The Tibetan Settlements of Delhi

INDIAN VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

STUDY OF KATH-KHUNI ARCHITECTURE

SARAHAN (HIMACHAL PRADESH)

Research Guide
Ar. TARU
Submitted By:
NEERAJ SHARMA

B. ARCH,IV YEAR
FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE AND EKISTICS
JAMIA MILLIA ISLAMIA NEW DELHI 110025

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JAMIA MILLIA ISLAMIA

FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE & EKISTICS
NEW DELHI- 110025

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the dissertation STUDY OF KATH-KHUNI ARCHITECTURE IN

SARAHAN (HIMACHAL PRADESH) is a work of original nature carried out by
NEERAJ SHARMA, IV year B.ARCH, Faculty of Architecture and Ekistics, Jamia
Millia Islamia.
It is a report of bonafide research carried out by him under my guidance and
supervision

DEAN (Prof. S.M. Akhtar)

Ar.TARU

Faculty of Architecture & Ekistics

Jamia Millia Islamia

Examiner I:

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JAMIA MILLIA ISLAMIA

FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE & EKISTICS
NEW DELHI- 110025

DECLARATION

This is to certify that STUDY OF KATH-KHUNI ARCHITECTURE IN SARAHAN (HIMACHAL

PRADESH) has been submitted in partial fulfillment for the course of B.Arch IV year
from Faculty of Architecture and Ekistics, Jamia Millia Islamia.
My original piece has not been previously used in any other form or place. This
subject has not been dealt with before.
I, NEERAJ SHARMA, hereby declare this piece to be original.

(NEERAJ SHARMA)
Faculty of Architecture and Ekistics,
Jamia Millia Islamia.

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ACKNOWLEGDEMENT

On the onset of the dissertation I would like to thank a few people without whom my
dissertation would not be what it is. Foremost of all I would like to thank Papa, mom
and brother Nishant whose constant support and prayers are my driving force.
With due regards, I would like to thank my research guide, Ar. Taru, for her support
and help extended during the course of study. The controlled freedom she gave me
to come about the dissertation has helped me in a great way to complete my work.
She was always there to inspire me for which I am deeply gratified to her.
Some people were indispensible part of this dissertation for the time and effort they
put in to help me go that extra mile. Thank you Rabyang, my friend from the Ladakh
Buddhist Vihara, for showing me around the settlement inspite of your busy
schedule. The Mali, The Secretary of the Monastery and Mr. Vijay Khare, whose
short but informative interviews have helped me get a first-hand account of the
settlements.
My friends Shant, and Ashima a constant support and also for discussing the topic
with me at lengths. It made things a lot easier and clearer for me. I would like to
extend my thanks to my classmates Bhrigu, Imran, Prateek Sakshi,and Tahmeena
who have been my pillars of support and my second family.

Neeraj Sharma
B.Arch IV Year
Faculty of Architecture and Ekistics
Jamia Millia Islamia

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SYNOPSIS
Introduction
Sarahan is small town in Himachal Pradesh of India. It is the site of famous
Bhimakali temple. The town is known as the gateway of Kinnaur. The temple's
unusual architecture and wealth of carvings have made it a resplendent example of
what is loosely called the Indo-Tibetan style.
Rationale
The vernacular architecture of the Sutlej valley, locally caled Kath-khuni is
constructed out of local deodar wood and slate stone and it is an example of an
empirical seismic design in earthquake prone mountainous region of Himachal
Pradesh. While Kath-khuni architecture is demonstrated to be sustainable but at the
same time it is vulnerable to social, political, environmental and inter-community
forces. How can a comparison between the sustainability and the threat to continuity
of kath- khuni architecture be applied to similar situations in urban and regional
sectors?
Aim
To study the vernacular architecture of the Sutlej valley, locally called Kath-khuni is
constructed out of local deodar wood and slate stone and it is an example of an
empirical seismic design in earthquake prone mountainous region of Himachal
Pradesh.
Objectives and Scope of Work:

To study the vernacular architecture of the Sutlej valley, locally called Kathkhuni.

Methodology:

Interview of the residents of the settlements.

Visit to the sarahan and The Bhimakali Mandir area.
Photographic documentation of both the areas.
Literature and Internet research.

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CONTENTS

1.

A Brief History of Sarahan

2.

Introduction to the vernacular architecture

Pg. 07

Pg. 10
a. What is Kath-khuni architecture?
b. Kath-khuni technique: a seismic design:
3.

Kath-Khuni architecture: its study within its context

Pg. 19

a. Kath-khuni architecture: an endangered

system in present time

4.

Epilogue

Pg. 24

5.

References

Pg. 25

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1. A Brief History of Sarahan

Location and approach

Sarahan is one of the most beautiful village in chopal . Sarahan is located at 31.52N
77.80E. It has an average elevation of 2,313 metres above from sea level on the
sarahan road .
Sarahan is located 26 km from chopal and 136 km from Shimla .
Brief about the village
It is a picturesque village set against the backdrop of magnificent deodar and pine
forests, gushing streams and wildflower fields are the present attractions of this
place.
The village has many beautiful wooden houses constructed in traditional stone and
wood katth khuni architecture typical of the region with roofs mostly covered in
metal sheet or stones.
Landmark
Bhimakali temple
The temple complex has two parallel building s , built around a large square
courtyard which is open to sky . in order to ensure strength and stability to the
structure , the plinth protection has been made of solid stone with massive deodar
beams laid horizontally at wide intervals . the uuper part consist of alternating layers
of stones and timber .
This historical temple is a multi-storeyed structured building, a fusion of Hindu and
Buddhist architecture. The tall tower like structure and unusual roof of the temple
dominate the complex. The centuries old temple is now locked and in the newly built
temple, the goddess Bhimakali is portrayed as a maiden and as a woman. This
temple complex includes other temples such as Narsingh shrine of Bhairon and Lord
Raghunath.

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Fig. 1 Map of Sarahan

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Pic 2 Bhimakali temple ( Flipnomad)

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2. Introduction
2.a What is Kath-khuni architecture?
Himachal Pradesh Kath-khuni architecture (pic . 2) is made of two local materials:
Himalayan slate, a dark grey-layered stone that absorbs heat and is impermeable to
moisture and deodar timber, a species of mountain cedar, able to withstand
exposure to moisture and adjust to climatic and seismic changes (pic.3). The wood
comprises a floating frame for the building. Wood is milled into beams. A distinctive
feature of Himachal Pradesh wooden buildings is elaborate narrative carving of the
wood. Slate stone is the infill for the wooden frame. The slate is rough cut and
placed in layers without any mortar.

Pic 2 Ground floor wall showing layering of wood and stone in Kath-khuni house.

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Fig. 3 Rendered section of kath-khuni house of Shri. P. C. Aukta, sarahan.

Kath-khuni house forms (fig.4) comprise four primary components: a stone plinth,
which creates the base of the house, wood-and-stone structural walls forming the
core of the house with floors as an insert, cantilevered wooden balconies acting as
the second skin to the house and an overhanging slate tile roof fixed to the wooden
framework, which caps the entire structure.
Kath-khuni houses have been made for generations by the cooperative effort of local
people. When necessary the locals employ specialist traditional builders, craftsmen
and masons. Kath-khuni houses are based on a cuboid modular unit (fig.5). Small
houses are a single cuboid stacked in two or three layers. The size of the house
increases by placing cuboids side-by-side and then extending the larger rectangular
units up by one or two levels. The largest house we documented was three side-byside stacked cuboids extending up three levels, comprising nine interior units. Closer
examination of the interior spaces of the houses reveals half levels and intermediate
spaces not obvious from the outside of the building. The complexity of each house,
the decoration and the delineation of space reflect the size of the family, their wealth,
and their connection to local beliefs and their adaptation to the changes in the
society.

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Fig. 4 Module unit Cuboid of kath-khuni house and typology of the houses within Sutlej valley

Fig. 5 Sectional perspective showing different spaces, Aukta house, sarahan

A distinct pattern of spatial organization of houses in the Sutlej valley region in

Himachal Pradesh is observed after surveying many examples (fig.6). The gaushala
or animal shed is on the ground floor, storage rooms on the middle floor and the
kitchen and living spaces on the top most floor. In a large house, there is room for
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extra spaces to be inserted that are not visible from the outside. These storage and
living interior spaces are connected on the outside of the house through transitional
element including plinths, balconies and stairs. Inside the house the hidden spaces
can be accessed through series of trap doors in the floor and wooden ladders to
climb between levels. The house is built to adjust to the changing seasons of an
extreme climate that plays an important role in defining the use of space. In the
warm sunny days activities take place outside the house on balconies and plinths,
while during the colder periods, during winter and at night, daily activities are
performed in the inner rooms.

Pic. 6Different types of balcony in kath-khuni houses, Sarahan .

Kath-khuni houses have architectural details that respond to their environment.

Doors and the windows are small allowing only one person or one cow to enter at a
time. The interior surface of the structural walls in the living space is finished with
wooden planks or mud. Small openings of doors and windows prevent heat loss.
These details keep interiors cool in summer and warm in winter. Balconies act as a
second skin for the main structure assisting in maintaining the interior temperature
(pic.7). The heat from the animals bodies in the ground floor gaushala rises up
through the house to keep the living spaces warm. Trap doors and vents in roof
promote air circulation. The curvilinear gable or pent-and-gable roof allows snow to
settle on the roof acting as the insulation during harsh winters. When you gather all
of these components together you have a tight, sound and flexible living space that
is adapted to changing conditions in a remote zone. The built form is a cohesive and
coherent unit.

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Kath-khuni construction is efficient in this mountainous terrain because stone is close

at hand and rubble provides an easy alternative to slow setting mortar. Until recently
wood was readily available locally and small water powered mills could process the
raw materials. Construction takes place in stages, whenever materials and labour
are available. The local raw materials are not adversely by seasonal changes so you
can work year round. Thin walls can be made for interior spaces thus achieving
maximum height with minimum material. Raw materials are not wasted. Buildings
are energy efficient. These buildings leave a lasting, small footprint.

Pic 7 Mountain view, near sarahan, Chamba district

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Pic 8 Detail of the corner junction showing wood beams with stone layering in dry masonry technique, sarahan

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2.b. Kath-khuni technique: a seismic design:

Himachal Pradesh is an earthquake prone mountainous terrain (fig.8). In our

research we discovered that kath-khuni construction is seismic resistant. To prove
this we examined the traditional construction methods. Earthquakes are caused by
the shifting of tectonic plates of the earths crust and the resulting release of energy
in the form of seismic waves on the earths surface. The villages situated on
Himalayan slopes experience landslides. They are susceptible to seismic forces.
Kath-khuni houses are constructed to withstand consistently occurring ground
movements.

Pic 10 Detail of the construction of Kath-khuni house, sarahan

In kath-khuni technique, the structural walls of a building are systematically layered

wood and stone in what is termed composite construction (pic.10.). Wood (acting
as the tension member) and stone (taking the compression) are stacked horizontally,
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in alternating rows, parallel to the ground. Wood-and-stone walls not only resist the
racking forces of an earthquake, but are also configured to resist sliding or
overturning. Kath-khuni construction displays a repetitive system of using local
materials tolerant of the size and scale (fig.10). The plinth of a kath-khuni house is
constructed entirely of stone. The base of the structural wall is two parallel layers of
stones installed flat. Depending on the size of the stone, the gap in middle is filled
with random rubble. Larger stones are stacked up on the outer edge and the corners
of the wall to provide stability. There is more stone than wood at the base of the
building creating a heavy foundation. Stones are placed using dry masonry
technique without mortar that would crack and crumble in an earthquake. Stacking
stones provide flexibility allowing walls to adjust to the foundation. The sides of the
foundations slope inwards thus locking the structure together during seismic events.
This is important in earthquake-prone areas because buildings must move as the
ground shifts.

Fig . 11 Exploded view of kath-khuni house

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Moving up from the foundation side-by-side timber beams interspersed with layers of
stone form the frame. The gap between the timber beams is completed with an infill
of rubble to give mass and support to the structure. Wood frames the stone thus
anchoring the structure to resist unstable gravitational forces.
Framing results in higher damping and allows dissipation of the energy. To complete
the building the timber frame is repeated upward with a stone layer in between. As
the construction precedes vertically, the height of the stone layer decreases and
ultimately only the wood frame stacked up on another wood frame completes the
structural wall. Slate shingles, as roof tiles, rest on the wooden framework and cap
the building (fig.11). Though heavy, the slate shingles are made flexible by fixing
them to the wooden framework with metal nails at a single pivot-point.
Flexibility allows the roof surface to adjust to rain and snow shedding the load of
moisture and keeping the interior dry. Pivot-point fixing helps to dissipate energy
during earthquakes. The overhang of the roof creates a stabilizing pressure on the
walls. As the roof sheds its load during an earthquake, pivoting pegged stone tiles
fall outside the perimeter of the main structure rather than collapsing inwards. The
buildings we visited have survived many documented seismic incidents.

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Pic 12 Bhimakali Temple, Sarahan Town, Himachal Pradesh.

3 Kath-Khuni architecture: its study within its context

Himachal Pradesh is the Himalayan Mountain state in India ranging from 350 meters
to 6000 meters above sea level, famous for Hill Stations of the British Raj, the
current home in exile of the Dalai Lama, and for its remote religious architecture.
The vast majority of indigenous villagers live in wood and stone houses they have
built up uncharted mountainsides. They live by livestock herding, agriculture, apple
farming, bee keeping and various crafts including weaving, woodcarving, stonework
and miniature painting. In a typical village, one sees a community courtyard, village
temple, family courtyards, individual houses and a community granary.

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The Kath-Khuni architecture including houses, granaries and folk temples are
neglected. Until now only the great wooden temples of the region have received
scholarly attention. For example the Bhima Kali Temple at Sarahan (fig.12) or other
wood and stone temples that gets noticed is the Tower Temple, Jhaknoti village, the
Pent-and-Gable local temple in Matwani village and the Pent roofed Mahasur Devata
Temple, Old Jubbal village. Little attention has been paid to the vernacular houses
and granaries that define the architectural tradition of the region.

3.a. Kath-khuni architecture: a sustainable system of construction

Through this process I also discovered the eco-system of building design. Based on
a cuboid modular typology, each home or granary is constructed according to the
resources and the needs of each family. At the same time, the local surroundings,
existing terrain and the available natural resources are utilized in symbiotic manner.
The orientation of buildings takes full advantage of existing climatic and seismic
conditions in order to be secure, to maximize light and air circulations, and to fit into
the cultural and aesthetic norms of the surrounding building. We concluded after all
of this work that kath-khuni is sustainable design.
The key factors in sustainable architectural eco-systems relating to wood-and-stone
vernacular ( Kath-khuni) architecture of Himachal Pradesh (fig.13)are: The use of
local materialsLocal transport and processing of raw materials (wood and stone
preparation) The building planned according to the local terrain Construction uses
local labour and specialist local craftspeople The design of houses and granaries is
flexible for the size and resources of each family The building system from the
smallest joinery to great roofs and balconiesis earthquake proof. This is a
requirement with the high possibility of seismic activity in the mountainous areas
The kath-khuni technique can be applied to the smallest structure like a granary to
the large scale institutional buildings like temple complex and Darbargadhs
(residence of kings and queens) traditionally construction was taken on in a barter
system. Raw materials and local labor were traded for other goods and services in
an elaborate exchange that was not based on currency.

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Pic 13 Rendered view of kath-khuni house

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3.b. Kath-khuni architecture: an endangered system in present time

At the same time as I can see compelling examples of the viability of kath- khuni
architecture as a sustainable eco-system, I see that the society and the landscape is
rapidly changing and not necessarily for the better (pic.14). The question that gets
raised in these circumstances is that why is kath-khuni architecture becoming an
endangered system?

Pic 14 New constructions using new materials like concrete and metal in Jubbal Village.

Few apparent reasons are:

Roads and Government infrastructure are rapidly changing the Himachal Pradesh
landscape. Previously inaccessible areas have become part of the mainstream
overnight.
There is a continuously changing use of building. For example grain storage (the
principal use of granaries for generations) has been replaced
with the storage of apples for selling in urban markets. More and more young
villagers are leaving the area for higher education, jobs in urban centres and
alternative forms of income generation. This breaks the link of the system of passing
the empirical knowledge from one generation to another resulting into loss of oral
tradition.
At the same time there is a natural desire by locals to have 21st century amenities
including electricity, plumbing and internet connectivity as well as insertion of popular
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style of furniture. This is a natural social evolution that has impact on the architecture
because the kath-khuni buildings are not necessarily easy to convert.
The government has put great restrictions on allotment of trees to local people.
There is no consistent policy of reforestation so that the deodar trees required for
construction are simply no longer available.

With the coming of roads and a cash economy, there has been wholesale
removal of natural resources of Himachal Pradesh by outside forces.
An insensitive invasion of water resources has occurred with the tapping of
hundreds of small and medium scale hydro-electric projects that are below the radar
screen in terms of their being assessed for environmental impact.
The idea of the pukka house by the local results into construction in reinforced
cement concrete (RCC) but due to lack of knowledge of this material, the aspect of
seismic design is lost.
There is an increased use of imported, often inappropriate building materials to
replace highly valued and increasingly unavailable local materials.
With the migration of villagers away from their homes, there is an increasing loss of
knowledgeable labour for construction trades. There is minimal knowledge of the
daily life in the villages, so that decisions about the region and the village are often
made in faraway cities without knowledge or consent of local people.
There is a lack of communication between institutions and organizations trying to
preserve kath-khuni and the needs of the local people.

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4. Epilogue
How does all of this apply to cities?
Through our study of kath-khuni, we can come to know how to build a village or a
community habitat from the ground up and to map living at home. If a similar approach is
applied in cities, a great deal of more information about the lives of people staying where
change is happening will come forward. Community participation, action research and
citizen design teams need to be part of all types of change. The indigenous knowledge of the
villagers we met works with everything from their basic habitation needs to how they
accept new opportunities for social interaction and how they incorporate contemporary
design into their lives.
We need to spend more time with the inhabitants of cities, with families, workers and
locallabourers to understand their vision of the future. When we recognize local peoples
needs, aesthetics and community values as well as the practical requirements for a safe and
meaningful home then we will be able to have an inclusive architecture. By building
knowledge and respect we will build communities. Only when we include all of the people
(fig.20) will we be able to fight for continuity of habitable and humane architecture

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6. References
Bronner, Simon J., Building tradition: control and authority in Vernacular in
Architecture
Architecture in the 21st Century: Theory, Education and Practice. Asquith L &
Vellinga M.(eds.) Taylor and Francis. 2005: 23-45
Dasgupta, Arunava, The Himalayan Vernacular An architectural journey towards its
future (Report of the Government of Himachal Pradesh), 2005 (G.G.S.Indraprastha
University).
Jain M and Singh I, Traditional Architecture and Planning Techniques in Himachal
Pradesh in Journal of The Institution of Engineers (India), July 2004

Photo Credits:
All Photos are clicked by the author unless specified.

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