recyclables are sold to scrap dealer and non-recyclables are dumped into empty plots or drains.

3.3.1.6 Segregation in Deer Park Institute In Deer Park Institute, segregation of all waste is done in the two eco zone within the campus. Recyclables are given to local scrap dealers. Organic matter from the kitchen is either fed to local cows/goes to a pit within the campus. Non-recyclable wastes, such as snack packaging and tetra-paks, are stored in a segregation room and are waiting for a responsible solution to be found. Some recycles find their place in art and craft shops.

Composition of garbage

3.4 What we learned As in the rest of India and other parts of the world, waste is a serious problem in Bir also. Garbage is thrown into the streams and empty areas, and plastic waste is burned in the open. There are no recycling or waste processing facilities, and there is no organized waste collection or disposal system. In spite many institutions and NGO, worked towards a responsible garbage disposal system, and proposing solutions, but typical suggestions of public bins, landfills and incinerators encourage an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ attitude, as well as creating more environmental hazards. To reduce consumption and promote the Zero Waste model effectively requires farreaching changes in the habits of the whole community.

3.4.1 Initiatives taken by Government • Government started 3rs/polybag scheme to reduce plastics, but that scheme failed. • On the occasion of Himachal day the area is declared as zero waste and to boost the enthusiasm many workshops are done. • Government completely banned plastic carry bags. Village Panchayats removes the garbage from the drains or flat plains in order to clean the village only during some fairs or any VIP visits, and otherwise is not a matter of concern.

3.5 Conclusion It is clear that waste disposal issues will become increasingly important in the decades to come. The majority of the people we met during this study expended a great deal of time and energy every day trying to solve this issue. So hence our attempt will be to contribute by mindfully proposing design solutions to tackle this problem. BTS Dry Waste Segregation Centre

Image courtesy Toophani

WASTE DISPOSAL

Design Brief 1 Up-cycling solution for PET bottles by creating a DIY system to propose a solution for soil erosion common in terraced farming.

Design Brief 2 A water filtration and purification system that reuses used PET bottles.

BUND: Extending the use of PET bottles Design Brief 1 Up-cycling solution for PET bottles by creating a DIY system to propose a solution for soil erosion common in terraced farming.

Waste Mgmt: Reusing PET Bottles Design Brief 2 A water filtration and purification system that reuses used PET bottles.

LIVELIHOOD 4.1 Introduction

4.2 Background

4.2.1 Upper and Lower Bir

4.2.2 Route to Billing

4.2.3 Influence of Deer Park institute

4.2.4 Livelihood in Bir: Land of Indian and Tibetan culture

4.2.5 Methodology of Study

4.3 Weaving lives

4.3.1 Prashant - Director of Deer Park Institute, Bir

4.3.2 The family of traditional weavers

4.3.3 Mr. Chunni Lal- The taxi driver

4.3.4 The older generation – two elderly people from Upper Bir

4.3.5 Bar Bahadur Buda – The trader from Nepal

4.3.6 The shopkeepers – from Tibetan colony

4.4 What we learnt

4.4.1 Role of Government

4.4.2 Population and Community

4.4.3 Education and employment

4.4.4 Growth and Requirements

4.4.5 Culture and Dependency

4.5 Conclusion

4.5.1 Areas of employment generation

4.5.2 Reviewing the traditional livings

4.5.3 Improving the existing prospects

Dhauladhar range

Image courtesy Visha Sengar

4.1 Introduction Ecology refers to the interaction between the organisms and the environment. Ecology differs from place to place and depends on various factors. One type of ecology is the ecology found in mountains and the Himalayan ecology is a best example of it. The lifestyle of the people living in the Himalayan region has a major impact on the ecosystem existing there. It is noted in the recent times that the Himalayan ecosystem is undergoing a major change and requires special attention . Bir is a village in the western part of the state, Himachal Pradesh. Bir, apart from being a village that illustrates a typical Himalayan ecology, is also the land of Tibetan refugees. This makes Bir even more interesting in terms of the interaction that exists between the Indians and the Tibetans and the effect that this interaction creates on the ecosystem. Thus the study of Bir helps us in understanding Himalayan ecology along with an additional parameter. Livelihood in Bir is interesting with the two group of people living there. Trade was never a main focus before the entry of Tibetans. The Himachalis were always self sustaining by growing their own food. Trading started as a bye product of the migration of Tibetans to Bir. It all started as a help, slowly developing as an exchange and is now practiced as a part of new economy in present days. Thus livelihood of the people living in Bir is interdependent on both Indian and Tibetan

4.2 Background 4.2.1 Upper and Lower Bir

Bir was ruled by various kings before the British. The prominent part of the village is the Upper Bir(proper Bir). Bir underwent an important change when the Tibetan refugee camps were established in Bir. The Tibetan refugees settled in the lower part of the Bir village, thus making it Lower Bir. Lower Bir is also called as colony by the local people living there. The lifestyle of the people

It can be rightly said that both Indian and Tibetan settlements are symbiotic to each others existence. There are problems in both the parts of the village. The people in Upper Bir do not have enough job opportunities. This forces them to migrate to other parts of the country. The Tibetan people in Lower Bir do not have the feel of their home land and hence they are not bothered much about the place they live. They too migrate to other places or even to other countries where they have a better opportunity for living.

4.2.2 Route to Billing Billing is located 14 kilometres from Bir. Billing is an important location in the world for para-gliding activity. It is the para-gliding activity that fetches Bir a place in the world map. The region becomes very busy during the month starting from September to November. Championships are organised for para-gliding. The route from Bir to Billing is the most happening place in Bir.

There are many commercial activities that takes place in this region. These includes lodges, restaurants, taxi services and much more. Apart from the people who do professional para-gliding, their are more and more tourists also interested in para-gliding. This has led to the local youth to learn para-gliding. They take tourists for tandem para-gliding and thus earn their livelihood.

Para-gliding in Billing

Livelihood

leaving in both upper and Lower Bir differ from each other. Most of the people in Upper Bir are farmers while the people in the Lower Bir(Tibetans) are merchants or traders. The people in Tibetan colony depend on the farmers in the Upper Bir for their rice, vegetables and other edibles. Even though there are good weavers and good quality of fabric produced in the Upper Bir, the teenagers move towards the fashionable garments. These garments are purchased from Tibetan people who are well known for their winter clothing trade. The surplus vegetables and milk are sold to the Tibetans.

Image courtesy Vishal Sengar

4.2.3 Influence of Deer Park institute Deer Park Institute is located in the heart of the Bir. It is a central spline between the upper and Lower Bir. Deer park Institute was set up in the year 206. Its prime function is to promote the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Classical Indian Wisdom Traditionsâ&#x20AC;?. It organises various courses and workshops on environmental issues, local culture and sustainable

livelihood. Deer park also plays an important role in livelihood of the local people by educating them. It organises various workshops on photography, waste management, renewable energy and other activities that benefit the people specially the youth in Bir by increasing their job opportunities.

Students at Deer Park Institute

Image courtesy Vishal Sengar

4.2.4 Livelihood in Bir: Land of Indian and Tibetan culture The livelihood of the people living in Bir, both Indians and Tibetans is interdependent on each other. The Tibetans rely upon the people in Upper Bir for their food needs. The Indians have small patches of land making them to grow the crops for their own needs. The surplus is sold to the Tibetans, thus generating additional income to the Indians. The Indians are also the construction workers. The Tibetans depend on the Indians construction workers for the constructions needs. As explained before that the Tibetans are good as merchants, they sell the products that they sourced from other places to the Indians. In this way the life of both the Indians and Tibetans are interdependent thus creating a unique ecology in terms of livelihood in Bir.

4.3 Weaving lives 4.3.1 Prashant - Director of Deer Park Institute, Bir Prashant, the director of the Deer Park Institute located in Bir says that most of the people in Upper Bir who are Indians are mostly part time farmers. A certain percentage of them are also government employees. Whereas the Tibetans are merchants or traders. They receive aid from organisations all over the world. To certain extent they also get aid from their Government in exile. In terms of cultural difference, both the Indians and Tibetans have their own unique cultural identity. They celebrate their own festivals. Tibetans have a more active social life compared to the Indian village. Their lifestyle is also influenced by the effects of immigration. The people in the Tibetan village do not ownership of land. It is because of this the life of Tibetans are more oriented towards urban life style. There is a loss of cultural pride among the Indians which is mainly due to the effects of modernisation. According to him Bir is a synchronisation of Hinduism and Buddhism.

4.3.2 The family of traditional weavers Mr. Bholaram, a resident of Upper Bir (the Indian

Traditional Weaver

4.2.5 Methodology of Study A brain storming session was organised and the ideas given by participants on the areas that need to be looked at for data collection were noted. The study was carried by interviewing the people in the village. They include Prashant, Director of Deer Park Institute, Trilok Kumar, employee in Deer Park Institute, who is also a local resident of Bir, a farmer family, a weaver family and a taxi driver. Then the livelihood was observed by having a village walk, observing the various activities and life style of people living there. All these activities were analyzed on the basis of Areas of employment generation, Reviewing the traditional livings and Improving the existing prospects and the solutions were proposed.

Image courtesy Authors

Settlement) has been living in Bir village since his birth. He learnt the skill of weaving from his father, and is continuing it as profession for the past 50 years. He also does farming for livelihood. He has a total of 10 members in family including his wife and the families of 3 sons. The fabric woven from woolen thread are used for both domestic purposes and also sold based on the orders received from Lower Bir market or other parts of the state including demands from tourists and foreigners. Mr. Bholaram does not own a shop in market but works from home and often visit the market to sell the fabric which are then converted into jackets and other products. Raw material (wool) for the process is purchased from the shepherds and is then spun into yarn for weaving

Mr. Bholaram also mentioned about lack of help by government in promoting the craft or arranging tools and equipments. It takes 2-3 days to weave a fabric of 10*2 feet by working for 4 to 5 hrs per day. For him the challenges of a modern life do not exist as he successfully managed to educate his three sons with the same profession and one notices the pride and positivity of the craft experienced by him. On the other hand Mrs. Bholaram, co-worker/ helping hand for Mr. Bholaram has a different perspective towards traditional weaving. Despite indicating pride in her husband’s profession

Traditional Weaver

Image courtesy Authors

she states the problem, the change of life style affecting the demand for the craft. There is a growing demand for branded clothes that has made a large impact on trade. Neither the products manufactured by wool nor the craft as a profession attracts the youth, and that is the reason why none of the three sons of her family opted to continue the family tradition. Mr. Puranchand, the eldest son of the family describes the present scenario from the viewpoint of young and educated adults. He describes the various efforts made by Himachal government in order to provide a better livelihood and achieve high literacy rate. He also mention that despite the attempts there are not enough job opportunities for the educated class. Schemes like MGNREGS has been successful in organising the basic necessities to all, along with 100 days guaranteed employment per financial year, but the type of work is not acknowledged by the educated class. Thus the youth are bound to migrate to other states of country in search of jobs, like his younger brother who is working in Indian Railways in Patiala district. Moreover the youngest son of the family is a physically challenged and faces various difficulties in his daily life.

According to Mr. Puranchand the craft work takes a total of around 20 days from purchasing raw wool to the finished woolen mat. A kilogram of raw wool costs around Rs.1000 - 1200, which is then washed, softened and cleaned before it turns into a yarn. This long and tough process results into a woolen fabric worth Rs. 2000-2500 only. Mr. Puranchand explains the overall calculation of challenges versus the end result which discourages the interest of young adults in craft.

Livelihood

using various traditional tools. He also trains students and encourages the young generation to keep the art of traditional weaving alive.

4.3.3 Mr. Chunni Lal- The taxi driver Mr. Chunni Lal is a professional taxi driver. He is been driving taxis for more than 20 years now. He describes the inclination of youth towards the changing trends of the village. Para-gliding one of the Bir’s biggest attraction brings huge crowds of tourists and visitors to the place. This has not only effected the life style of the area but also the economy and livelihood of local class. Native Tibetan residents have started building extra rooms and spaces to rent the visitors especially during the time of para-gliding tournaments. The local markets of Bir road have begun to flood with international brand products and accessories. One can also sense the growing strain between Tibetan and Indian community as the Tibetan residents are more benefited by the increased tourism in area. When we asked a colleague of Mr. Chunnilal regarding a good place to eat the authentic Himachal food, the answer was surprising – “Hum aapko achi hindu ki dukan dikhayenge. In Tibetan ke yahan mat khaiyega”. Major section of youth from Indian community today is interested in either working in shops, tourist guide or the para-gliding instructors. They don’t have any other option expect to opt for the above mentioned or to migrate for a good job opportunity.”

4.3.4 The older generation – two elderly people from Upper Bir While interacting with some of the elders at Bir we found that majority of senior citizens is engaged in either the traditional occupation (like tool making, weaving, bamboo craft etc.) or agriculture and dairy farming. They stay at home during major part of the day, taking care of the farms, animals and the other members of the family in the absence of young adults, whereas the majority of women at Bir are house wives or self-employed (working from home). They recommended to visit a small cottage industry at Tibetan Colony, where some of the ladies work to create the traditional floor mats used by almost every house (both Indian and Tibetan) of the village.

4.3.5 Bar Bahadur Buda â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The trader from Nepal

Bar Bahadur Buda

can be seen in a large number starting from Bir Bazar to Baijnath via Bir road. One can find all sorts of shops like general stores, hardware and home accessories, clothing, shoes, ritual items, stationery, internet cafes, audio/video stores and snacks shops etc. Majority of the shops sell western style clothing, shoes, packed food items and drinks etc. derived from the visitorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interests and therefore it is hard to locate the shops selling authentic Himachal/ Bir products in colony. The intention for Tibetan refugees is to earn and create living from the growing tourism as Indians have an option of farming on the lands inherited from their ancestral property but they have only been allotted pieces of small land with pre-built houses. Also the Lower Bir residents have to depend on the Upper Bir farming communities for daily vegetable and milk requirements.

Image courtesy Authors

Bar Bahadur is a trader who visits Bir and other parts of Himachal at regular intervals during the year to sell spices (like Hing from Nepal and saffron from Srinagar) and accessories like bead necklaces, rings and chimes etc. They have a government approved access card which helps them travel across the border for trade. They have professional quarters at Baijnath where the store the bulk of products costing ranging from 30,000 to 40,000/ trip, which is then sold to different houses and shops by means of door to door sales service.

4.3.6 The shopkeepers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from Tibetan colony Shops can be found in the Tibetan colony owned and run mostly by Tibetans and some by Indian locals. Shops

4.4 What we learnt 4.4.1 Role of Government The Government is helping the people in the Himalayan region with many special schemes. One of the schemes that was very helpful to the people in the recent time is the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme. This scheme guarantees 100 days of employment to the people who register with the scheme. The employment generated through this scheme is used for water conservation and water harvesting works, drought proofing, construction of irrigation canals, horticulture facility, flood control and protection work and building foot paths. In this way the people of Bir are getting benefited in two ways, first with the employment opportunity and second with the infrastructure development. The people under this scheme get minimum fixed wages and equal wages for both men and women. The advantages of this scheme is people get safe drinking water, shade for children, place of rest and first aid facilities. There are also disadvantages with this scheme, they are, only unskilled work is carried out through this scheme. This leaves the educated people still jobless and leads to the migration for job opportunities. They have to either migrate to other places or look for job opportunities that are not related to their education. This was clear from the interview with the teacher. Even after completing his education, he could not find a job and thus setting up his own small school for the local children there. Mostly construction work is carried out through this scheme and no importance is given to the existing crafts. There is no consideration for the physically challenged and elder people.

Shop keeper

Image courtesy Authors

There are also other schemes that are introduced with the aim of improving the livelihood of people. They are Indra Awas Yojna and Atal Awas Yojna. Both these schemes

4.4.3 Education and employment The 2011 census says that the literacy rate in Himachal Pradesh is 83.78%. This is much better that many other states of the country. The job opportunity in the state is very less as compared to its literacy rate. The employment in Bir can be divided into three groups. They are self employment, working as a community and government employees. Self employment includes tourist guides, local masons, craftsman, tailors and daily wage workers. Working as a community includes shop keepers, taxi drivers and people constructing houses for the Tibetans. The government employees are the one who work in various government organisations like school, colleges, post offices, tourist office, and hospitals. Economy cycle

are sponsored by the central government. Through these schemes people below poverty line are given money for the construction of houses. There are also certain drawbacks because of the policies of government. In recent times in order to prevent the deforestation, Government has banned cutting of trees, even if the trees are in the own land of the people. This has created a shortage for the firewood. Even though the people can buy the firewood from the government approved places, the poor people have less or no money to buy it. This has also affected the houses that are constructed by the poor people who mostly use bamboo for the construction. The selection and the treatment of bamboo is very important part in the construction. Improper selection of bamboo leads to the gradual decay of bamboo by insects and the people need to reconstruct the house after few years.

It is found that the migration of both Indians and Tibetans is increasing day by day due to the lack of job opportunity.

4.4.4 Growth and Requirements The various government schemes helped the growth of Himachal Pradesh at a very significant level. There are road facilities that connect the upper and Lower Bir. There are also marrow footpaths. There is a significant growth in infrastructure which was clear by the interview with people. The death rate of pregnant ladies has gone down. This is mainly due to the support given by the government to them and the improved transportation. The people are satisfied with the facilities that they have. When questioned on their needs most of them answered the same that they do not need anything and they have everything like hospital, post office and other facilities.

4.4.2 Population and Community As described early, Bir has two regions. One is Upper Bir and the other is Lower Bir. Upper Bir is occupied by Indians and is sparsely populated. The lifestyle of Indians there is self-sustain able. Most of the people in Upper Bir practice farming, local crafts and dairy farming. The common mode of transport is by foot, taxis for people and by tractor for goods. The Lower Bir is occupied by Tibetans and they are planned settlements by the government. The houses are densely packed. The Tibetans have more of an urban lifestyle. They are mostly merchants selling daily needs, cloths and food. They mostly depend on the tourists

Economy cycle and Education

Livelihood

visiting Bir. The Lower Bir also has many monasteries that are connected to each other. They also have other facilities like ATMs, hospitals, hotels and restaurants.

like the construction workers, taxi drivers and crafts. The Tibetans run the shops, restaurants and guest houses. The tourists who are professional para-gliders, researchers and general tourists use the services of the shops by Tibetans who are in turn connected to the Indians for their raw materials and basic needs.

4.5 Conclusion 4.5.1 Areas of employment generation As per our study of livelihood and lifestyle of Bir village we found that the residents of the village are satisfied with the provisions made by government to enhance accessibility to the region and to provide basic amenities. But the village still requires development to increase employment opportunities, especially for the educated class. Schemes like MGNREGS serves the uneducated and BPL sections.

Small cottage industries can serve an opportunity for the ladies to work. One example of the same can be seen for the floor mats that are manufactured in a small industry in Lower Bir. These floor mats are a necessity of every house due to cold conditions and can be seen everywhere from taxis to houses and monasteries.

4.5.2 Reviewing the traditional livings Bir is relatively less crowded (in terms of both tourism and residential density) as compared McLeod Gunj and Dharamshala. Therefore it still has a simpler lifestyle. Though increasing tourism is rapidly affecting the lifestyle and thus devastating the local craft practices. Only few people in Upper Bir are still practicing the traditional crafts and professions.

From Top - A Mason, A labour, A tailor & A broom weaver Image Courtesy Vishal Sengar

The mentality of the parents about the future of their children are also same. All of them wanted their children to migrate out of the state for their living. This indirectly hints us the lack of good job opportunity in the region and people are not clear of their needs.

4.4.5 Culture and Dependency Bir is a land of mixed cultures. One can find Indians, Tibetans and foreigners. All them have a different culture and different lifestyle. It can been seen that these cultures support each other for their livelihood. The Indians who are mostly farmers. They produce the basic food and dairy needs. They also act as a source of other needs

Farming as a profession has also been encouraged by the government by providing subsidy on greenhouse infrastructure. But still majority of farmers are not yet benefited by the scheme as the minimum amount required to avail the benefits is not available with the local farmers.

4.5.3 Improving the existing prospects We found that the village require opportunities that can create a bridge between the changing lifestyle and the traditional practices. This will not only help in preserving the original lifestyle but will also encourage the youth

LIVELIHOOD

Design Brief 1 Design of an aid to decrease human effort required in carrying heavy loads in hilly terrain.

Design Brief 2 Eco-friendly packaging design that can be locally produced to promote traditional Kangra snacks.

Cane Support Design Brief 1 Design of an aid to decrease human effort required in carrying heavy loads in hilly terrain.

Food Packaging Design Design Brief 2 Eco-friendly packaging design that can be locally produced to promote traditional Kangra snacks

Packaging material developed to be compostible using locally available pine resin. Designed to enable local production

MATERIAL & CONSTRUCTION 5.1 Introduction

5.2 Background

5.2.1 Aim

5.2.2 Areas covered

5.2.3 Research focal point - Kangra

5.2.4 Landscape and climate of Kangra

5.2.4.1 Topography

5.2.4.2 Climate

5.2.5 Dwellings of Kangra district

5.3 Methods and Approach

5.3.1 Interview

5.3.2 Sessions

5.3.3 On-site Observation

5.4 Through the walls of the village

5.5 Take Away

5.5.1 Material study

5.5.2 Process of Construction

5.5.3 Pros and cons of present construction trends

5.5.4 Alternative uses of materials and their potential

5.5.5 Where we can intervene?

5.1 Introduction “Vernacular buildings are not the sentimental, picturesque backdrop to real life. They may be beautiful, but that is beside the point. They have emerged out of hard necessities, hard work and hard lives. Their appeal lies in the sense they make.” -Gillian Darley

Sambhaavnaa, Palampur

Image courtesy Author

In Indian villages we come across a range of shelters from courtyard houses of south, mud houses in the west and the houses in the hills. The common thread connecting these dwellings is their close association with their culture, society, climate and topography. One such example is the houses of Kangra, a district in the state of Himachal Pradesh where they have exercised traditional construction techniques using locally available materials. This type of construction has been prevalent in this region for a long time due to its low cost, earth quake resistance and thermal comfort until now where globalization has changed the mindset of the people living there. People are moving into modern construction techniques despite its inefficiency with respect to the terrain and climate of Kangra valley. Why is there a shift in the type of construction from traditional to so called modern structure? Is there any need for revitalization of existing traditional techniques? Is this change an imitation of Social-economic conditions? To find out answers we collaborated with the Deer Park Institute in Bir where we had brainstorming sessions which gave a rough idea of

the area to be studied and opened up ideas where we can intervene to help the inhabitants of the region. This research on built spaces of Kangra valley aims to put forward strategies, construction techniques and products for a sustainable and better living space for the inhabitants while maintaining the identity of traditional houses.

5.2 Background This batch of 17 students pursuing Masters in industrial Design from School of Planning and architecture, accompanied by their three professors, visited various parts of Himachal Pradesh which included Bir, Mcleodganj, Palampur and Dharamshala. The motive behind the journey from Delhi to these various places was to give a better vision to the Ecology of hills. The main area of focus was ‘Bir’ having a diverse settlementthe upper part comprised of Indian Settlement and the lower was basically a Tibetan refugee settlement. The

M at e r i a l & C o n s t r u c t i o n

stay of the students was arranged in Deer park – ‘Centre for Arts’ by Mr. Prashant Verma, the Director of the Institute. This Institute acted as a link between these two settlements. It was important to understand the traditional building style of that region and how the form had changed over time, therefore the students stepped forward to explore this aspect of the settlement. Globalization and easy availability of new material created a great impact on these unique settlements and to certain extent diminished its identity. Due to the disassociation between the two halves of Bir the need to have a link between them was a necessity, and to some extent Deer Park has achieved it. The institute has opened their arms to the public to improve their lives and to provide certain degree of opportunity. Ecology of the hills is at stake due to negligence by human towards nature. The deer park institute has taken steps towards reviving and giving back the to nature and preserving it. Mud has served mankind for ages and still doing the same due to its inherent properties. Locally available materials due to so called globalization are being neglected. This has been a major concern for the people and the place. Didi contractor has been trying to revive mud construction. They are trying to trickle down their ideas to the various regions like Bir and Palampur in the district of Kangra. The town is well connected with other parts of the state and the availability of the raw materials for these areas is not a matter of concern. There is potential in improvising the present scenario of the built structure of the place, taking into account the socio, cultural, economical and political scenario.

5.2.1 Aim This paper aims at understanding the current trends in building materials and techniques implemented in the houses of Kangra valley. Also it tries to identify how these trends have affected the identity of the space at a community level. The research on the existing scenario of the region developed a better understanding about the vernacular architecture of the buildings. On our step towards the exploration of the walls of Kangra valley, there were legal constraints for the materials being used for construction which again adds to the causes which led to the change.

5.2.2 Areas covered The first step towards improvising the vernacular hill architecture of the Kangra Valley started from Delhi. We moved towards Bir, our focal destination without having

Map of Bir

any clue in our minds of what exactly the built situation of the place would be like. We crossed state boundaries and after covering almost 500 kilometers, the team finally reached their final destination, a small town named ‘Bir’. The entire town had a mixed structure and the culture of both the Upper Bir (Indian settlement) and the Lower Bir (Tibetan refugee settlement) could be easily identified by the built structure of their houses. We decided to cover this particular place for the next three days, so moved in and around the town. The lower part of Bir had a great impact on the people due to the migrant population that comes with a variety of exposure. The people of this particular were much satisfied with their daily life cycle and the entire community was directed by the women. The men didn’t have important role in the livelihood of the family, except in cases where they had picked up taxi driving etc. as profession. We had a fairly good discussion with the people of this area and found them really polite and humble, which helped us to have a fruitful conversation. Our major concern was regarding the shift from vernacular architecture which perfectly suited that area to modern architecture which was not at favorable for the climatic conditions of that place. Most of the answers that we received after interviewing the locals directed the influence of the cities and to some extent the blame was taken over the legal procedures, which

was required to acquire the locally available materials like wood. So people of this region preferred flat RCC roof over slant roof. The neo-traditional eco-architect in the region, Didi contractor is trying to revive the culture by improving the vernacular techniques of mud construction and providing the people the suitable environment to live in. We got to see some of their works as we made our way to Dharamsala through Palampur. The works were worthy of great praise due to its incredibility. As we traced our way back to Delhi, the entire experience of the variety of houses started slowly sinking in.

5.2.3 Research focal point - Kangra

The district of Kangra is located in the state of Himachal Pradesh. The construction techniques employed here have grown out of locally available materials and constraints. Mostly the inhabitants are low income class or middle income class. The main source of income for financing these constructions come through either the owner or personal savings or through friends and relatives. Mostly itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a single-family house. The number of inhabitants in a building during the day is less than 2 and during night is 5-8. In case if the family gets extended they construct a new house within their area. In many parts of this region for construction people procure materials from their surroundings or its locally available and build houses with the help of relatives, neighbors from within or adjoining communities or with the help of local artisan. This close interdependence between people and environment has encouraged practical understanding of construction, material and its quality, need based sizes of various spaces and tools, all of which are reflected in traditional building techniques.

5.2.4 Landscape and climate of Kangra 5.2.4.1 Topography Kangra has a mountainous terrain. Despite its varying topography, there is consistency in the type of traditional construction and material adopted with slight variations. These buildings incorporate construction techniques together with a blend of locally available building materials and details and demonstrate traditional styles of that region. During the course of our journey through the Kangra district we came to know from people that due to the undulating terrain itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s difficult to get suitable orientation on the slopes. This leads to cut and fill of hill slopes to obtain a flat terrace for construction. Hence there is high cost involved in the site development. Apart from this there is limitation on the height of the building since Kangra falls into the earthquake prone areas. During heavy rains soil erosion and landslides are frequent in this

area. Non-availability of pakka roads till the construction site makes transport of material to site difficult and costly.

5.2.4.2 Climate According to the Meteorological Department of India the district receives an average annual rainfall of about 205 cm. Most of the rainfall, about 80 per cent, is received during June to October months where the temperature ranges from 2 to 24 degree Celsius. Snowfall is received during December to February where the temperature ranges from 0 to 20 degree Celsius. Summer starts from April and ends during the month of June where temperature ranges from 25 to 38 degree Celsius. According to the inhabitants of these regions, for over last few years the micro climate has been changing unexpectedly due to factors like global warming.

5.2.5 Dwellings of Kangra district Generally the houses in this region do not share common walls. Each house has its own plot which is surrounded with low height compound walls made of stones or hedges. The plots available are mostly contoured hence requires cut and fill technique which provides a small usable piece of land in the lower level which is used as shelter for cattle or as storage space and a larger usable space at the upper level where people stay. A typical house in this region is two storys or sometimes just one. In case of one storey or more, a wooden staircase is usually provided outside the building. The houses are generally rectangular in plan with a verandah in the front, one living room, two bed rooms, a kitchen and a toilet. It has two main doors one in the front and the other at the back which opens up to washing area. The arrangement of spaces varies from house to house. In some cases, the construction is done in stages, i.e. the ground storey is constructed first and another storey is added later when funds are available. Due to the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heavy rainfall (July to October) as well as snowfall (December to February), stones are preferred over the alternative locally available material, i.e. mud. Buildings in these regions are vulnerable to earthquakes hence they provide wooden band which runs on the circumference of the building at regular intervals. Another thing we observed is that houses that have been constructed with mud has provided small size openings in order to maintain the temperature thus compromising on ventilation and lighting. Where else in the newly constructed houses the openings are big as a result there is good ventilation and lighting but comprises in thermal comfort. Niches are created in the mud walls to make cupboards or other storage spaces. People in these regions have been forced to leave their traditional construction practices due to scarcity

5.3.1 Interview

M at e r i a l & C o n s t r u c t i o n

5.3 Methods and Approach

5.3.2 Sessions

Brainstorming session in the auditorium of Deer Park

Image courtesy Author

Brainstorming session

Image courtesy Author

Brainstorming session

Discussion with expert Image courtesy Aditi Singh

Image courtesy Author

M at e r i a l & C o n s t r u c t i o n

5.3.3 On-site Observation

Daily activities at different floor

Toilets are located away from the residing area

Locally available materials are used for staircase construction

Skylights are provided on the roof in order to enhance the experience of light in the room

Floor Section 1. Seasoned bamboo 2. Bamboo sheet 3. Concrete 4. Mud 5. Cow dung coat

Interlocking of slates

M at e r i a l & C o n s t r u c t i o n

5.4.Through the walls of the village

61 House of Prem Singh

Chullah

Image courtesy Author

Image courtesy Author Toilet outside

Top view of the house

Image courtesy Author Sunken washing area Image courtesy Author

62 Mud House of Salendra Didi

Image courtesy Author

From left: Bamboo roofing, external staircase, slate roofing, skylights

Roofing done with slate

Image courtesy Author

M at e r i a l & C o n s t r u c t i o n From left: House of Anu Bala, wooden staircase

Top view of the house

I mage courtesy Author

From left: wooden flooring in the balcony, traditional challah, modern cooking gas

Image courtesy Author

Top view: Ground Floor

Office of Sandhya Gupta Image courtesy Author

View of sit out Image courtesy Author

Top view: First Floor

View of kitchen Image courtesy Author

5.5.1 MATERIAL STUDY

RESPONSE

WEATHER

MAINTENANCE

AVAILABILITY

Absorbs moisture during rainy season but is a good insulator

Needs to provide cow dung coating at regular period to prevent from cracking

Locally available

PARAMETERS MATERIALS Mud

Stone

Provides good resistance for the structure against seismic variations

Nil

Local quarries

Wood

Expands and contracts when there is variation in the temperature

Needs to be treated against termites

Nearby forests

Slate

Containing high quartz content, slate reflects sunlight, is frost resistant, absorbs heat and provides moisture barrier.

Nil

Locally available

Cow dung

It hardens and forms cracks when temperature is high

Nil

Bamboo

It absorbs moisture over time

Concrete

If not properly cured during construction will lead to seepage problem leading to cracks

Nil

Bought from the market

Sundried bricks

It absorbs moisture

Nil

Made On site

M at e r i a l & C o n s t r u c t i o n

5.5 TAKE AWAY

Needs to be seasoned properly to remove starch before using i for construction

Locally available Locally available

5.5.2 PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTION

Trends in construction

Construction techniques and raw materials vary in both vernacular and modern building construction. There is a series of sequence required before a person starts dwelling in a place. It was observed that modern techniques are faster but requires sacrificing basic parameters of living which in turn affects the future of inhabitant where as vernacular architecture does not have adverse effects on the living conditions.

5.5.3 Pros and cons of present construction trends In present construction trends where people are moving towards more concrete construction, has led to apprehension regarding its competence with respect to the terrain and climate of the region, where it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help in maintaining temperature nor does it help during seismic variations in the region. On the other hand there are also organizations like Sathbhavana which are trying to promote mud construction in this region which is very efficient in terms of thermal comfort, low cost and easy construction.

5.5.4 Alternative uses of materials and their potential Locally available materials apart from being used in construction of vernacular houses are being used by the people of Kangra valley, to execute their daily livelihood. Mud not only forms the walls of the village but also is used in making the chullah. Mud can be explored in enhancing its quality, which could withstand the extreme climatic conditions of the place. Hay serves the cattle in two ways, as food and as a shelter in the form of roof. It

also acts as reinforcement for the mud walls when mixed with mud. Stones are used to create a boundary wall of the plot apart from being used as foundation. When it comes to Bamboo it is used in many areas as it can be used in various ways due to its inherent property. At present it acts as a backbone for laying the flooring and roof of a building. It is used by the villagers for carrying load to a place. In the fields itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s used to store hay above ground, in order to keep it dry. Currently Slates are used for flooring but this can be used as cladding over the mud walls in order to protect it from harsh climatic conditions. This material does not require much maintenance.

5.5.5 Where we can intervene? Every design no matter how satisfactory it looks like has always some loop holes, which sets a path for new ideas. Mud is a perfect material for this region but needs to be improved with its composition before being placed for test with respect to extreme conditions. The danger of being washed away during heavy rains still stands. Non availability of logs for the central beam is also another area of concern that dissuade people from building house with sloping roofs. Vernacular houses provide a certain level of comfort level due to its various features like small openings. These small openings do not serve the purpose well. People have to resort to artificial lights even during a bright sunny day. Windows requires attention and there is a great need to explore the structure in order to achieve it. Also Flooring needs to be taken into account as it affects the environment inside a house.

MATERIAL & CONSTRUCTION

Design Brief 1 A lighting solution that enhances natural light transferred indoors without compromising on thermal comfort.

Design Brief 2 An alternative structural system using local materials to fill the gap created by unavailability of larger wooden logs to encourage more appropriate traditional architecture.

Lighting for Himalayan Houses Design Brief 1 A lighting solution that enhances natural light transferred indoors without compromising on thermal comfort.

Openings are deliberately small to not comprise on thermal comfort and keep the cold out but lead to very dimly lit interiors of vernacular houses.

Central Bamboo Beam Design Brief 2 An alternative structural system using local materials to fill the gap created by unavailability of larger wooden logs to encourage more appropriate traditional architecture.

Structural system designed to encourage vernacular architecture and opportunity to integrate modular elements

KITCHEN & COOKING 6.1 Introduction

6.2 Background

6.2.1 Climatic conditions of Bir

6.2.2 Vegetation

6.2.3 Focus

6.2.4 Research Methodology

6.3 Aroma of Kangra food

6.3.1 Interview with Mr. Trilok

6.3.2 We meet Mrs. Promela Gosh at Deer Park, Bir

6.3.3 Kitchen 1

6.3.4 Kitchen 2

6.3.5 Other observations

6.3.6 Subsidies in Green House in Himachal Pradesh

6.4 What we learnt

6.4.1 Grocery

6.4.2 Kitchen Area

6.4.3 Local Cuisine

6.4.4 Fuel

6.4.5 Left overs and food preservation

6.4.6 Overview

6.5 Conclusion

6.1 Introduction Indian cuisine has been influenced by 5000 year history of various groups and cultures interacting with the subcontinent, leading to diversity of flavours and regional cuisines found in modern India. Indian religion, geography and cultural habits have shaped the development of these cuisines, just as it has evolved as a result of subcontinental’s cultural interactions with other societies. These interactions lead to new varieties of vegetation being introduced in India and cultivated extensively, which has new kinds of cuisine. On the other hand Indian cuisine has also shaped the history of international food. Spice trade between India and Europe is the primary catalyst for new discovery in taste in the European cuisine. The most famous cuisine of Himachal is the aroma and taste of Kangra valley.

Pahari food is a little known food that can be traced back to Himachal, especially Kangra food. The original inventors of the food in the valley are a community of Brahmin cooks called “Bawarchis”, are commissioned to cook in weddings and special occasions. As per tradition every village has a Bawarchi or ‘Boti’, who will be rewarded by the end of the year with a bagful of wheat. So there is a delicacy for every occasion, each boasting for a distinctive style of cooking to go with extensive repertoire.

6.2 Background On February 13th, 2014, a team of 17 students along with 3 faculty members from the Department of Industrial Design from School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, visited the Deer Park Institute at a small village called Bir situated at the lower mountains of Kangra region of Himachal Pradesh. Bir is a village located in the Kangra valley, west of the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. The Deer Park Institute is a center for Classical Indian Wisdom traditions. This village as such is pristine, clean and has natural vegetation surrounded by snow capped mountains. Bir is a noted centre for ecotourism, spiritual studies and meditation. Bir is also home to a Tibetan refugee settlement with several Buddhist monasteries and a large stupa. The climatic condition is very cold in winter and hot in summer. People of Bir are dependent on the local grown vegetation for their food. Vegetation include seasonal grains like wheat, rice, corn, maize, etc. and vegetables like lettuce, potato, tomato, onion, pumpkin etc. and some special regional vegetables like lungdu.

6.2.1 Climatic conditions of Bir Summer: Duration: April – June Bright Sunshine with cool wind Winter: Duration: October – March Cold winds, snow fall, winter rain (with hail storm) The temperature varies from 30C to -2C and annual rain fall is about 2500mm.

6.2.3 Focus

Every people who are native to the village of Bir have their own land, both for residing and farming. Terrace farming is majorly done for their own requirements and the surplus is sold out. The climatic conditions and their slopping terrain are the deciding factors for the type of vegetation that can happen there. Due to change in temperature ranging from 30C to -2C wide varieties of seasonal plants grow in the Bir region. Even the common vegetation like tomato become seasonal here due to climate change. Due to this reason old food of Kangra do not have too much use of tomato and other vegetables of this nature which requires warm condition for their growth. Even the nurturing of poultry is difficult due to climate. Hence their cuisine is entirely different with respect to the flavour as the availability of raw materials differs from other places.

This report will examine the flow of the entire food chain of Kangra starting from the availability of materials, cultural life, spaces related to it, recipes made, change over time and influence from other interventions and from other cultures like Tibetans etc.

6.2.4 Research Methodology Brainstorming: This was done to shortlist what all the areas we should look at or ask to the people, the modes of getting information, the activities which were observed etc.

Kitchen & Cooking

6.2.2 Vegetation

Interviews: Interviews were conducted at different stages starting from 2 native families who are living in the village, 1 employee of the Deer Park Institute and 1 researcher on the food of Kangra. The interview focused on the vegetation, cooking methods, recipes, speciality dishes, environment of cooking, special cutleries etc. Mapping Observations: The observations were made by visiting existing case studies, photo documentation and conformation of information given by the interviewed people. In upcoming sections of this report we discuss the system and culture related to food of Bir.

6.3 Aroma of Kangra food 6.3.1 Interview with Mr. Trilok Talk with Mr. Trilok who was born and brought up in Bir. He know the culture of food in this region and he has keenly been observing the change of the food culture in this region. This talk with Mr. Trilok is arranged by Deer Park for us.

Patrudu

Image courtesy lemoningiger.com

Q: What type of staple food people generally have in Bir for example Chapatti, rice etc.? A: Commonly Flour for chappati is a mix of Bajra (pearl millet), Jau (Barley), Makki (maize) and genhu (wheat)

Q: What kind of spice are extensively used in preparing food. A: Coriander, turmeric, Ginger and Garlic are used extensively. Previously food was not that spice but now people prefer spicy food. Q: Climate here is very cold how you make curd and how you use it in cuisine Dried lungdu

Image courtseyworldgoodfood.com

A: An earthen pot is filled with milk and the little amount of curd. Then this pot is kept near chula (wood fired stove) so that the temperature remain favorable for culture. We use curd to make kadhi, Lassi, Chaach, and curd is also served with rajama kichri and other things. Q: What are the changes in availability of groceries you observed or heard about? For example, what are the vegetables that are new to the menu?

Lungdu (Fiddle-heads)

Image courtesy theculinarychase.com

grinded or sometime only of a single grain which is grounded via mill which uses running water.

A: In terms of vegetables previously we have only Palak (spinach), aloo, saag (green leafy vegetables), arbi, kachalo but we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have Gobhi (cauliflower), and baigan (eggplant). Matar (pea) was there. Previously only some pulses like Rajma, Udad, soybean were there but now all the pulses are available in market. For variety of rice we were totally dependent on the quality of rice we have from farm land but now people purchase from market. Onion and garlic was there. Q: What kind of oil is used in cooking?

Q: What are the special festival dishes of Bir region. A: In festivals, if we have Kachalo (colocasia) we make Patrudu . After cleaning the leaves of colocasia they are wrapped in besan (gram flour) mixed with spices. Then these rolled leaves are seamed in chirotu (a kind of pot shaped like a Indian earthen pot). After steaming we cut it in to small slices and then we dip fry them. It is a mouthwatering dish!!

A: Previously we were had only mustard oil but now people prefer refined oil purchased from market. Q: How people manage their food left over and wastage. A: Skin of vegetable is fed to cattle. Previously we had less resources so people were managing their resources and there was no waste as such. Whatever left over are there in night people used to eat by next morning and

Second is Rajma Kichri which is very commonly made in all festival and served with Dahi (curd) or Gur (Jaggery). To Make rajam Kichri we first boil rajma in a pot. After rajma is cooked we add spice and rice then again boil the mix upto the point rice get cooked. Rajama Kichri is very common and served on all the occasions. And we also make bundi kadhi (small fried balls of gram flour). Q: What are the most special and specific dish you have in Kangra which we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get anywhere else. A: In terms of specialty and area specific dish we have a vegetation named Lungdu. First we remove the fiber from the skin of lungdu and then we prepare a dried dish of it. This dish is very specific to this region.

Trout fish

Image courtesy freepresskashmir.com

Q: What kind of animals do you have here? A: We have cows and buffaloes, though less in number. We have goat, sheep, hen etc. Q: What is the placement of kitchen in a traditional house and what material do the use for flooring and roof? A: Here in traditional or even modern houses, Kitchens are on top floor and lower floor is bedroom. Kitchens are on top floor because smoke will rise above and the vent from the roof made of slate etc. There is no need of exhaust in traditional mud houses because of slate but new houses do have a exhaust system. Room heating was not a problem because houses were made of mud. But now people follow the competition, their neighbours and want to live in house made of concrete. I learned about mud houses in Thailand and I wanted to educate local about different kind of mud houses, such as round shape but people rejected and commented that “when don’t have money and we were living in mud houses but now we have money we will live in concrete houses”. Q: What do people make for desert? A: One sweet is very famous here which is Seera. It is made of wheat and sugar. Seera is prepared with wheat grains that are soaked in water for a week. During this time the water is changed regularly to keep the flavour fresh. Then we grind the soaked grains and add water to it. Then we separate the skin of wheat from paste. Then we add sugar and ghee in eat it as a desert. We prepare sweet bhaat. Which is sweet rive with some color added to it. It is commonly served in marriages and other functions. We also make gajar halwa and rice khir. We make suji ka halwa generally called Prasad. This paste and cook it until it get brown. Q: What kind of meat is cooked here? A: We have two kind of recipe for meat one is called daredi or sukha meat, in which goat meat marinated with spices is hung near the chulla (wood fired burner) for drying. It doesn’t get spoiled. And we eat it in winter. And other is simple meat curry in which previously no tomato were used but now we use tomato also. Q: What ingredients you preserve for winters? A: We dry Kachaloo leaves, coriander, saag etc. and then use it in winter. Daredi (dried meat) is also use in winters.

We also make Baddi of kaddu (pumpkin) mixed with Besam (gram flour). Firstly small pieces of pumpkin are mixed with Besan and other spice. Then they sun dried. These baddi are used in preparing kadhi and other recipes. Q: Previously, What you were using instead of tomato to get sour taste. A: Amchoor powder, which is powered of dried raw mango.

Kitchen & Cooking

morning left over are to be consumed throughout day or some time people would feed it to cattle.

Q: Is there any fish in food. A: Yes we have Trout fish (mountain fish) which we get in lakes and rivers of mountain. To prepare fish we dip it in besan which is mixed with spice and then shallow fried it in pan. Q: What are the special equipment you have in your kitchen A: We have a pot named chirotu . Which is made of aluminum. It is used for cooking rice, vegetables, dahl etc. And it is also used as steamer for patrudu. To make it a steamer we put mesh made of wooden sticks inside it then add water in the bottom. And then whatever we need to steam, we put it on the wooden mesh. In our kitchen we also have a small broom made of pine needles.

6.3.2 We meet Mrs. Promela Gosh at Deer Park, Bir Mrs. Promela Gosh gave us this document which is her research and experience of Kangra food. “The lushness and thick undergrowth of the areas around Andretta surely must have provided the thrifty housewife with ideas. Local cuisines develop and derive from the changing seasons and what is available literally in one’s back yard. Large market towns were inaccessible and therefore the ingredients remained limited. Today, improved roads and communications have brought a variety of fruits, vegetables and spices that have led to so many changes in eating habits. However traditional cuisine which is area and climate specific, provided the kind of nutrition required by the people of the region. The daily fare of the people of Kangra comprises rice, chappatis, dal and vegetables. However it is the varieties of local vegetables and greens that give their cuisine a distinctive flavour. Mustard oil seems to be the favoured cooking medium, especially for tempering and the spices used are cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and chillies. A smoked, pungent flavour is added through the process of dhuni, when a few drops of mustard oil are sprinkled

on hot coal and this is placed inside a dish at the time of cooking. Some of the unusual dishes are bhruni made from fig leaves ( ficus caria) or tremble ki sabji, made from the fruits of the ficus benjamina tree or lasiade ki sabji from the Indian cherry or sebesten plum. Buckwheat leaves are made into a paste and cooked with spices as also the colocassia plant that grows wild. The stem of the colocasia is used for a dish called khandole where these are covered in a paste of black gram and spices and dried. The leaves are layered with a dough of Bengal gram and spices and steamed and this dish, patrodu, is very similar to the patrail of Gujarat and Maharashtra. There is yet another dish made of the versatile colocassia plant, Khatti Bhujji, where the bulb, leaves and stem are cooked with dried mango slices and is eaten during Diwali.

Grass peas (lathyrus sativa) are made into paste, mixed with spices and herbs and moulded into flat round cakes. These are fried and served with curd or tamarind chutney. When the kachnar tree blooms, the buds are boiled and tempered with mustard oil and spices and during the season of pears and peaches, these fruits are cooked with garlic and ginger paste. Seera, a delicacy of the region, is prepared with wheat grains that are soaked in water for a week. During this time the water is changed regularly to keep the flavour fresh. The soaked grains are ground and water added. This mixture is strained so that the remaining white fluid is tied in a muslin cloth and hung so that the water is drained. The semi-solid ground wheat is made into small pieces and dried till it becomes solid. This is seera and it is stored in an air tight container. When required the seera pieces are dissolved in water to create a batter which is added to a generous helping of hot ghee and sugar. This is cooked until brown and is eaten as a dessert. The local name is Brah and a seasonal delicacy is a chutney made with the flowers, onions, basil, mint and green chillies, an excellent accompaniment to the meal. The local Kangra rice is delicious, but the markets stock rice from Jammu or Dehra Dun, so also the yellow rajma from Aut in Mandi district, which is only available only to the locals. The dhabas of Kangra serve only Punjabi cuisine, so the subtleties of local cuisine are denied to the traveler. Kangra tea, the delicate green tea, however, can be found in some shops.” - Promela gosh Our Observations We visited the village to observe the kitchen and surrounding. This visited was to confirm the statements of Mr. Trilok and observations of Mrs. Promela Ghose. We visited two kitchens in the village and observed following observation

6.3.3 Kitchen 1 • Kitchen was on the second floor. • Floor was made of wood covered with a layer of mud and cow dung. • Chulla (wood fired burner) was on one side and cleaning wet area was on the other side. Chirotu (a kind of cooking utensils) was also there in kitchen.

• There were no exhaust. But the ventilation for smoke is via roof. Which is made of wood frame and slate arranged in a array on it.

• There was a LPG gas stove and cylinder. Which is used for quick cooking like preparing tea etc.

• There was a water tap which is supplying water to the cleaning are through an electric pump.

• There was a LPG gas stove and cylinder. Which is used for quick cooking like preparing tea etc. • Many utensils are modern and hung on the wooden frame of roof.

• There was no water tap for cleaning area but there was a bucket filled with water for supplying water to the cleaning area.

• There was a refrigerator too kept in adjacent room. Resident explained that this refrigerator is not in use due to winter but, it will be used in summers.

• There were some shelves made in the mud walls. • Many utensils are modern and hung on the wooden frame of roof and in the shelves. • Chirotu (a kind of cooking utensils) was also there in kitchen. • There was no refrigerator. • There was a bed in the same room. Resident explained that in night we sleep here because it remain hot due to the heat the chulha has radiated.

6.3.4 Kitchen 2 • Kitchen was on the second floor. • Floor was made of wood covered with a layer of mud and cow dung. • Chulla (wood fired burner) and cleaning wet area were on the adjacent corner of the kitchen.

6.3.5 Other observations We found out green houses on the farm land. We visited a greenhouse and asked some question about it from person who is in charge.

Q: What kind of vegetation you grow in these greenhouses? A: Off season vegetables like saag, tomato, cabage, cauliflower etc. which is not available in winter. Due to this greenhouse the environment inside remains hot and humid. Which is optimum for off season vegetation. Q: What you do with this vegetation. Is it for yourself or for selling purpose?

• There were a small window which is primarily for light. But the ventilation for smoke is via roof. Which is made of wood frame and slate arranged in an array on it.

Kitchen & Cooking

• There were some shelves made in the mud walls.

A: It is mainly for our consumption but when we have extra we sell it to nearby market.

Q: What type of support you get from government to setup these Greenhouses? A: We get 50% to 80% subsidy depending on the infrastructure and type of green house. We found some fruits tree in garden of mostly every home. It looked orange but sour like lemon. People use this fruit to make pickle and to eat it when it gets sweet. There were some orange trees also. There were a fruit which people called as Japani Tamatar (Japanese tomato)

6.3.6 Subsidies in Green House in Himachal Pradesh Mr. Rajendra Thakur, Greentech Agrisector, speaks about subsidies in Himachal Pradesh, where greenhouse farming is also very popular. “We help farmers get subsidies from the government. There are 2 types of subsidies in Himachal Pradesh. One is a horticulture mission, which is called as National Mission for Northeastern and Himalaya States. It is a center-sponsored scheme, and under this 50% subsidy is provided to the farmers for greenhouse construction, planting material, and other items related to harvest management and marketing. The second scheme is run by the state government where 80% subsidy is provided to the farmers for greenhouse construction and irrigation purpose.” He adds, “Farmers mostly go for capsicum, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, and broccoli in vegetables. In flowers gerbera and Dutch roses, chrysanthemum are mostly selected.”

Procedure in Himachal Pradesh Greenhouse

Khataa, Orange like fruit

Image courtesy Author

A farmer has to apply to the agriculture or horticulture department. For 80% subsidy, they have to apply to Department of Agriculture. For 50% subsidy, they have to apply to the Department of Horticulture. A subsidy format has been made by the government, and the farmers have to fill their details in that format. Along with the application, they have to file their land records. Then the people from that particular department will visit their place to see the land, available infrastructure, water availability, and climatic condition. On that basis, they will sanction the permit to construct a greenhouse in whichever area of the land they want to use for the construction. Maximum limit is 4000 sq m. An individual farmer can apply up to 4000 sq m under Horticulture Mission, and 1000 sq m under Agricultural Department. After analysing the feasibility report, the department sanctions the greenhouse along with subsidy. There are registered government service providers for greenhouse construction. “We are the largest company in Himachal Pradesh. Till date we have constructed more than 200,000 sq m of greenhouses in HP. We have approximately around 1200 farmers in HP,” says Mr. Thakur. Criteria for Selecting Greenhouse Service Provider

Japani Tamatar (Japanese Tomato)

Image courtesy Author

Mr. Patel advises, “The main criteria for selecting provider are their previous work, their experience in this field, their after sales services, and based on their structure how much subsidy was released in the past. Farmer must also ask for other technical help like agronomy services, marketing strategies and main crops economics. Also the cost of construction should not exceed Rs. 935 / sq.m.”

6.4 What we learnt After interviewing Mr. Trilok, Discussing the study and observation of Mrs. Promela Ghose and observing nearby area. We categorised our observations in the following areas. • Grocery • Kitchen Area • Local Cuisine • Fuel • Left overs and food preservation. Then we discussed the area in detail and noted down our understanding on each area.

lungdu to fish like trout, all the ingredients of food are locally grown or obtained. People were preserving vegetation like coriander, saag, pumpkin etc. for use in off season like summer. They were preserving meat with a very delicate and developed technique for future use. Spices are home grown and utilized in the moderate quantity. Every farmer had his own land they were growing their food and catering others. But now due to modernization, better transportation techniques, government involvement and subsidies people are encouraged to buy new vegetable. Off-season vegetables are grown in green houses, for which government provides 50-80 % monitory support. Cooking oil is changed from mustard oil to refined oil. New pulses have been added to menu. New dishes like paneer, mushroom etc. are included in festival and function feasts. But even after so much of change people are still using there locally available grocery and relishing there culture. Even today they are presenting patrudu, lungdu, Rajam Kichri, and seera as their traditional and iconic dishes.

6.4.2 Kitchen Area

6.4.1 Grocery Whatever people were using in term of grocery is mostly locally grown or local available stuff. From vegetable like

Traditional wall of houses were made of mud and wood. Roof is made of wooden frame which is covered with slate, which protects the house from rain and snow and also works as ventilation. Floor of ground level is covered with mixture of mud, cow dung and thatch. And floor of the second floor is made of wooden surface covered with mud, cow dung and thatch mix. Kitchen was always on the second level so that all the smoke ventilates from

Kitchen & Cooking

The government also provides subsidy to all type of structure like poly houses and shade net houses.

roof and the upper and lower level can be heated from the heat of wood fired burner. Cleaning area was in the kitchen only but either made of cement or slate. Water is carried to the kitchen in a bucket and then use for cooking and cleaning. Shelves were either a cavity in the wall or wooden planks firmly fixed in mud walls.

The trend of food is changing very rapidly due to availability of different kind of vegetable. Vegetable like tomato, eggplant and mushroom started to come in to the daily food. Festival dishes are also changing due the availability of new vegetables.

6.4.3 Local Cuisine

6.4.4 Fuel

All the traditional local cuisine is totally dependent on seasonal vegetation and availability of local resources. Vegetables like Lungdu, Patrudu, Arbi are all grown in farm land or available in forests. People preserve their vegetable for off season use. Even meat is preserved.

Previously people were extensively using wood as primary source of energy and for that reason they were protecting and taking care of forests and trees on their farm lands. They were taking as much as they needed. There was an established balance between cutting and growing of trees. But after government policy of stopping deforestation, local people are restricted to take wood from the forest. Either they need to ask permission from the forest department or they need to

Utensils which attracted our attention were chirotu, a round bottom pot with narrow opening. This pot is used for cooking rice, dhal and vegetable but it can be transformed in to a steamer by adding a stick mesh inside. They use a broom made of pine leaves which is very small in size and use for dusting kitchen and small spaces. Now the houses are made of bricks and concrete which is a compromise between low maintenance and thermal conductive walls. But still people prefer having their kitchens on second floor for future use. Festival dishes are very simple in terms of ingredients but detailed in terms of cooking method

6.4.5 Left overs and food preservation People donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t waste their food, leftover of dinner are to be consumed by next morning and morning left overs are to be consumed throughout the day. For summers some people have their refrigerator to protect food from getting bad. Whatever uncooked and cooked waste is there which canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be eaten by human is fed to cattle.

6.4.6 Overview 81

Kitchen & Cooking

6.5 Conclusion The people of Upper Bir are totally dependent on the crops they grow in their farm fields. And the kinds of crops grown seasonal, non-seasonal, etc. greatly influence their food habits and food taste. As mentioned earlier they are interconnected with the geographical conditions and climate. This also gave rise to a number of seasonal recipes and special dishes. But today on the other hand, due to technological interventions and exposure to common people, they are able to overtake the climate defined seasonal crops and are able to grow them in non-seasonal period of the year. Thus the variety of food distribution is getting diluted. They are becoming more monotonous in terms of recipes and taste, because of availability.

Another major drawback is the availability of raw materials and food from other regions of the country. For example there is a restaurant in the Tibetan colony of Bir which has other typical North Indian food recipes which are typical of the plains. Exposure is good, but not at the cost of originality of the region. Retaining the identity of Bir in terms of food, kitchen, culture etc. is a necessary fact to be thought about.

KITCHEN & COOKING

Design Brief 1 Green-house design to be economical, modular and expandable to be used in various seasons.

Design Brief 2 Smoke free chulha design with an improved exhaust system.

Utsarjak: Expandable Green house Design Brief 1 Green-house design to be economical, modular and expandable to be used in various seasons.

Chullha Design Brief 2 Smoke free chulha design with an improved exhaust system.

Chulha design for better efficiency of fuel burnt directly and passively.

ARTS & CRAFTS 7.1 Introduction

7.1.1 Importance of Arts and Craft

7.1.2 Why are we doing this?

7.2 Background

7.2.1 Bir, Himachal Pradesh

7.2.2 Arts and Crafts of Himachal Pradesh

7.2.2.1 Carpets

7.2.2.2 Shawls

7.2.2.3 Leather Work

7.2.2.4 Metal Work

7.2.2.5 Paintings

7.2.2.6 Wood Work

7.2.2.7 Bamboo Work

7.2.2.8 Clay Work

7.3 Reflection of heritage

7.3.1 Types of Crafts

7.3.1.1 Himachal Crafts

7.3.1.2 Tibetan Crafts

7.3.2 Deer Park Scenario - The Crafts shop

7.3.3 Others Encounters with crafts

7.3.3.1 Sambhaavanaa

7.3.3.2 Norbulingka Institute of Arts

7.3.4 Interview

7.4 Our Interpretation

7.4.1 Natural Resources available

7.4.2 Reusable Resources

7.4.3 Deer Park Craft shop

7.4.3.1 Tibetan Crafts

7.5 Conclusion

7.5.1 Where we can Intervene

7.5.2 The Road Ahead

7.1 Introduction

transmit their skills and knowledge to others, especially younger members of their own communities.”

Crafts are an essential part in the life of an Indian, regardless of the rapid social and technological changes that are taking place. Craft customs in India continue to reflect diverse regional and socio-cultural profiles of the country.

UNESCO ‘Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage’

Traditionally Indian crafts were made for daily use; the desire for aesthetic relevance soon saw advancement of flooding designs and motifs. Frequently, craft traditions converse significant cultural concepts and function beyond their basic role of ornamentation and cultural expression.

The value of craft in modern market and culture is not restricted to the value produced, or solely held within the craft produced. Traditional crafts represent an important part of both our rural and urban heritage. Crafts have helped to shape our country and history. To lose them would be losing a part of our culture that can never be reinstated.

“Globalization” demands innovative products, materials, and processes with new standards of quality and creativity.

Every day we become even more aware of the intertwined character of the world that we live in, and that races are disappearing, environments are getting damaged. So we realize the susceptibility of our own cultural heritage and of the ‘intangible’ assets such as crafts that we carry as communities.

“Craft is like a golden thread that links our past present and future and this is a timely reminder that the diversity and individuality of craft mirror the qualities of the people themselves”.

The reasons for retaining heritage crafts go well beyond nostalgia or a sense of history. Heritage crafts provide work for a huge number of people and markets for businesses.

Skills minister John Hayes, UK

There is acknowledgment within the craft industry that we should make an effort not only to preserve craft skills but also to find significance for them in the contemporary day. Craft can introduce a familiarity with the raw materials around us and their uses. It can help us today to live sustainable, low-impact lifestyles.

7.1.1 Importance of Arts and Craft In India like many other developing countries, it is the main source of employment for a vast majority of the population, next to agriculture. “Any efforts to safeguard traditional craftsmanship must focus…. on creating conditions that will encourage artisans to continue to produce crafts of all kinds and to

Crafts have a comprehensible role to play in educating people about the environment and their local countryside, broadening learners’ perception of the world around them and grounding them well within it.

The craftsmen in villages used to produce handicrafts and other products for domestic use only. This resulted in a lot of expenditure on the raw materials and production with very less profit in the end. Also the products lacked the finesse to be get sold in the market. Due to this reason the younger generations now insist on changing their occupation and not following the family business as it does not provide their family with enough amount of money to sustain.

Arts & Craft

7.1.2 Why are we doing this?

Thus, the various traditions and cultures of these villages and small towns are dying and so is some part of our history with it. TO UPLIFT THE LOCAL CRAFTSMEN TO UPLIFT THE DYING TRADITIONS TO TRANSMIT THE SKILLS OF THE LOCAL CRAFTSMEN TO THE FUTURE GENERATION OF THEIR OWN COMMUNITY

7.2 Background 7.2.1 Bir, Himachal Pradesh Situated between the low lying hills in Himachal Pradesh, Bir is famous for para-gliding and its spiritual studies and meditation. One goes there to visit the various Buddhist monasteries. In February 2014, 17 students accompanied by their faculty visited the Deer Park Institute to study the various aspects of the village.

7.2.2 Arts and Crafts of Himachal Pradesh

Himachal is portrayed as ‘paradise on earth’, in the heart of the Himalayas where the people are humble and deeply entrenched in tradition with ardor for arts and music. They are self-sufficient and have urbanized over the years rich traditions of crafts from genuine need of quality of life in their modest villages. The folk creations of Himachal symbolize the unrestrained expression of innocent naturalness of common people, not so far much affected by the attack of commercialism. It is fascinating to note the liaison of this beautiful land to its people, and of their culture to its crafts, which range from woodwork to leather embroidery, from metal ware to carpets and woolen textiles.

7.2.2.1 Carpets It is one of the traditional crafts in Himachal Pradesh. Found in brilliant hues with dragons, swastikas and other patterns weaved on them, they are used in various ways. Some people have it for domestic use while some use it as a decoration, while a few highlanders utilize it as furnishing. Even the ponies have these carpets on them as saddles.

7.2.2.2 Shawls Almost every family in Himachal owned a pit-loom. Wool is considered auspicious and is used as a ritual cloth. Shawls are a specialty of Himachal. Because of the cold climate in this region, woolens are essential. Taking inspiration from the floral environment and the hill people – the skilled weavers create a dramatic juxtaposition of vibrant colours and striking patterns in shawls.

7.2.2.3 Leather Work Known as the Chamba chappals, these hand-made slippers are manufactured by the lather of sheep, goat and calf skin. The most striking feature is the embroidery done on them using silk and golden threads. The motifs are of lantana leaves and flowers. Leather belts are also worn by many people locally.

7.2.2.4 Metal Work This is one of the oldest handicrafts of Himachal. The tradition flourished wherever images were needed for worship in temples. Superb craftsmanship of metal casting of masks and figurines achieved recognition around the country. The statues of gods and goddesses appeared as mohras. Traditional jewelry is also famous lending a special charm to the beautiful faces of married females.

7.2.2.5 Paintings Himachali paintings are famous for their unique way of depicting the character of the culture of Himachal Pradesh. One can see the intricate miniature paintings which range from the size of a hanky to a full size bed cover. A lot of skill and dedication is required to produce a perfect piece. The painters are inspired by the natural environment around them or the famous religious characters from the Hindu mythology.

7.2.2.6 Wood Work Wood had played an important role in construction as well as wood crafting. Amid the abundant pine and deodar forests, walnut, horse chestnut, wild black mulberry birch are also grown in plenty which are excellent raw materials for wood work. Carved images of many gods and goddesses, floral motifs, birds and animal motifs project fanciful imagination of the hill people. Wooden toys, jewelry and utensils are also a part of the tradition in Himachal.

7.2.2.7 Bamboo Work Using dried bamboo, sturdy bowls, trays and baskets of different shapes with graceful handle are made. Presently bamboo is also used as a structural material for which it has started been grown in abundance in various areas. A good example of bamboo architecture can be seen at the Sambhaavanaa Institute in Kangra.

7.2.2.8 Clay Work There still a demand for earthenware vessels and clay figures for ritual occasions in Himachal, thus the potters enjoy a relatively higher standard of living in this region. Mud architecture can also be seen in many parts of Himachal. Andretta pottery is another famous craft of this region with its attractive earthenware with rangoli style slip designs.7.2.3 Arts and Crafts of Kangra Located between the Dhauladhar and the Shivalik range in Himachal is the scenic town of Kangra. It is famous for its ancient rock-cut temples, local handicrafts and artifacts. One can observe Tibetan influence in the architecture and the crafts because of the migration of Tibetan population in this area.

7.2.2.9 Kangra School of Miniature Painting Also known as the Pahari Paintings, this style flourished between the 17th and the 19th century. These painting closely resemble the Rajasthani and Malwa School of paintings. It takes many years of practice to perfect this style of painting.

7.3 Reflection of heritage

and practiced and have this tradition going on in their families for many generations. A few traditional Tibetan items were heavily embroidered jackets, Buddhist robes, belts, Tibetan brocades and punshos.

7.3.2 Deer Park Scenario - The Crafts shop

Arts & Craft

A set of skilled labour can be found here. Though everything is produced on a small scale as people are self sufficient and do not take much interest in marketing their goods.

The Deer Park Institute talks about a zero waste policy with regard to which they store different types of wastes. All this waste is then utilized in producing creative items which is done by the children of the village in workshops.

- Some of these were stuffed toys made from old rags - Mats out of jute and plastic bags

7.3.1 Types of Crafts The village of Bir is divided into three parts by the sloped terrain which helps one in distinguishing out various differences which are obvious to the eye because of the difference between the residing populations. It is the result of the migration of many refugee families from Tibet.

- Hanging showpieces Other handicrafts like woolen shawls, cotton kurtas and shirts are also sold which are manufactured by a local weaver. These products are beautifully made and one can see some of them placed around the institute showcasing the work of the local children.

7.3.1.1 Himachal Crafts The upper part of the village of Bir has a majority of Indian population as its inhabitants. The fabrication of most of their products and the yield from the fields is done on a domestic level as the people are very simple and self-sufficient and produce with the idea of basic sustenance. The design of the products mainly focuses on the functionality of the item rather than the adornments.

Hand made wallets

Image courtesy Papiya Das

Dolls made of rags

Image courtesy Papiya Das

Hand made merchandise

Image courtesy Papiya Das

The people of this area demonstrate simple skill sets which shows in their work. Handicrafts produced by the Upper Bir people are dried corn leaves carpets, woolen blankets and clothes, weaved carpets, etc.

7.3.1.2 Tibetan Crafts The lower part of the Bir is inhabited by the refugees that came from Tibet many years ago. So the various handicrafts made in this area carry a lot of influence of the Tibetan culture and traditions. All these works are carried under various Tibetan organizations; therefore all the items produced are for the tourism markets. As all the work is done on an organizational level, all the handicrafts produces are either for the high-end tourists or for the beautification of the Buddhist temples. Thus these are all ornamentation based rather than utility based. The people working in this field are very skilled

Woolen Shawls

Image courtesy Papiya Das Science Toys

Image courtesy Papiya Das

Wooden puzzle

Image courtesy Papiya Das

Paper Art

Image courtesy Papiya Das

Paper Art

Image courtesy Papiya Das

7.3.3 Others Encounters with crafts 7.3.3.1 Sambhaavanaa The organization arms at teaching people as well as the children regarding utilizing the materials and local techniques for future sustainability.

This organization clubs with primary schools in their locality and helps in the overall personality development of the children by assisting them in their studies as well other activities like painting, sketching, mathematics and arts and crafts. Also the science lab in the Sambhaavanaa complex helps a student understand basics about the various phenomena of the nature by using waste to produce science toys and games.

Sambhaavanaa Organisation

Image courtesy Papiya Das

Norbulingka Institute is one of the most celebrated schools which promote Buddhist culture and traditions in the form of arts and crafts. There are many artists who reside inside the walls of this institute and have been practicing various types of arts and crafts for the last few years. THANGKA PAINTING – The Thangka paintings depict various scenes from the life of Buddha and other spiritual masters, often involving scenes of intricate detail. Natural vegetable colors and mineral pigments are used to paint the canvas. The highly trained artists also use gold in their paintings. It takes many years by a Thangka painter to perfect this art. SCULPTURE – Clay and copper statues are the main sculptural traditions of this institute. It takes 12 years by a sculpture to master the art of sculpturing. The techniques of sinking and engraving on the metal are the two most important things to be learnt.

7.3.4 Interview 7.3.4.1 The Old weaver NAME: RAJENDRA PAL LOCATION: UPPER BIR He is in this same profession for the last 30 years. He makes hand-looms and his wife helps him in this work. It is a time taking process and it takes 2-3 days to weave a woolen blanket. They can earn approximately 1200/- per blanket. This is a dying tradition as the weaver’s son does not intend to continue with this profession because of the lack of profit and not earning enough money to sustain

APPLIQUE THANGKA – Also called fabric Thangka, it is made of mostly silk embroidered on the brocade cloth. They require many months of work as one has to assemble hundreds of hand-cut silk and brocade pieces. WOODWORK – Wood carving is another craft which is practiced in this institute in profusion. The apprentices start by making their own tools and various kinds of Buddhist symbols. Its takes them many years to learn the traditional techniques of wood carving.

The Weaver’s workshop

Image courtesy Papiya Das

the family. THE TIBETAN TAILOR NAME : SONAM TOPGYAL LOCATION : Lower Bir Sonam owns her tailoring shop and has been working for past 5-6 years. This is their family business. They make all this Tibetan culture and artefacts like cloths, alter flag, belts, alter brocades, embroidery etc. Works are highly intricate and need skill.

Wood Carving

Image courtesy Papiya Das

The raw material for stitching is imported from Varanasi. These particular weaving is famous as brocade. They have huge collections of brocade design and colour. Wooden works are partly imported from Tibet and partly done by local carpenters. All their artefacts are very expensive. Belts price started from Rs.4000 while the decorative wooden boxes began with Rs.800 a piece. THE THANGKA PAINTER NAME: LOBSANG LOCATION: NORBULINGKA INSTITUTE

Thangka Painting

Image courtesy Papiya Das

Arts & Craft

7.3.3.2 Norbulingka Institute of Arts

He has been learning this special type of painting style for the last 6 years.

Thangka paintings are used by Tibetan Buddhist practitioners to develop a relationship of Buddha and his various stories and his path followers. Thangka paintings are also used to portray members of a teaching lineage or, in narrate to make spiritual masters life history. It is a totally Tibetan technique. To complete one painting can take 3-4 weeks. The canvas of cotton cloth is stretched over a wooden frame using a rope, so that the cloth is stretched equally from each point and stand like a surface. Then the canvas is sealed with gesso and chalk paste. On the canvas then the sketch has been drafted by pencil and the final touch is directly done by paints. For colouring, they use mineral paints and gold embellishments. When the painting is completely finished, it is mounted on a silk brocade. For making this painting one needs skill and dedication.

Metal sculpting

Thangka painting

Image courtesy Papiya Das

7.4 Our Interpretation

THE METAL SCULPTOR NAME: CHODEN

7.4.1 Natural Resources available

LOCATION: NORBULINGKA INSTITUTE

Bir being located in a cold climate region, a variety of vegetation can be found in and around this village. On exploring the area a lot of natural resources are found which can be incorporated with the local crafts and stand up to the contemporary styles of crafts.

He has been working there for the 5 years. He explained us their traditional way, in which colossal statues are wrought from copper sheet and gilded before assembling. The work involves two highly skilled techniques â&#x20AC;&#x201C; engraving and chasing. The metal may be worked on an adjustable anvil or over a bed of pitch that supports the material as it is shaped. These techniques allow the achievement of tremendous detail, not only with regard to facial and other features, but also in the remarkable flow of garments and the rich decoration of ornamental halos. The cost varies with the intricacy of work and weight of the statues.

These include bamboo, pine cones, pine needles, slate, river rocks, mud, cow dung cakes etc.

7.4.2 Reusable Resources Also on roaming around the village a lot of waste material was also found which can be reused to make interesting craft items. These waste materials include plastic wrappers, plastic bottles, glass bottles, old shoes etc.

Arts & Craft Slate

Image courtesy Shruti Nain Garbage dumping

Image courtesy Tophani Das

Pine Cones

Image courtesy Shruti Nain

Bamboo

Image courtesy Shruti Nain

7.4.3 Deer Park Craft shop There was a craft shop in Deer Park Institute which showcased beautiful hand-made products like Kullu shawls, bags, and incense sticks, ceramic mugs, Tibetan chant CDs etc. Apart from these, the shop also sold crafty items like rag dolls, hangings, etc. prepared with the help of the local children using waste materials such as old rags, old newspaper, plastic bottles, etc. as the institute follows a zero waste policy.

Garbage dumping

Image courtesy Tophani Das

Garbage dumping

Image courtesy Tophani Das

Although these crafts helped the institute to connect to the local people and children and taught them the utilization of their waste, these items lacked the function and were only ornamentation based. Because of this reason they lacked finesse a final product should have and failed to depict the character of the area. Also a variety of waste material was stored in a room adjoining the craft room which the institute couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really utilize or recycle. This included plastic wrappers, egg crates, etc.

7.4.3.1 Tibetan Crafts Lower Bir is a Tibetan refugee settlement. While visiting the markets of Lower Bir, we found a lot of shops that sold imported contemporary goods like jackets, shoes, bags etc.

the area in and around Bir the team marked out a few of the problem areas:

- Lack of a bridge between the market and the craftsman thus limiting the number of buyers who can approach them - Absence of the use of local materials such as pine cones, needles, slate etc. in the local crafts. These materials are available in abundance and give new opportunities to the craftsmen. - Most of the crafts found did not have a particular language or identity with respect to the area. Achieving it gives the craftsmen more recognition and a better buyer base. - The waste material is thrown in the open and thus littering the area and destroying its scenic beauty. This material can be used to make craft items which can be sold in the market. - The crafts made at the Deer Park craft store were mostly decorative and thus were only targeting limited people. The crafts can be made utility based there by.

The Tibetan crafts were too ornamented thus making them expensive and were popular only amongst the Tibetan people. With proper branding and lesser ornamentation the crafts can be targeted at the urban people as well.

Various products for sale in Deer Park Image courtesy Papiya Das

Most of these were supported by NGOs that helped them setup the business and thereby preserving Tibetan culture. These shops sold Tibetan traditional items like Tibetan prayer flag, Tibetan robes, belts, carved boxes etc. Most of the stuff was made also in Bir by skilled craftsmen but some of the stuff was also imported from Tibet.

7.5.2 The Road Ahead

These pieces of art had high levels of ornamentation which gave them finesse and Tibetan character but they required a lot of time to make thus were very expensive and were targeted at the Tibetan community.

FURNITURE AND INSTALLATIONS using the waste can be exhibited at various places in Deer park and Bir and there by demonstrating the potential of using waste material to the people.

The team brainstormed over the issues and concluded the research with the following solutions for the area of Bir as well as Deer Park to give new opportunities and identity to the arts and crafts of the area.

SOUVENIRS can be made using the old material which in turn spreads the identity of the area as well. Proper packaging, branding and MARKETING OF THE LOCAL CRAFTS can be done. Making the crafts popular and accessible to a larger set of buyers.

Craft shop in Lower Bir

Image courtesy Papiya Das

7.5 Conclusion 7.5.1 Where we can Intervene After thoroughly studying the Kangra valley and especially

Focus should be on DEVELOPING NEW AND CONTEMPORARY TECHNIQUES which will enable the locals to produce more goods with less effort and using newer materials. This in turn will give better employment opportunities to the youth and also help in imparting education

ARTS & CRAFTS

Design Brief 1 Craft facilitation vehicle to connect craftspeople in remote areas with resources, materials and market needs.

Design Brief 2 Eco-friendly bench design using locally available material.

Shilpsutra: Mobile Crafts Facilitation Design Brief 1 Craft facilitation vehicle to connect craftspeople in remote areas with resources, materials and market needs.

Bamboo Furniture Design Brief 2 Eco-friendly bench design using locally available material.

LAND-USE 8.1 Introduction

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8.2 Background

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8.2.2 Villages around Bir

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8.2.3 Other Institutes around Bir

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8.3 Nurturing the seeds of Buddha

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8.3. About the land

8.3.2 Connectivity

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8.3.3 Terrain

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8.3.4 What people of Deer Park want?

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8.3.5 Livelihood

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8.3.6 Planning of Lower and Upper Bir settlements

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8.3.7 Materials being used

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8.4 What we learnt

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8.4.1 Want

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8.4.2 Need

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8.4.3 Materials

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8.4.4 Case studies

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8.5 Conclusion

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8.1 Introduction To maintain a balance in development between rural and urban areas there is a growing need to set up policies aimed at evolving planned and developmental approaches through constructive land use that will reinforce rural economies, improve the quality of life and serve as catalysts to rural regeneration. Today, rural communities lack the social and economic infrastructure that exists in urban communities. This results in inequality of opportunity for rural people, fewer services, limited choices of employment, and limited recreational facilities. Therefore there is a need to integrate land use with people’s participation, capacity building opportunities and technical innovation as central to further development. What may be seemingly insignificant is the vital step forward not only in terms of developing rural settlements economically but also help in conserving social and traditional identities through infrastructural developments.

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In an endeavour to develop such a constructive proposal for the acquired land at Bir, a research study was undertaken to explore the latent potential of the area within the context of the community and its needs.

The existing monastic building and interviews of the Deer Park officials and local residents provided valuable information that helped to guide and align the collected research data. Net search and library access further supplemented the study with specifics on land details, settlement patterns and a worldwide view of expansion plans of similar institutions. Personal documentation based on observations made during a walk through the village and informal interactions with local residents augmented the exploratory study and provided the much needed input to help evaluate and analyze the set challenge at hand. The above mentioned methodology aimed at collating the following information:

• A study of the site terrain and an analysis of the land plan, plot details and plot connectivity. • An understanding of community expectations from Deer Park and what the people want. • A study and analysis of the general livelihood in both lower and Upper Bir. • What is the socio-economic fabric of people living around Bir. • An overview of the settlement pattern based on

Image courtesy Sidharth Khatri and Srutee Bhut

8.2 Background In February 2014, a group of 17 students of Industrial Design from SPA, Delhi traveled from Delhi to Bir, Himachal Pradesh to understand and research on Himalayan ecology. Our group research concentrated on the expansion plan of Deer Park Institute located at Bir. The fact finding and information gathering process included the use of both primary and secondary sources.

Google earth images • A case study of the residential and commercial institutions of Bir and its surrounding areas. • A listing of types of materials used during construction inclusive of local and commercial resources. • An insight into foundation cause and expansion plans of similar institutions (both national and international) that help promote local communities.

• Art and social responsibility workshops for children. • Himalayan film school, an annual immersion program to support budding talent.

Land-use

• Preserving Himalayan cultural heritage.

Deer park has acquired 2 plots which are adjacent to their property, with an aim to expand its horizon keeping in mind their sociological and ecological needs and parameters of the settlement community around.

8.2.2 Villages around Bir Bir is home to a community of over a thousand Indians, a Tibetan refugee settlement and a small but growing international population.

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Deer Park

Image courtesy Sidharth Khatri

8.2.1 About Deer Park Deer Park institute is sheltered by the Himalayan Mountains and surrounded by tea gardens in a small Himalayan village called Bir. It is a centre for study of classical Indian wisdom traditions which is under Siddhartha's Intent Society. The core vision of the Institute is to recreate the spirit of Nalanda, a great university of ancient India in which all

Area around Bir

Image courtesy Sidharth Khatri

There are several neighbouring villages that are often referred to collectively as ‘Bir’, including Chowgan (home of the Bir Tibetan Colony), ‘Bir Road’ market, and Bir proper a.k.a. ‘Upper Bir ’, as well as the surrounding villages of Billing , Bhattu , Ghornala

Traditions of Buddhism were studied and practiced, alongside other schools of classical Indian philosophy, arts and sciences. The institute is a very young centre and the curriculum is being developed gradually. Since its opening in 2006 the Institute has hosted teachings by great masters of all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as courses and retreats in the Zen and Theravadin traditions. Courses on other classical Indian philosophy, such as Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and Kashmiri Shaivism, are gradually being integrated into the program. Language courses in Sanskrit and Tibetan are offered on a regular basis Deer Park institute is actively involved in various social and ecological projects such as: • Himalayan ecology resource centre and zero waste initiative. • Working with local farmers on local farming issues, natural farming and biodiversity rights.

Area around Bir

Image courtesy Sidharth Khatri

Upper Bir and Lower Bir The original settlement of Bir (established circa 1600 CE) sits at the northern edge of the constellation of villages forming the Bir area, perched at the top of the gentle slopes of the Himalayan foothills, just before the earth turns sharply upward to the snow peaks.

and tea plantations of Bir and the Dhauladhar Range of the Himalayas.

View of Billing Houses of Upper Bir

Image courtesy Sidharth Khatri

It is a quiet Indian village clustered along the main BirBilling road, with only a few dozen shops. At the south end of the Bir Bazaar is a bus stand. Chowgan

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Image courtesy Google Images

Bhattu Just a few kilometres west of Bir is Upper Bhattu, better known by the name of its landmark, Sherab Ling, a sprawling Tibetan Buddhist monastery and retreat complex. Sherab Ling periodically hosts courses on Buddhist meditation and philosophy.

Tibetan Colony is one of the earliest Tibetan refugee settlements in India, established in 1962 by refugees from the Kham region of Eastern Tibet. The ‘Colony’, as it is called locally, features several Buddhist monasteries and temples and a large stupa. One of the main attractions for students and long-term visitors is the Deer Park Institute. The Colony is also of interest to visitors as the main centre of accommodation in the Bir area, with several guest houses and cafés which are visited by travelers and Tibetan refugees. View of Bhattu

Image courtesy Google

8.2.3 Other Institutes around Bir Norbulingka Director's Statement Kalsang Yeshi Street view of Chowgan

Image courtesy Sidharth Khatri

Ghornala It is home to a handful of farming families nestled in a valley surrounded by government protected forest. The Dharmalaya Institute is also located here.

View of Ghornala

Image courtesy Srutee Bhut

Biling Biling is regarded as the second best para-gliding launch site in the world. It is just a few kilometres above Bir. Hundreds of pilots from across the globe come to Bir every spring and autumn to para-glide over the mountains

“It is largely from Buddhism that Tibetan culture draws values that have the potential to benefit not only Tibetans, but human beings everywhere. Therefore, it has become Tibetans' special responsibility, especially those of us in exile, to work to preserve our heritage, not only for ourselves, but also for the whole of humankind. This is why we established the Norbulingka Institute.”

Located in Dharamshala, takes its name from Dalai Lama’s summer palace in Lhasa. It was founded in 1990. The complex was built in a traditional Tibetan style following a design based on the Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion. The people here practice the ancient Buddhist art forms of statue making, thangka paintings, woodcarving and appliqué and the traditional decorative styles and techniques.

Land-use View of Sambhavana

Image courtesy Sidharth Khatri

design and practices by our village people. The campus has been built using eco-friendly and sustainable technology and practices that it is attempting to promote.

Views of Norbulingka

Image courtesy Google

The institute also plans to host workshops and on salutations on relevant subjects from time to time.

Norbulingka’s Values

• Continuing Tibetan Heritage Keeping alive centuries old Tibetan traditions in content, form and process by providing apprenticeships in traditional Tibetan art forms and making Tibetan experience accessible for contemporary lifestyle. • Design + Quality + Tradition

It focuses on design, meaning and quality. Every product has a story to tell through its materials, processes and themes.

• Community + Sustainability

It is a community of artisans that fuels a sustainable business model with a strong social mission: keeping Tibetan Culture alive by training people for the future. Currently more than 300 people work at Norbulingka.

Sambhaavnaa Sambhaavnaa campus is located in the foothills of Dhauladhar mountains in Himachal. The campus has been built using local materials, essentially wood, bamboo, earth and stone, with traditional architectural

View of Sambhavana

This Institute of Public Policy & Politics at Palampur, Himachal has been founded by Prashant Bhushan. The institute aims to inspire young people to understand and critically examine issues of public interest and development through its short and long term programmes and courses.

Image courtesy Srutee Bhut

It aims to strengthen the country’s democracy by holding the government accountable to the people and protecting their fundamental rights. It is committed to bringing this vision to the public policy making process in India. Sambhaavnaa hopes to enable common people to claim their rightful place in the participatory democracy and ensure that government policies and programs are for the benefit of the people. Two main missions of the sansthaan are -

• To nurture value-based leadership by encouraging individuals to reflect and discuss ideals and ideas that define a just society, and engage with government and civil society to steer policies in public interest. • To be a forum where critical issues of the society can be discussed and formulated for action. Dharmalaya Institute The Dharmalaya Institute is an innovative educational and charitable institution currently under construction near the Himalayan town of Bir in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. In the tradition of Mahatma Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram, which united social service with personal development, the Dharmalaya Institute offers an integrated programme of experiential learning, economic empowerment, traditional wisdom and volunteer service. The Institute provides ‘green’ job skills for rural labourers and will serve as a model showcasing sustainable living practises such as eco-friendly construction, high-yield organic agriculture, renewable energy and more. It has already begun to serve as a destination for altruistic

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by incubating eco-friendly cottage industries, and other social welfare activities. â&#x20AC;˘ Seva Ashram: A non-sectarian centre for the study and practise of Himalayan wisdom traditions while also providing meaningful karma yoga opportunities such as volunteer service work to benefit the community and the environment.

8.3 Nurturing the seeds of Buddha 8.3.1 About the land There are 2 plots of land adjacent to Deer park which have separate entrances to the roads.

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View of Dharmalaya

Image courtesy Google Images

eco-tourism where international visitors will work side-byside with villagers to develop and implement solutions for sustainable village development while learning about Himalayan culture and its wisdom traditions.

Source: Deer Park Institute

A Holistic Approach

Plot 1-

Three core components:

- It is being cultivated for organic farming at the moment by the Deer park officials.

â&#x20AC;˘ Sustainable Living School: A service-learning campus providing experiential education and training for sustainable, compassionate, and healthy living, with an initial focus on servicelearning and vocational training in the fields of natural building, organic agriculture, renewable energy, green cottage industries. â&#x20AC;˘

Sustainable Development & Social Welfare Programs: A hub for sustainable development initiatives and other charitable programmes to benefit the community and the environment, including the promotion of local green economies

- The plot cannot be completely utilised because there are 3 septic tanks located there. - The plot also has parking facilities constructed for the residents of Deer park.

View of Plot 1

Image courtesy Sidharth Khatri

View of Plot 1

Land-use

8.3.3 Terrain

Image courtesy Sidharth Khatri

Plot 2-

- It is not attached to the existing Deer park site. - The plot is in levels with a little vegetation growing. - It is connected by a kacha road from the main road.

Plot 1: Contoured Site

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Plot 2: Contoured Site

8.3.4 What people of Deer Park want? We interviewed the core team of Deer park to understand what they wanted in terms of the land use of the 2 adjacent plots. Views of Plot 2

8.3.2 Connectivity

Image courtesy Sidharth Khatri

Prashant - Director of Deer Park Institute, Bir He has been living in Bir since the start of Deer park and has a great understanding of Bir and its social cultural fabric. He feels that youth of Bir is very restless and people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any great job opportunities. He talks about how a major chunk of Kangra culture is hidden within the villages of Bir and its surroundings in terms of folklore, food and craft-work. He wants to expand Deer park in such a way that it provides job opportunities to the local people, provides a platform for learning different vocational skills and as a display space for the lost culture of Kangra region. He talks about creating a space where the community can gather and interact. A space which is flexibility in terms of usage. He wants the structure to be completely vernacular in terms of materials and should act as a model for future projects around Bir. The space should be free for the public and should have a separate entrance for the residents of Bir. The building/structure should be inspiring or motivating to the people/ local people.

Deewan Ji - Manager of Deer Park Institute, Bir He has been working in Deer park since 206. He feels that the 2 plots should be open for public and not be connected through Deer park. He talks about how the villagers should become self dependant. He gives his thoughts on what should be built on the 2 plots of land such as a public library for the villages or a space for vocational training or spoken English classes. In terms of structure he talk about a vernacular built form which is permanent and not temporary. Trilok Ji - Employee of Deer Park Institute, Bir He is an employee cum resident of Bir. He talks about how the villages of Bir have no gathering spaces for community meetings and activities. He felt that a recreational space should be created for multi disciplinary activities such as an exercise space, a park space, an open air theatre. He further says that the space should be free for public and should be completely made out of vernacular materials.

Man using sewing machine

Image courtesy Sidharth Khatri

Man using Hand-loom

Image courtesy Sidharth Khatri

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8.3.5 Livelihood The population of Bir consists of both Indians and Tibetans; there is an economic interdependence in terms of livelihood. Chowgan residentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s livelihood The Tibetans who live in the Chowgan area depend on the Indian construction workers for their construction needs. The Tibetans are essentially traders and merchants who sell the products that they sourced from other places to the Indians. In this way the life of both the Indians and Tibetans are interdependent.

as construction workers, plumbers and masons that engage in social constructions. For the educated there are few or no opportunities for work thus forcing them to migrate to other areas or take up jobs which do not conform to their education. View of Chowgan

Image courtesy Sidharth Khatri

Upper Bir and Lower Bir residentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Livelihood Upper Bir consists of essentially an Indian population. The Indians are mostly part time farmers with a certain percentage of them working in government offices as government employees. The Indian farmers have small patches of land on which they grow crops for their own needs. They sell the surplus crops to the Tibetans, thus generating additional income. Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme which guarantees 100 days of employment to the people who register with it, this scheme provides for the illiterate jobs

8.3.6 Planning of Lower and Upper Bir settlements The settlement was scattered all over the slopes of the mountains. Buildings were at different levels. There was not any fixed kind of building typology being followed. The village was mostly surrounded by farms and tea plantations, with a few open spaces for playing or other recreational activities. The buildings were of varying heights and of varying materials. The connectivity to houses were either done through tarred roads or by rammed earth and stone roads.

8.4.1 Want Deer park wants to expand in a way that it helps the community around. It wants to initiative a movement to help develop Bir. They talk about creating job opportunities for local residents and also providing vocational education for the youth so that they can become self sufficient. They want to reduce the reliability of external sources within Bir.

Land-use

8.4 What we learnt

This institution works only for the ecology and community of the area with their already existing schemes-

8.3.7 Materials being used The materials that are used throughout Bir for construction are:

- Wood - Slate and other local stone - Bamboo - Mud - Brick - Reinforced cement concrete - Mud bricks Wood, slate and other local stones, mud, mud bricks and bamboo are found locally throughout Bir. While Brick and Reinforced cement concrete are not found locally and are more contemporary in nature.

• Himalayan ecology resource centre and zero waste initiative. • Working with local farmers on local farming issues, natural farming and biodiversity rights. • Preserving Himalayan cultural heritage. • Art and social responsibility workshops for children. • Himalayan film school, an annual immersion program to support budding talent. The 2 plots of land they want to develop towards the well being of the community keeping in mind the ecology. They want to create a flexible and multipurpose space where many activities can take place.

Images of buildings around Bir

Image courtesy Sidharth Khatri

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8.4.2 Need Livelihood After understanding the lifestyle and livelihood of Bir, it is very evident that there is lack of opportunity for the educated youth and women. The youth go to school but migration rate is very high. There is still a large dependency on external sources for earning a living within the region. People want to be self sufficient and stay on their own land. Settlement planning The village has scattered planning and growth all over the mountains. There is a lack of public space where the community can participate in recreational activities. The buildings which are constructed are either houses or shops or institutions. Community spaces are missing. People mostly rely on nature walks as recreation.

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8.4.3 Materials Locally available materials: Stone, Mud, Mud bricks, Bamboo and Wood are more sustainable solutions to cope up with the environmental conditions of the region. The materials are easily available for construction within 5km radius of the site. The mud houses within the region were warm during the winter and cool during the summer. The material like mud acts like an insulator and protects the building from the cold. Bamboo is one of the most effective material in the hills with good tensile and compressive properties. The structures built out of locally available materials do require maintenance from time to time. While Brick and Reinforced cement concrete are not found locally. These materials make the structure more permanent, long lasting and structurally stable from earthquakes. Structures made from these materials also require less maintenance. But there is a downside; the materials are not at all suitable for the environmental conditions. They remain cold during the winter and hot during the summer time. The fuel expenditure or power expenditure to create suitable living conditions within the building are very high.

8.4.4 Case studies Norbulingka, Dharmalaya Institute and Sambhaavnaa These institutions have been developed or created for preserving the culture of their individual regions. They create opportunities for the local population to learn and grow. Such institutions act as inhibitors for future development within the region. They try to give back to the society as much as possible by starting various schemes for the local population.

Many initiatives are taken to preserve the culture and environment around them. Job opportunities are provided for the local residents and initiatives towards overall development of the region are spear headed by them,

8.5 Conclusion In conclusion, the detailed analysis based on personal observation, documented research and interaction with officials and residents reveals that the land use of the plots plays a crucial role in the future socio-economic and infrastructural development of both the community as well as the physical area. The challenge lies in preserving local traditional culture and identity in addition to creating opportunities and provisions for alternative livelihoods for the local population. With development comes change and therefore what once was, is now replaced by newer landmarks that become symbolic reference points of development. These structures should not be metropolitan designs but designed in a manner that should be contextual, representative of and in alignment with the architectural typography of the identified area. Another significant factor is the use of the readily available building materials which are vernacular in nature to ensure environmental sustainability and economic viability. The design, layout and plan should be such that though in continuity is also dynamic in nature, adaptable and flexible in use with links for future expansions. The motivating factors that drive this development are the needs and expectations of the local community. Today, the common man has an opinion to share with others and needs a safe space in which to do so. A well designed structure which offers this space will serve as a hub for community involvement, social interaction, celebration and community recreation. The designed structure will also offer flexibility in use keeping in mind the evolving needs of the community. The usage could serve as learning centres for vocational education or display halls that speak of culture and heritage through art and craft exhibitions. These would be both an alternative business opportunity coupled with a lure for visitors as well as an assertion of local tradition. We propose a creative pattern of connections between yesterday, today and tomorrow that capitalizes on the local communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assets, inspiration, and potential thus building a landmark that defines a place and supports its ongoing evolution.

LANDUSE

Design Brief 1 Development of a design language for an inclusive Community Interaction hub.

Design Brief 2 Modular elements: shading devices and domes developed using local materials for proposed Experience Center Design.

School and Vocational Training Center Design Brief 1 Development of a design language for an inclusive Community Interaction hub.

Movement generates electricity

Bamboo Dome, Shading Light Design Brief 2 Modular elements: shading devices and domes developed using local materials for proposed Experience Center Design.

Single element mass-produced locally to create new structural morphology

Guided by

Aditi Singh Assistant Professor aditi.post@gmail.com

Parag Anand Associate Professor paraganand@spa.ac.in