Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS), Bhopal, has displayed an exhibit ‘Kothi’, a traditional house type of Himachal Pradesh, with its basic information, photographs and videos on the social media platforms of the Museum. It is part of an online exhibition series - 20.
Director of the museum Praveen Kumar Mishra said the construction of such old pattern stone and wood houses is almost vanished and replaced by the structures made of bricks, cement and steel. This traditional architecture knowledge prevalent in the Himalayan region is also on the verge of extinction.
The wooden and stone gate called his exhibit in the museum is a unique example of folk knowledge and tradition. This house also shows that the traditional architecture of the Himalayan region is based on ecology and the available resources. Their construction is suitable to the people of the area, Mishra said.
Officer in charge of the exhibition and assistant Curator, R M Nayal stated that the traditional house type exhibited in the ‘Himalayan Village’ open-air exhibition of the IGRMS was collected from Delath village of Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh. This is one portion of the palace of the then king of Delath. It was brought to the museum along with all its material after dismantling and was reinstalled here by the artists from Himachal Pradesh itself.
This double storied house is very interesting and unique and is made up of a different type of wood and stone. Walls of the house are made with cut stones whereas the upper floor is made of wood; the two-layered ceiling consists of a wooden roof which is covered with stone slates. The first floor of the house has nearly two feet wide wooden corridors on both left and right sides, and both sides are usually used for sitting purposes.
There is a wooden staircase inside the house for access to the upstairs. It is mostly used during rains or snowfall. Parol in front of the house is a common trend which enhances the beauty of the house and courtyard, Nayal said.
