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A Note on Kath-Khuni Building Practice
A Note on Kath-Khuni Building Practice
An Emperical Construction Technique of Himachal Pradesh
The distinctive timber construction known as kath-khuni, survives and thrives in the Himalayan hills of India. It is a natural extension to the knowledge of forbidding landscape, harsh climate, availability of local materials and tools, and is deeply rooted to the environment and the cultural practices and traditions of the region. Having evolved over a large span of time, passed on by generation after generation, it demonstrates profound understanding of building science that responds to the frequent seismic tremors that rock the landscape of Himachal.
Houses
A typical house in Himachal Pradesh built using this technique is usually two or three storey high. The lower floor is for cattle and the upper floors are for residing, storing and kitchen.
Temples
The layered treatment is the same as that in a house but they often appear as stand like sentinels in the landscape. The temples ay rise much higher from a single storey to a tower with seven storeys.
Other Buildings
The layered treatment is the same as that in a house but they often appear as standlike sentinels in the landscape. The temples ay rise much higher from a single storey to a tower with seven storeys.
The know-how of the building construction is passed from generation to generation in mostly oral and empirical tradition by working as an apprentice for a number of years. The mistris of Himachal are typically adapt at working with wood and stone, and are a veritable storehouse of indigenous knowledge. Such knowledge may range from where to source the wood or stone, types of wood available and which ones are appropriate for either structural or carving purposes to how to cut thin sheets of singles form a block of stone using rudimentary tools and so on. Usually the entire construction is carried out manually with limited tools and the use of power-driven technology is minimal and was introduced only recently. It is the close interdependence between people, materials, making and environment that has created a lasting architectures specific to the needs, climate, place, and culture and that evokes a sensation that is special and spiritual, beyond the materiality.
The essential tool kit of a traditional wood carver includes chisels, hathodi (hammer), punch tool, and basola (adze). The metal parts are fabricated by the local blacksmith and wooden handles by the wood carver. Most common wood-carving technique involve relief carving (high to low) which is applied to friezes, panels, entablature and other planar surfaces. Sculptural carving is utilized in making columns, studs, doors, frames, hanging pendants and beam edges.
The intricate interlocking of joints without nails is the hallmark of indigenous construction ingenuity. The construction, society, values and building knowledge are continuously transforming, new materials are replacing the old. With this change, there is also an uncertain future for indigenous practices. This article in a small way tries to capture the broad spectrum of details and construction that can help sustain the local building practice that is worth appreciating, documenting, and preserving for the future.
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