about jammu architecture

1. HIGHLAND DOUBLE STOREY HOUES
IN JAMMU-KANGRA REGION
RAMEES RAZA MU

2. HOUSING PATTERN IN THE JAMMU-
KANGRA REGION
In this south-facing zone, the climate largely remains
subtropical and humid in the rolling structural basin of
the Jammu-Kangra region and the undulating Kyarda
Doon, but at higher elevations on the mountain slopes,
a temperate ambience predominates. This area is richly
wooded with subtropical deciduous and temperate
greenery.

3. The Linear House
 In the houses with a linear layout, there are normally two rectangular
rooms on the ground floor
 These rooms on the ground floor are known as the obara On the first floor,
usually a large oblong room is made, but there also could be two rooms
corresponding to the arrangement on the ground floor, depending upon
the resources and requirements of the family.
 The rooms on the ground floor are entered through the open fronting
veranda, which in fact, is an open platform at the plinth level. Each room
has a separate door (bbert) and a window (diari).

4.  The accommodation on the first floor is usually used for storing grains and other
household items.
 For most part of the year, the family is confined to the accommodation on the
ground floor. However, living on the ground floor during the rainy season is
considered injurious to health. Therefore, people shift to the upper floor during
that period, especially for sleeping during the night.
 The linear house generally has a gabled roof (dhalwan chat), covered with slates,
but thatched roof (chbanan) is also common on the linear houses.
 In front of the house, a sunken and paved rectangular courtyard (khwala) is
maintained. It is always kept well-trimmed and neat.

6. The L- and U-shaped Houses
 The 'L' shaped house is only an improvement over the house with a linear
layout. In fact, the L-shaped house is raised on a linear layout up to the
plinth level. Beyond
 that, the superstructure is raised to a double storeyed height in an L-shape
In addition to what has been noted above with reference to the linear
house-type, as oblong room is added to one side of the house to form an
L-shaped superstructure
 This additional room runs through the entire width of the building
(including the opeN veranda) on one side.
 The room over the byre serves as a lumber-room for storing fodder,
agricultural implements, and so on.

7.  There are a few houses with the regular 'L-shaped layout at Chauntra and
the villages around. Such houses have covered verandas on both the
floors, from which the rooms behind are accessed through the doors or
bheet.
 Access to the first floor is provided through a regular single flight or a
doglegged wooden staircase (sangah) from one corner of the veranda.
 In such regular 'L'-shaped houses, there is no provision for the byre, and
the cattle are tethered in a separate shed, away from the house.
 'U'-type house is an improvement over the 'L'-type as another wing is
added to the 'L'. type layout to form a 'U'-type layout. With the exception
of a few 'U'-type traditional buildings, such houses are rare not only in this
area, but in the entire Himalayan region. A typical example of the 'U'-type
edifice may be the ancient castle-palace at Kotkhai in the interiors of
Shimla Hills .

8. The Chowki-type House
 A house built on a quadratic (rarely rectangular) layout, enclosing a
spacious and open paved courtyard (angan), is known as the chowki. The
angan is a central and important part of a chowki, where all the family
functions are performed.
 In the center of a chowki an elevated ornamental vase is made, in which
basil plants (tulsi) are grown. Adjoining the tulsi vase, a small one-piece tri-
stepped votive stone, known as the mandala, is installed.
 On the top surface of the mandala, a stylized lotus device is carved to form
a magic diagram (Sanskrit term - mandala). This tri-stepped votive stone
may be a popular rendition of the classical Buddhist stupa. The married
women of the house are required to perform pooja and offer water to the
tulsi and mandala every morning.

9.  The chowki-type house essentially is a four-winged double storeyed
structure, with all the four wings having a spacious running veranda on
both the floors, facing inwards.
 veranda on the ground floor is locally known as the otta, and the one on
the first floor, known as the paura it is artistically chiselled and carved
pedestal stones (kursi), chiseled to form stylized pots, are placed at the
required spacing.
 On the outer edges of the running veranda on the first floor (paura), an
ornamental wooden railing (binag) is provided between the wooden posts.
 Entry to the chowki is provided through a gap left in one of the wings. It is
called praur. Such passage opens into the central courtyard, and one is
required to climb up to the veranda to enter into the rooms.

10.  The chowki-type house is an elaborate building, with a number of rooms
on each wing of both the floors. The size of the rooms on both the floors is
identical.
 All the rooms of a chowki have separate doors to enter through the
fronting veranda on both the floors.
 The size of a chowki and the interesting woodwork and stonework in it,
which in some cases is very artistic and profuse, may speak volumes about
the economic affluence and prosperity of the person.
 structural changes have been made to meet the requirement of the family
under the altered conditions, thus distorting the traditional character of
the architecture.
 The chowki-type houses in Chauntra, as elsewhere in the Jammu-Kangra
region, belong to the prosperous Sood, Mahajan, Gupta and Khatri, all
belonging to the business community.

11.  Reference and photos: Himalayan traditional architecture; O.C Hota.