This slides is about vernacular architecture of kirati (one of the ethnic group of Nepal). The content sources are provided on reference slides!

1. KIRATI ARCHITECTURE
PREPARED BY
DIBYESWORI SINGH
KUSUM DAHAL
SAJINA

2. HISTORY:
Mongolia
China
Burma
Assam
Nepal

3. LOCATION AND
SETTELMENT AREA:
Altitude – 300 to 2000 meters.
Most of landscape remains
hillside.
Settelment area at dhankuta
municipality. (dadagaun,
pangsing,telunala, thoka)

4. GEOGRAPHY:
 Rais are Found in Dhankuta district in the steep hills south of the
dhankuta bazaar
 These settlements grew on the banks of Tamor river and dudh koshi river
which now flourished towards Dharan, more precisely due to
urbanization and the Regimental economy
 The climate in the dhankuta is cool to warm. Temperature recorded are
32C and -4C resp.
 The altitude of dhankuta ranges from 800m to 2500 m asl.
 On average 118 days of rainfall are recorded in a year

5. INTRODUCTION:
 Kirat as an ethnic group is a matriarchal society.
 Female were regarded as the powerful member imposing the
authority upon male and everything
 They make a separate place for old woman. The place is called
Macchhakamana also known ‘a corner of old woman’.
 There are mainly four sub types under the ethnic group Kirat.
They are:-
1. Rai
2. Sunuwar
3. Yakha
4. Limbu

7.  Rais are dominant type of kirat
 They have settled west of the Arun River
in altitudes between 4,300 and 7,400 feet
above sea level.
 Rai houses-constructed on stilts and
woven out of bamboo and reed.
 Settlements - quite compact, with the
porches of the neighboring houses
practically touching and narrow passages
lead between the houses
 Packed with mud like the entire house
floor, including the front elevation of the
house, the porch is a viable work area. As
the structures are only one story high

8. SOCIO ECONOMIC ACTIVITY:
 They feed their cattle and perform in house and outside chores of the house
 For cultivation & use of tools and techniques, prefer traditional ways in agricultural
process, lack of manpower for the construction process.
 Male members opt for foreign countries like gulf countries for job
 They become armies and Lahures. If they don’t get chance to at foreign areas they
become army in their own country

9. SOCIO-CULTURAL
ASPECT:  Sakela is the main festival
of Kirat people.
 During this, people from
different age group meet
at a place and dance
together by playing
different traditional
musical instruments.
 They wear Kirati dress
while performing Sakela
dance .It is celebrated in
every six month

10. CULTURAL BELIEVES:
 Kirat people are Worshipper of Nature.
 Sumnima and Parohang are worshipped as the primordial
parents.
 Their holy scripture is Kirat Mundhum which is known as their
Kirat Veda.
 Mundhum is not found in written form.
 They worship their forefathers.

11. RITUALS:
 Nwaran
 Paasni
 Bratabandha
 Gunyu Cholo
 Marriage
 Death

12. BUILDING
MATERIALS:  Houses are made of
stone, mud packed,
wood & washed with
white and orche mud.
 Roofs are made of
‘khar’ a type of straw.
Nowadays, khar is
replaced by tiles, CGI
sheets.
 Paints- kamero at
exterior wall, cow
dung and mud mix at
floor and red mud at
interior and exterior
wall.

13. ARCHITECTURAL
EXPRESSION:
 The facades - decorated with
geometric ornaments and “flowers of
luck” designs, and images of gods as
expression of worship to reward the
house with prosperity.
 Some of the houses have adjacent to
them fine fenced vegetable gardens.
 It is entered via a small porch,
constructed like the balcony above it
out of timber or bamboo.

14. BUILDING
PLANNING:  The main living and
sleeping area,
including the kitchen
hearth, is on the
ground floor
 Grain, seeds, tools,
and different sorts of
family valuables are
ordinarily stored on
the second
 Cattle is kept in
shelters built in the
vicinity

15. Types of built form
PANGI
• Houses of the Athpahariya Rai
• Day to day usage
• Square plan
• Four way slope placed triangularly
• Encloed by bushes, flowers and sheds used for domestic aimals

16. sssssss

18. pangbhitra
• Interior wall is painted in red mud and
daily coated with cow dung
• Activities of cooking, sleeping and
keeping things domains this area

19. pangbhitra
Three stone make up the chulo for the
kitchen

20. Pangbhitra/sanghar
• Sanghar is indoor space except pangghar
• Space consist of wooden staircase and open
room
• Used to keep agricultural stuff, water pots etc.

21. sikuwa
• sikuwa exist between the again open
courtyard and sanghar
• Serve as the siting, meeting and chatting space

22. Aggan/ front courtyard
• Space is enclosed by house and
animal shed at sides of terrace
• Use: day to day life for family
purpose and dancing, eating feast,
singing and performing other rituals
in fesitvals.

23. Derapang, cultural house
• built to serve the place to gather
in festivals and important dates
• Communal building to provide
space for community meetings
and gatherings
• Different musical instruments and
costumes used in festivals, rites
and rituals are stored

24. Disaster and climate resistance
• 118 days of average rainfall of Dhankuta is
saved by four way sloped thatch roof
• Thick external wall is sufficient to insulate
against cold winter and hot summer
• Low height and overhanging provides shade
as well as protection for mud mortar from
being washed by rain
• Less opening and symmetrical square plan of
the building makes the building stable during
earthquake

25. settlement
 Village size ranges from 10-15
houses to 50-70 houses
 Villages hold around population
of 100-200 people
 Villages situated at walking
distance o about 15 to 20
minutes
 Houses are not clustered and
densely packed but scattered at
about 8-10 minutes walking
distance

26. Settlement planning
• Dispersed and semi compact houses
• Houses are scattered at the edges of
the field and t=at the small terraces
between the large fields
• Major components of settlement:
I. House
II. Animal shed
III. Garden
IV. Agricultural fields
V. Waterspout (natural)
VI. Chautari (natural not planned)
VII. Pathways
VIII. Water canals

27. REFERENCES:
 https://www.slideshare.net/sumanlimbusubbayakthumbu/architecture-of-
athpahariya-50685367
 THE MAN AND HIS HOUSE
 People Different types of ethnic group of Nepal

28. THANK YOU