KALPA SETTLEMENT STUDY (October 2009) 2ND YEAR STUDENTS SCHOOL OF PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE NEW DELHI
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would never have been able to go through with this ambitious project on our own, without the able guidance of quiet a few experienced and well-established people in this field. Mr. Arunav Dasgupta, Urban Design Department, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, who piloted the project, and spearheaded the whole venture. Ms.Charu and Mr. Sandeep, who accompanied us all the way to Kalpa and were our guides during the field study. Our studio director, Mr. Anil Dewan, for inspiring us profoundly. Our faculty, Ms. Mitra Mitra, Mr. Madhav Raman, Mr. Vikas Madhup Upreti and Ms.Veena Verghese, for inspiring us, kick-starting us into action and for constructively questioning us at every point.
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INDEX
1.1 Aim of the Study 2. Overview 2.1 Location 2.2 Access 2.3 Climate 2.4 Religion 2.5 Culture 2.6 Social Structure 2.7 About the Village 2.8 Development of the Village 2.9 The Settlement and Zoning 3 Analysis 4 Zone 1
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK We have attempted to make the book easy to comprehend for the reader by classifying information for each studied building into various categories. These categories have been coded with symbols.
1
Buildings studied in Zone 1
Stacking of the buildings, Construction details.
2
Buildings studied in Zone 2
Characteristics of the Roofs
3
Buildings studied in Zone 3
Characteristics of the Walls
5 Zone 2 6 Zone 3 7 Conclusion 8 Acknowledgments 9 Credits
Graphic Scale 1m
2m
5m
10m
20m
3
1.1 Aim of the study Nestled high at the base of the upper Himalayas, Kalpa was declared a heritage village by the Indian Government in 2003. This study is a part of the Himachal Government’s initiative to develop and promote village tourism in this mountain settlement. The project aims at conserving the built heritage of the village and carrying out sustainable development keeping in mind the aspirations of the residents. Mr. Arunav Dasgupta of the Urban Design department at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, has been helping the government carry out this ambitious project. Working on building a guideline and design strategy for future construction that would help preserve the existing architectural fabric; he emphasizes the importance of providing a positive outlook to the settlement’s residents and acting as a link between the village and the government. The aim of this study is to assess and evaluate the overall development of the village. To aide us in this process, we attempted to map the details and changes in the existing built fabric, and further attempt to relay our acquired information and expanded knowledge base through this book. Settlement Study, as a concept, not only helps us understand evolutionary trends in architecture, society and culture of a place, but also helps us analyze the implications and impact of a town’s explosive dynamism in a broader context. At a simpler level, an individual is exposed to growth and functional patterns of off-the-map settlements. There is a sustained effort from our side to help the villagers understand their culture, heritage, ergonomics and resources in terms of mountain architecture. We also try to make them see the benefits of adopting traditional, vernacular architectural techniques, and how blindly aped copy-paste architecture of the plains may in fact have derogatory effects in the long run.
2. OVERVIEW
2.1 Location
2.2 Access
2.3 Climate
Kalpa village (31.53°N 78.25°E) is settled in the Sutlej River Valley, in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. It has an average elevation of 3,320 metres/ 10, 900 feet. It is located at the base of the Kinner Kailash range.
Kalpa is located 265 km/ 165 mi beyond Shimla on the NH22, and access is via Reckong Peo, the district headquarters. The village is inaccessible between October and April, when the snow settles in and most passes are closed. It is inaccessible during the rains as the roads gets flooded and chances of landslides increase substantially.
Kalpa is generally very cold, with short days and windy evenings. Summer days can be warm but the early mornings and evenings are cold. Winters are harsh and the village remains snowbound.
Minimum
Maximum
OctoberApril
3° Celsius
15° Celsius
MaySeptember
11° Celsius
24° Celsius
2.4 Religion The local inhabitants follow a syncretism of Hinduism and Buddhism, and temples in Kalpa are dedicated to both the faiths. Kalpa has many ancient temples dedicated to local deities, the most powerful of which is the Naagin/ Chandika Devi. Like other Kinnaur deities, she is worshipped in a unique way: four devotees swing her in a dance on her palanquin. Her temple, the Devi temple, is the main focal point of the village, but is reserved for the upper castes. The Vishnu temple, another landmark, is for the lower castes. Most of Kinnaur’s temples have separate enclosures for bhoots or demons. In fact in Kinnaur there are bhoots for every occasion: Bakhar Shuna haunts forests, Banshir can assume the form of giants, Ruksas are spirits of sinful persons, while Khunch live in houses, and can pass from family to family through exchange like marriage.
2.5 Culture The culture of Kalpa is heavily influenced by religious thought; the way of life relies on religious sanctions. Orthodox beliefs and superstition are rampant, and conventional. Any community decision first has to be approved of by the Devi. The village has a very powerful Temple Committee, which maintains the temples and thus has a huge influence. Every year, on a cyclic basis, the Committee calls for male volunteers from every house to help in the maintenance of the temple, failing which the household is required to pay a tax. Since the temple endorses alcohol, alcoholism and drug addiction are major problems, especially for the men and the younger generation. Lack of higher education and sufficient health care compound them. Village life is now also influenced by the ‘plains’; the villagers try to emulate the lifestyles of their counterparts living lower, in the plains. Many customs, traditionally not followed, have seeped into the social fabric of the region, for instance dowry.
2.6 Social Structure . There is a very strong caste system prevalent in the village; the upper caste Rajputs enjoy many privileges and command a strong influence over the village Panchayat, while people of the lower caste are generally categorized with a notion of untouchability. Carpenters and goldsmiths largely form the lower class. The society is male dominated, though historically the Kinnaur region was matriarchal. Most women work in the fields and the men look after the cattle or render skilled services to other members of the village.
2.7 About the Village Kalpa is a very old settlement, and there are many legends surrounding its inception. It is famously known as the winter home of Lord Shiva, and the host of a yearly confluence of the Gods. Kalpa enjoyed an illustrious place in the Kinnaur region because of its strategic location and religious significance. It was the District Headquarter of Kinnaur till the late 1990’s, after which the Headquarters shifted to nearby Reckong Peo owing to unavailability of flat land in Kalpa and bad road connections. The village is known for producing prized quality pine nuts and apples, and is surrounded by pine forests and apple orchards. Today, Kalpa has become a tourist hub, and the constant influx of both domestic and foreign visitors has brought about changes in both the built form and the social fabric. The village, now almost a small town, has a growing number of hotels, and many villagers are employed in the tourism sector. Exposure to outside influences has given the village a wider perspective.
2.8 Development One can imagine Kalpa to have expanded in a radial since its inception, where the temple is known to have been one of the first permanent structures. Then, operational living quarters came up, fuelling an agrarian economy owing to the nature of the place. As residential buildings expanded, the need for a school came up. Also, it was felt that now, operational staff of religious buildings needed monasteries. Thereafter, owing to the demand for occupational diversity, apple orchards came up. In a few years, the apples of Kalpa became the trademark of its people. Markets and commercialization were soon to follow, as shops sprang up to cater to the needs of the growing population. In hindsight, it’s really no surprise that tourists began to flock to Kalpa the way they eventually did.
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3
2.9 The Settlement To understand the settlement better, we divided the settlement into 3 parts according to the function and the age of the buildings.
Zone 3, is by far the hilliest part of Kalpa. This area has been utilized to its fullest by the tourism industry of this little town, whereby most of the buildings here classify as some sort of hotel, lodge or inn. Needless to say, this is also the area which nets the maximum monetary benefit. Most buildings here are fairly recent constructions, due in part to the rapid rise of Kalpa as a popular tourist destination. They are made of RCC, a building material of the plains, which more than betrays their age to the aware eye. A few very old houses can also be found here, some of which date back to 1922, although most by now, are vacant. Because of the gradient, the houses being very far apart and sans motorable roads, the paths are winding and strictly pedestrian.
2 Typically, buildings in this area are mostly administrative and institutional in nature. As with most small towns, the post office, the main school and the police station can be found in this same area. Additionally, the Aanganwadi building, the ‘Baalika Ashram’ and the monastery round up the list of landmark structures in the region. Apart from the aforementioned, there is a long list of small commercial holdings, interspersed with the big buildings. Small shops for daily rations, little eateries for the townspeople and cozy chai stalls dot the area. This region is fairly dense, although much lesser than that of Zone 1, owing to a considerable increase in the gradient of the slope.
Zone 3
1 Zone 1 is primarily a residential area, clustered around two large temple complexes.
Zone 2 Zone 1
This is the oldest and southern-most part of Kalpa. The verandahs of most houses face the geographical South, in order to capture the most sun. In general, the houses surrounding the temple are occupied by the more privileged and princely castes, and as one moves away from the temple, one progressively encounters houses that supposedly belong to a lower caste.
ZONE 1 A HOUSE E3 STREET ELEVATION AB THE DEVI TEMPLE COMPLEX
B
THE PALACE
C
URMILA NEGI’S HOUSE HARDEV NEGI’S HOUSE
15
STREET ELEVATION BC
THE PALACE CARPENTER’S HOUSE VISHNU TEMPLE COMPLEX
Building Study 1: Abandoned Temple At the end of the densely populated residential cluster is located a small wooden pavilion painted in vibrant colours. This pavilion now sits an abandoned temple that houses the deity of the people of Wangtoo. It is identified for it’s uniquely adorned walls and strategic location.
1 Slate roof
Wooden walls
Back Elevation
17
Side Elevation
Plan
Front Elevation
Interior Plan
Building Study 2: The Vishnu Temple Complex The Vishnu Temple at Kalpa is located behind the Devi Temple complex. It is marked by a set of small wooden pavilions housing the idol of Lord Vishnu. The construction of these pavilions is done in typical stone and timber fashion observed throughout old and traditional buildings in the Kalpa landscape. It belongs to people of the lower class (consisting of carpenters and goldsmiths). Surprisingly, this temple is mostly used on religious festivals beyond which it remains largely deserted.
1 The subsidiary building has two rooms on the lower floor and a viewing pavilion on the upper level.
Slate Roofs
Stone and Timber
19
Entry to the temple complex
Main Shrine
Small Shrine
Viewing Pavilion:
Space for congregations , celebrations and ceremonies. Subsidiary Shrine
Steps for people to sit on which make the courtyard multi functional.
SITE PLAN
Side Elevation, Main Shrine
Front Elevation, Main Shrine
Interior Plan, Main Shrine Roof Plan, Main Shrine
Front Elevation, Viewing Pavilion
21
Front Elevation, Subsidiary Shrine
Front Elevation, Small Shrine
Roof Plan, Small Shrine
Roof Plan, Subsidiary Shrine
House Study 1: The Palace The palace building is believed to be the oldest in Kalpa, and was one of the many homes of the King of Kinnaur. The old wood structure is dilapidated, with the second floor inaccessible. The complex also has two new RCC structures, where the residents now live, and a store and toilet.
1
The roof is sloping, and made of slate. The palace has 2 floors. The ground floor has the Devi room and storage, while the first floor has the living quarters.
The building technique is the traditional kath kone. The core is stone and timber, the balcony on the first floor is wooden
Toilet
Main Palace structure Built in wood and stone. Which is now abandoned.
Store
residential RCC structure 2
residential RCC structure 2 SITE PLAN
Front Elevation
25
Side Elevation
Ground Floor Plan
Reflected Ceiling Plan, Central Chamber
Front Elevation
Ground Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
27
Front Elevation
Ground Floor Plan
Street Elevation
First Floor Plan
.House Study 2: The Carpenter’s House The Carpenter’s house is a two storied residential building located at the entrance of the Vishnu Temple. Construction is mainly in dry masonry, along with the use of wooden screens and overhangs. It houses nine members of the family spanning three generations.Adjoining house belongs to the carpenter’s brother who lives at their apple orchard.
1 The house has 2 floors. The ground floor has the storage room, while the first floor has the living quarters and kitchen.
Stone and timber. Additional GI sheet covering.
The walls are all in dry stone masonry and 500 mm thick. Half of the first floor has a wooden curtain wall with large shutters.
29
Street Elevation
Ground Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
Side Elevation
Section
Back Elevation
House Study 3: Vineet Kumar’s Residence The main wood and stone core of the three-storeyed house dates to about a 100 years ago while the wooden galleries surrounding it were added later. The house has a small RCC annexe, which is used as guest house.
1
Zone 1
Stone and Timber core, Wood panel facade. Flat Mud Timber Roof
Flat Mud Timber Roof
3 Floors Ground Floor: Storage First Floor: Winter room, Kitchen and Sleeping Area Second Floor: Summer Room, Fire Place, Sleeping Area This house has three floors. The ground floor is used for storage and the first floor is their winter room with a hearth and a cooking stove. This keeps the house warm. The second floor is used in the summers and it has an open balcony which is used for sunbathing and drying clothes. A trap door connects the winter and summer rooms internally so that both can be used easily in the winters without stepping out.
31
First Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
First Floor Plan
House Study 4: Urmila Negi’s Rsidence The 150 year old house has two floors, and separate cattle shed and storeroom. The complex does not have a toilet.
1 The house has a flat mud and timber roof.
Walls are mud plastered with a stone and timber core. The house employs the traditional kath kone technique. The wooden balcony at the front is on stilts. The storeroom walls are made completely of wood planks clamped on each other. They are joined using wooden joints, without the use of nails. The house has two floors, and four rooms, all used as living quarters. The ground floor does not have any windows, and is used more during the winters. The cooking is done in the balcony.
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Side Elevation
Ground Floor Plan
Section
First Floor Plan
House Study 5: Hardev Negi’s Residence This house is nearly a hundred and fifty years old, but has undergone various stages of renovation. Four residents occupy this structure. There are continuous solid wood tree trunks used as beams on both floors.
1 The structure has two floors. The ground floor is mainly used during the winters; the outside room has a hearth and is used for cooking. The interior room is used as a store. On the first floor the inside room is utilized as a bedroom and the outside room is the main living space.
The house has a sloping G.I. sheet roof. It was earlier a flat mud roof but was converted about six years ago. On the ground floor, the interior room walls are of stone and wood, while the outside room walls are made of brick. On the first floor, the interior room is of stone and wood, and the outside room is completely wood. The window and door frames are wood and glass has been used for the panels.
35
Ground Floor Plan
Front Elevation
First Floor Plan
Lateral Section
Longitudinal Section
37
Right Side Elevation
Left Side Elevation
Rear Elevation
Building Study 3: Devi Temple The Devi temple is dedicated to the main deity of Kalpa, the Naagin Devi. It is thus the most important public space in the village; for the villagers the complex does not only have religious significance, it is also where they meet and carry forth their daily activities. It even acts as a thoroughfare. The entrance to the gated complex is an ornate, slate roofed gate, which, along with the shrines, is routinely demolished and rebuilt. The temples are never finished, and are always being improved upon.
1 The complex consists of a main shrine and a subsidiary shrine, both single floor. An area to accommodate outstation guests and feasts, made of RCC and of two floors, is currently under construction. The temple kitchen, single floor, is located next door.
The shrines have sloping slate roofs. The RCC structure has a flat roof. The temple kitchen has a sloping G.I. sheet roof. The shrine walls follow the kath kone technique, and are made of stone and timber. The newly constructed guest house has stone, brick and cement walls. The subsidiary shrine in the centre of the courtyard has wooden walls with decorative metal grills.
39
Temple Complex Plan
Subsidiary Shrine: Elevation
Main Shrine: Roof Plan
Subsidiary Shrine: Roof Plan
Main Shrine: Side Elevation
Subsidiary Shrine: Plan
41
Main Shrine: Front Elevation
New Construction: Roof Plan
New Construction: First Floor Plan
New Construction: Ground Floor Plan
43
New Construction: Front Elevation
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ZONE 3
BLUE ORCHID GUEST HOUSE
NEGI HOUSE
GROCERY SHOP POLICE STATION
63
KINNER KAILASH HOTEL
FA R M E R ’ S HOUSE
B
WEAVER’S HOUSE NEGI’S HOUSE 1922
APPLE ORCHID
C STORE HOUSE
House Study 1: 1922 This house was constructed in 1922 following which it has undergone various stages of construction, all of which are evident in the structure. The ground floor houses guests and the service areas whereas the first floor houses the residents. The attic is used for storage.
3 GI Sheet and slate roofs
Stone and Timber walls
Old construction on the ground and first floors, new on second floor
Clerestory around the first floor
65
Side Elevation
Second Floor Plan
Section
First Floor Plan
House Study 2: Weaver’s HouSe The weaver’s house was constructed in 1962. It consists of 3 rooms on ground floor with weaver’s workshop and 2 store rooms. First floor consists of 2 bedrooms and a kitchen and the third floor has a guest room. The walls of the house are intricately carved in wood. Also there is a window opening in the roof for ventilation.
3 slate sloping roofs
It has three floors
The ground and first floor is kathkona style of construction and the 2nd floor is made of wood and glass
Ventilator on the roof.
67
GF Plan
Right hand Side Elevation
FF Plan FF Plan
Section
69
Side Elevation
Front Elevation
House Study 3: Farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Houre The farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house was constructed in 1978.it consists of 2 store rooms on ground floor. First floor consists of 2 bedrooms and a kitchen. The attic of this house is covered with wooden jali and is visible from outside and is used to throw the stale grains.
3
It has two floors with an attic
slate sloping roof
The ground and first floor is kathkona style of construction and the 2nd floor is made of wood and glass
71
Side Elevation
Front Elevation
Plan
Site Plan
House Study 4: Store House The store house was constructed in 2001. It consists of 2 rooms which serve as stores for clothes, grains, edible oil and apple wine. The walls of the store house are constructed with interlocking wooden logs which are done very efficiently without the use of nails. Very effective in stopping moisture from entering inside. But the drawback is the roof which despite of so many layers is very thin and ineffective.
3 It has only ground floor
Flat roof with 1st layer of stones ;2nd polythene; 3rd layer of mud; 4th cement plaster
Wood construction
73
Front Elevation
Back Elevation
Section
Side Elevation
Plan
75
Conclusion Kalpa is a complex and diverse vortex of various classes of society, divided primarily on the basis of caste, occupation, economical status and duration of stay. It can broadly be divided into three zones: a primarily residential zone, a commercial zone, and a slightly secluded zone of sporadic settlements and tourist lodges. There are many ways to look at this little town nestled under the mighty Kinner Kailash. On one hand, it houses a cyber cafĂŠ and a tourist lodge replete with modern facilities, and on the other, its people still consider caste as a status indicator. As one went through the houses and interacted with the people, one realized that for a bunch of rowdy looking out-oftowners, we were treated very well and with exceptional warmth, where people had no qualms about showing us around. Occasionally chancing upon quirky things like gift-wrap for roofing plaster, on the whole we learnt so much about living in cold climate and with sparse resources, and about adapting to life in a small community. We leave Kalpa as better human beings, more aware, with humility, insightful experiences and nothing but warm wishes of bright futures for its people.
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CREDITS Editing, Compiling and Formatting Aditi Gupta, Bhavika Aggarwal, Uzair Siddiqui
Model Abhimanyu Mittal Dhruv Gupta Harsh Kumar Ishan Khan Maulik Yagnik Mohd. Rashideen Saifi Nishant Gautam Saurabh Gupta Shila Cangy Abdula Shruti Jalodia Vijay Krishan Goel
Rendering Ammani Nair Sandeep Ahuja Shruti Jalodia Shobitha Jacob Varun Bajaj
Water Colour and Sketches Aishwarya Bharathkumar Shobitha Jacob
CAD Drawings and Photographs Abhimanyu Mittal Aditi Gupta Aishwarya Bharathkumar Ammani Nair Amri Chadha Avinav Malhotra Bhavika Aggarwal Dhruv Gupta Garima Mendiratta Harsh Kumar Ishan Khan Maulik Yagnik Mohd. Rashideen Saifi Nishant Gautam Sandeep Ahuja Saurabh Gupta Shila Cangy Abdula Shobitha Jacob Shruti Jalodia Sumati Mattoo Swati Goel Uzair Siddiqui Varun Bajaj Vijay Krishan Goel