North - Arch. of Kashmir

VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
IN INDIAN CONTEXT
Northern region - Kashmir
The vernacular architecture of Kashmir is evolved through
ages, along with the various architectural styles of the past
such as:
• Buddhist & Hindu period - Stone architecture

• Islamic rule - building in wood, prevailing under
• Mughal period - Stone architecture
From the point of view of residential architecture, Kashmir
can be divided into:
Rural
1. Valley Regions
Urban
High-Elevation
2. Hilly Regions
Low-Elevation
A number of building systems in various parts of Kashmir have
developed over time to accommodate local natural and
cultural factors, including the impact of earthquakes.
Commonly used buildings materials:
Stone, mud, bricks and wood for roofing as well as walling

and thatch.
The most common building systems in Kashmir were brick or stone

walls. Some of them timber framed, with timber and mud roofs.
Three different settlement pattern exist
in Kashmir region.
1. Temporary Structures (Kaccha Huts)
2. Semi permanent Structures (Doonga - House

Boat)
3. Permanent Structures ( Rural house , Dhajji

Dewari and Taq Construction)
I. TEMPORARY STRUCTURES
(KACCHA HUTS)
- seen in deep rural areas
- Initially built with mud

and wooden members
and the construction is
of temporary in nature.
II. SEMI PERMANENT STRUCTURES
(DOONGA OR HOUSE BOAT)
The means of transportation became the places of

accommodation for tourists and British officials (Buying of land by
outsiders was prohibited then.) - One of the important typology of
residences.
Boat houses ranges from temporary shikara to palatial, complex

residential boats.
III. PERMANENT STRUCTURES
1. Gujjar house
(used by shepherds and are found along the Banihal pass

and on mountain slopes).
2. Typical rural house
3. Urban Houses (Dhajji Dewari and Taq Construction).

1. GUJJAR (SHEPHERD) HOUSE.
- A simple earth-sheltered structure built entirely from locally

available building materials.
- Made by partially cutting into the mountain slope and

raising earth walls to enclose a rectangular space.
- The flat roof is made

of earth supported on
timber beams.
The house is divided into
three parts:
• Front part - all daytime

activities take place (the only
part with natural light),
• One part - cattle,
• Inner part - for the

family (for cooking and sleeping).
2. RURAL HOUSE
• Two or three floors

high.
• Materials used are

earth and timber.
• Sloping roof covered

with paddy thatch.
• The two lower floors are fully enclosed with walls, the top
floor is open under the gable.
• Ground floor - used for housing cattle and for storage of

fodder
• First floor - main living room (winter) and kitchen.
• Second floor – (well-ventilated space under the gable) used for

storage of fuel wood and summer living room.
3. URBAN HOUSES
i. Dhajji -Dewari - Timber
Braced (patch-quilt) System
• Braced timber framed

structural system.
• 4-9 inch thick brick or

stone masonry - used to
infill the gaps left in
between the braces.
• The floors were supported

on wooden joists.
‘Dhajj’ - ‘patchwork quilt’ This construction type has shown
enough resistance to earthquakes
when compared to plain masonry
structures.
A Dhajji wall is strong because:
• The small panels distribute the

A Dhajji house is a patchwork earthquake energy evenly.
of timber and stone • The friction between all the small
elements and their in- fills breaks down
the energy.
• Lot of small cracks which are not

dangerous.
• Large destructive cracks become

very rare.
ii. Taq system of Advantages:
construction
• Extensive use of
wood with
• 2 1/2 -3 ft. thick brick excellent joinery to
masonry piers supporting bear excessive
wooden floor beams snowfall and load.
(basic structural system).
• Lack of bonding
between the infill
• Taq - the distance walls and the piers
between two brick piers
normally around 3-4 ft • Use of clay instead
and (basic structural of mortar -gives an
bay). elastic bonding to
the bricks, which
• The gap in between arranged in thick
square pillars, with
each taq - filled in with
thinner infill.
either a window opening
or brick masonry.
EVOLUTION OF BOAT HOUSES IN KASHMIR
Initially developed to transport

people and goods through the Dal
lake.
The traditional houseboats were

made by:
- tying together pieces of wood.
- palm leaves tied over bamboo
poles form the roof
The earlier settlers were fishermen having their dwellings on the
rivers.
Their boats were covered by thatch roofs, which were

converted into the Doonga boats over passage of time.
TYPES OF BOATS IN KASHMIR
Bahat and Khuch are the larger boats - used for transportation of
grain, hay and other merchantise.
Doongas - the small dwelling boats meant for residential purpose

(normally attached to main boat, are for servants reside and
cook for the guests).
Shikara or pleasure boat is similarly proportioned to doonga or

dwelling boat, but smaller in size.
The smallest, lightest and swiftest of all kashmiri boats is the

tsatawar.
DETAILS OF DOONGA
• Long, flat bottomed craft

usually 55ft (16.5m) in length
and 6ft (1.8m) in width.
• It is usually covered for more

than half of its length by a
light wooden roof about 6 ft
(1.8 m) high.
• The roof is sloping on either

side with a ridge in the
middle.
• The interior is divided by
pine planks.
• The front triangular space

on the deck is used as
entrance and the rear is
used as a wash space by
residents.
• In case of double storied

doonga, the wooden
ladder to the upper deck
is from inside the room.
Boat building in Kashmir is an ancient craft passed on from one
generation of master craftsman to the next .
The materials used to construct the boats are:
For smaller boats meant mainly for transportation are: palm leaves,
Thatches, matting, wooden shingles and slate materials.
For other residential

boats including
doonga, the
material used is
wood, normally
obtained from
deodar tree.

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VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

• Buddhist & Hindu period - Stone architecture

Commonly used buildings materials:

Stone, mud, bricks and wood for roofing as well as walling

The most common building systems in Kashmir were brick or stone

1. Temporary Structures (Kaccha Huts)

2. Semi permanent Structures (Doonga - House

3. Permanent Structures ( Rural house , Dhajji

- seen in deep rural areas

- Initially built with mud

The means of transportation became the places of

Boat houses ranges from temporary shikara to palatial, complex

(used by shepherds and are found along the Banihal pass

2. Typical rural house

3. Urban Houses (Dhajji Dewari and Taq Construction).

- A simple earth-sheltered structure built entirely from locally

- Made by partially cutting into the mountain slope and

- The flat roof is made

• Front part - all daytime

• One part - cattle,

• Inner part - for the

• Two or three floors

• Materials used are

• Sloping roof covered

• Ground floor - used for housing cattle and for storage of

• First floor - main living room (winter) and kitchen.

• Second floor – (well-ventilated space under the gable) used for

Braced (patch-quilt) System

• Braced timber framed

• 4-9 inch thick brick or

• The floors were supported

A Dhajji wall is strong because:

• The small panels distribute the

• Lot of small cracks which are not

• Large destructive cracks become

Initially developed to transport

The traditional houseboats were

Their boats were covered by thatch roofs, which were

Doongas - the small dwelling boats meant for residential purpose

Shikara or pleasure boat is similarly proportioned to doonga or

The smallest, lightest and swiftest of all kashmiri boats is the

• Long, flat bottomed craft

• It is usually covered for more

• The roof is sloping on either

• The front triangular space

• In case of double storied

The materials used to construct the boats are:

For other residential

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