Case study, sociological study of

communities with their habitat and built

environment

Group: 09
Group Members
181110210: LAVLEEN KOCHALE

181110201: ANUSHKA JAIN

181110231: SANSKRITI SIDDHA

Overview Introducing: Lorem ipsum
181110028: AYUSH NAGAR
Understanding the problems Spotlight on desktop

181110048: PRAKHAR SAXENA Spotlight on mobile

Project objective Spotlight on landscape view on mobile

Spotlight on wearables
181110004: ISHITA
Target VISHWAKARMA
audience Spotlight on tablet
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181110010: PRINCY
Market CHOURASIA
trends Spotlight on wearables

Cycle diagram Project timeline

 INDEX
1. Relationship between Architecture & Sociology
2. Case Study of Urban Habitat: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
3. Case Study of Rural Habitat: Kumaon, Uttarakhand
4. Case Study of Tribal/ Regional Habitat: Bheels
Overview Introducing: Lorem ipsum
Understanding the problems Spotlight on desktop
Spotlight on mobile

Project objective Spotlight on landscape view on mobile

Spotlight on wearables

Target audience Spotlight on tablet

Spotlight on landscape view on tablet

Market trends Spotlight on wearables

Cycle diagram Project timeline

Relationship between Architecture and Sociology
● Society provides the cultural basis for design and
interpretation. Culture within a given society is often not a
simply categorized element, being entwined on differing
levels through many social instances.
● The practice of architectural design captures the cultural and
societal influences relative to the specific design problem
and translates these influences into a structure which
embodies the culture.
● Architectural design provides the means to interpret societal
values, goals and concepts in a built form.
● At its core, architectural design is ideological in terms of how it
may support and enhance social viewpoints and ideas.
● Cultural beliefs are mirrored in the architectural
environment.
 1. Varanasi

Understandinge problems

Market trends
Cycle diagram
VARANASI DEMOGRAPHIC
Varanasi city is governed by Municipal Corporation
which comes under Varanasi Metropolitan Region.
The Varanasi city is located in Uttar Pradesh state of
India.
VARANASI RELIGION
● HINDU
● MUSLIMS
● CHRISTIAN
● SIKH
● BUDDHIST
● JAIN
● NOT STATED

● VARANASI METROPOLITAN AREA

Asapur, Bhagawanpur, Chandpur, Chhitpur,
Kakarmatta, Kotwa, Lahartara, Lerhupur,
Maheshpur, Maruadih, Maruadih Railway
Settlement (ITS), Phulwaria, Ramnagar, Salarpur,
Sarai Mohana, Shivdaspur, Sir Gobardhan,
Susuwahi and Varanasi.
ANCIENT CITY
• Varanasi grew as an important industrial centre, famous for its muslin and silk
fabrics, perfumes, ivory works, and sculpture.

• Buddha has founded Buddhism here around 528 BCE when he gave his first
sermon, "The Setting in Motion of the Wheel of Dharma", at nearby Sarnath.

• Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsiang visited the city around 635 CE.

• In 8th century, Adi Shankara established the

worship of Shiva as an official sect of Varanasi.

• The Kashi Vishwanath on the western bank of

the holy river Ganga is one of the twelve

Jyotirlingas, the holiest of Shiva Temples. The main The main

deity is known by the names Shri Vishwanath and

Vishweshwara.
MEDIEVAL CITY
• Several major figures of the Bhakti movement were born
in Varanasi, including Kabir who was born here in 1389, and
Ravidas. Guru Nanak visited Varanasi for Maha Shivaratri in
1507. Tulsidas wrote his epic poem on Rama's life called
Ram Charit Manas in Varanasi.
• The Grand Trunk Road(named later) built by Sher Shah
Suri passes through the city.
• In 1656, Aurangzeb ordered the destruction of many
temples including Vishweshwara, massacres of Hindus and
the building of mosques, causing the city to experience a
temporary setback.
MODERN CITY
• The region eventually ceded by the Nawab of Oudh to the Company Rule in India in 1775, who
recognized Benares as a family dominion.

• Benares became a princely state in 1911., with Ramnagar as its capital, but with no jurisdiction over
the city proper. The religious head, Kashi Naresh, has had his headquarters at the Ramnagar Fort
since the 18th century.

• Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya and Annie Besant founded the Central Hindu College, which later
became a foundation for the creation of Banaras Hindu University in 1916.

• Varanasi was ceded to the Union of India in 1947, becoming part of Uttar Pradesh after Indian
independence. Vibhuti Narayan Singh incorporated his territories into the United Provinces in 1949.

• Narendra Modi has represented Varanasi in the Parliament of India since 2014.
DIVERSIFIED CULTURE OF VARANASI
● Salvation: It’s a culture that many people in India believe that death in Varanasi would
cause salvation. Hence, people who are in the last stage of life get settled down there in
charitable dwellings or dharamshalas till their death.
● Pilgrim, Tourism and Festivals: Due to its historical and mythological importance
Varanasi had become a place of interest and religious faith.Maha Shivaratri, Dhrupad Mela
is a five-day musical festival devoted to dhrupad style held at TulsiGhat in
February–March. Nag Nathaiya is celebrated on the fourth lunar day of the dark fortnight
of the Hindu month of Kartik (October–November). The primary Muslim festivals
celebrated annually in the city are the ld-ul-fitr' (Ramzan), Bakrid, Mid-Sha'ban, Bara
Wafat and Muharram. Additional festivals include Alvida and Chehlum.
● Art: It is a producer of silks and brocades with gold and silver thread work, carpet
weaving, wooden toys, bangles made of glass, ivory work, perfumes, artistic brass and
copper ware and a variety of handicrafts. The cantonment graveyard of the British Raj is
now the location of Varanasi's Arts and Crafts.
● Literature: Renowned Indian writers who have resided in the city were Kabir, Ravidas, and
Tulsidas, who wrote much of his Ram CharitManas here. Later writers of the city have
included Acharya Shukla, BaldevUpadhyaya, BharatenduHarishchandra, Devaki Nandan
Khatri, Premchand, Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, Jaishankar Prasad, etc.
DIVERSIFIED CULTURE OF VARANASI
● Performing Arts:Notable artists (musicians and dancers) and historians who are
connected with the city include Thakur Jaidev Singh, Mahadev Prasad Mishra, Bismillah
Khan, Ravi Shankar, Girija Devi, etc.
● Food:Mainly vegetarian except some non veg dishes, very much influenced with Awadh,
Mughal, Bihar and West Bengal.Food has a specific Benarasi touch. High calorie food
with rich carbohydrates and fats. Deep fried food and milk products are majorlyused.
KachoriSabji, Chena, DahiVada, BaatiChokha or LittiChokha, ChoodaMatar, Dahi Chutney
Golgappe, TamatarChaat, BanarasiThandai and Lassi,etc.BanarasiPaan.
● Architecture: Most of the ancient architecture, including innumerable temples were
buried down in the soil. Rest is constructed in 18th and 19th century. For example : Man
Mandir and JantarMantar built by Sawai Man Singh, Chet singhghat, and Ganga Mahal
Ghat was built by the King of Gwalior in the early 19th century. Diversity of architecture
including Rajput, Maratha and British architecture.
1 2
Cornices and jail work. The Ganga Mahal
Ghat was built by the King of Gwalior in
the early 19th century.
3

Sandstone with ashlar masonary.

Sandstone, limestone and paints are used
oftenly, sometimes with Sharp blue, green
and red colours to create contrast.

4 5
THE DOM COMMUNITY
- Doms are a Bengali Hindu caste state of West Bengal, Odisha and Varanasi.

- Traditionally, Doms were basket-makers, cultivators, labourers

and drummers; their wives serving as midwives.

-In Varanasi, the Hindu holy city in Uttar Pradesh, the Dom perform the most

important task of cremation of dead bodies.

- Today, about 35 families from the community live around the town’s main

cremation grounds or “burning ghats” - Manikarnika ghat and Harishchandra

ghats

cover an area of about 7 square kilometres each, lining the banks of the Ganges,
because of the religious importance of the Ganga in cremation rituals.

- Dom Raja is the lord of Varanasi’s

famed cremation ghats.

SLUMS
● Varanasi has 227 slums spread all over the city,
either on government or private lands.
● Total population in slums is about 453.222,
which is about 37.69% of the total population.
● These 227 slums have formulated 21
Community Development Centres (CDC)
● In Varanasi city three major slums were
selected for study of livelihoods of the urban
slum dwelling households. These slums are
Bajardiha, Faruqui Nagar.
● Population in the slums varies from 200 to
almost 9,000 people
Slum wise socio-economic survey
Slum wise livelihood survey
Development of Slums
● Slum locations are spread all over the city
but major concentrations can be found in
the old city area near the ghats, areas near
small scale industries
● The main factor attributing to this
concentration is proximity to workplace. In
case of the old city area, the employment
generation due to religious and tourist
traffic.
● This is primarily due to lack of proper
infrastructural services in these areas
● This is leading to tremendous pressure on
the city infrastructure and resources.
The slum population in the city accounts for about 37 69% of the city population and
some of the factors, which are responsible for this, are:

● Maximum percentage of people living in the slums is employed with the MCV as Sajat
Karamcharis Labour employed with the Handloom industry account for the second
highest concentration followed by rickshaw pullers, which account for nearly 10 to 15% of
the slum population.
● The existing tourism base of the city creates opportunities for employment generation,
especially for unskilled labour.
● Lack of development opportunities
Housing conditions
● The housing conditions are marked with lack of natural light and ventilation inadequate
power supply
● The families have multiple division of property not just at plot level but at floor level with
narrow lane in front of such G+3 –G+4 houses of 8 – 12 household sizes .
● Minimum area for the infrastructure required for layout at residential neighborhood
level is not defined.
● Housing stock is not available to cater the increasing population.
● Overcrowding in the residential areas of the city.
● The city has major area under unplanned residential housing.
● New housing development schemes should be linked with proper transport facilities.
● The land allocated under residential use in the Master Plan 2011, shall be optimally used
to bridge the housing gap
Model 1

Built-up area - 34.40 Sqm.

Carpet area - 26.30 Sqm.

Model House Proposed

Construction Cost- Rs. 3,74,890/-

Model 2
Built-up area - 31.99 Sqm.

Carpet area - 25.31 Sqm.

Model House Proposed

Construction Cost- Rs. 3,41,699/-

Issues
● 50 % houses in slums are pucca with brick wall, PCC flooring whereas others people live
in Jhopris (Huts).
● Lack of sense of ownership among the residents facilities are looked upon as something
that has been provided by the government,
● Lack of piped water supply
● Lack of means of waste disposal
● breeding grounds for mosquitoes
● water and other sources
● Poor sanitation conditions due to clogged drains.
● collection of household waste water in open pits.
● Poor quality of water supply.
● Slums also lack toilet facility.
Infrastructure promoting Physical Fitness
(Playing Space, Parks and Greens)

● More than 15-20% space in the Slum has been reserved for green areas.
● Provision of tree guards for shrubs and trees along the internal roads of the Slum
● Well thought out plantation of trees along the boundary of the Slum and planting of out
flowing/out drooping creepers or bushes alongside enclosures
● Preservation of Pond as Park
ARCHITECTURAL REVOLUTION IN MODERN
ASPECTS
1. Sustainable Development of a Heritage City: Varanasi

● The main aim is to understand and analyze the growth and evolution, development
patterns and characteristics of a heritage city and to develop the broad proposals for the
sustainable growth of the city.
● A heritage city is an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or
seause.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A HERITAGE CITY
• A masterpiece of human creative genius; an important interchange of human values, over a
span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or
technology etc.
• A unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is
living or which has disappeared.
• A type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a)
significant stage(s) in human history.
• Directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with
artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance.
• Representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, or significant
geomorphic or physiographic features.
• Containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of
science or conservation.
GOALS,OBJECTIVES, STRATEGIES & TARGETS
Aim: To develop Varanasi as a sustainable heritage city.

Sector Wise Objectives

● City development and governance

● People and economy
● Environment
● Infrastructure
● Mobility
● Heritage
SCOPE

● Scope would vary from municipal area boundary to Planning area boundary
● Proposal pertaining to particulate aspect will go beyond municipal area boundary.
THE FOLLOWING SECTORS OF STUDY DIVIDED INTO TWO SEGEMENTS THE EXISTING
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS AND THE BROAD PROPOSALS:

1. City Profile
2. People and Economy
3. Mobility
4. Infrastructure
5. Heritage and Tourism
6. Environment

PROPOSALS

The city has been divided into five zones according to the characteristics of the city.

1. The Core Zone

2. The Trans Varuna Zone
3. The South Varuna Zone
4. The South Assi Zone
5. The Trans Ganga Zone
 ● Sustaining Heritage (Including Mobility Concerns of the City):
The pressures of tourism growth and city expansion have had a definite toll on the rich heritage of
the city. The natural heritage is degrading by the day, the built heritage left to dilapidation and
destruction. The ingenious skills and arts are dying.

● The highlights showed need for strategies and proposals that will help in sustaining the
heritage of the eternal city.
The city level proposals can be listed under various aspects listed below:

● Listing, conservation and management of unprotected structures:

● Conservation of Water Bodies (Kunds)
● Conservation and Reuse of Heritage Structures for Tourism Infrastructure
● Revival of the Panchkroshi Yatra Marg and Rural Area Redevelopment of Pilgrimage
Infrastructure at Night Halts
● Development of Tourism Circuit connecting major Places of Interest in and around City
● Development of Tourism Infrastructure
● Development of Mobility Systems to improve Accessibility to Heritage Areas and overall City
Movement
● Continuous Tourism Surveys
● Listing of Ghats and Riverfront Area into the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List
SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
The proposals for water supply and sanitation are phased into two phases, and based on
the analysis the proposals are categorized into :
● water supply
● sanitation
● drainage
● solid waste management

Environmental sustainability
The environmental issues in Varanasi have been broadly categorized into 4 main issues that
concern the city. They are Water Pollution, Poor Air Quality, Risk of Disasters and High Noise
levels.
2. Kumaon, Uttarakhand
 Case Study: Kumaon, Uttarakhand
● Kumaon is one of the two
regions and administrative
divisions of Uttarakhand, a
mountainous state of
northern India, the other
being Garhwal division.
● It includes the districts of
Almora, Bageshwar,
Champawat, Nainital,
Pithoragarh, and Udham
Singh Nagar.
● It is bounded on the north by
Tibet, on the east by Nepal,
on the south by the state of
Uttar Pradesh, and on the
west by the Garhwal region.
 Kumaon Uttarakhand: Communities
● Kumaoni villages consist of loosely grouped homes surrounded by farmlands.
● The villages are generally situated near rivers or springs, and the homes are connected
by footpaths. Like hill architecture all over, the houses in Kumaon are spread out in
clusters.
● Every house has space for cattle and storage and it's a close -knit lifestyle with
nature.
● The people of Kumaon are known as Kumaonis and speak the Kumaoni language.
Culture and Traditions of Kumaon:
Aipan art :
● The Aipan (Alpana) is a popular art form of Kumaon.
● Walls, papers and pieces of cloth are decorated by the
drawing of various geometric and other figures belonging to
gods, goddesses and objects of nature.
● Pichhauras or dupattas are also decorated in this manner.
'Aepan' or Aipan or Alpana is an art which has a special place
in all Kumaoni homes.

Folk Gods of Kumaon :

● The heroes of some long - forgotten age have later on become folk gods and they give
expression to the popular beliefs of the people.
● Each folk god has a separate story attached to his name and each one is remembered
through some peak, temple or jagar (a form of ritual folk poem).
● Kul Devatas (family gods), Gram Devatas (village gods), Naga Devatas (snake gods),
Bhumi Devatas (land gods) and Veers (the brave heroes) are worshipped.
● Some folk gods are- Naina Devi, Nanda Devi, Bholanath, Gwalla, Gangnath, Airy, Haru
and Kail-Bisht. Their motifs can be widely seen on the walls of temples and houses.
Culture and Traditions of Kumaon:
Culture and Traditions of Kumaon:
Occupation of the People of Kumaon:
● The women will generate a small income by selling the milk of their cows. It is hard earned
money.
● Most cows can’t be put out to pasture, they are fed with the grass and the leaves that the
women have to collect every day.
● Every evening you can see women cutting grass on steep slopes with small sickles and
carrying home big bundles of leafy twigs.
● Apart from these meagre sources of income there are the remittances from male family
members working in the lowlands, many in hotels and restaurants or as taxi drivers
● Many people in these regions are poor. Their fields are small, the soil of inferior quality, and
mostly there is no irrigation.
● Those who own larger fields with better soil grow vegetables, for which there is a market.
There are few jobs to be had apart from those in administration and teaching .
Village
Layout:
Kumaon
Layout of Villages: Kumaon
● The Primary path was
identified as the path along
which the main chowks were
located i,e was the main axis
path.
● It was further divided into the
secondary and tertiary paths.
● Voids were the spaces that
were formed between the
chowks from patches of cluster
of houses.
● Spaces like the courtyard that
act as the main areas of
gathering and interaction.
● The school and health centre
were located away from the
main center.
Elements of the village: Kumaon
● Small open spaces around the house act as
spaces of connectivity, where people gather
around during winters.
● Dute to the north orientation of the houses
the open spaces, receive ample of sunlight.
● The hierarchy of and division of spaces have
been formed due to the steep contours of the
village.
Elements of the village: Kumaon

"The courtyard is the

The village planning was along
The main axis path and the high
the contour. It expanded in both
level plinth act as main
the direction, on the north side of
gathering spaces
the hill
center of our origin slowly
other houses settle around
it. all ladies like to work
facing it all communal
activities and festivities
take place there."
-Rajshree
Villages in Kumaon region:
● Gallagaon Lower
Gallagaon , a hamlet 7 kms north of Lohaghat is
located in the Champawat district. It is located
17 kms towards North from District head
quarters Champawat. It constitutes of one
row-house kind building which holds central
position surrounded by various small
vernacular houses with pitched roof.

● Gallagaon Upper
It is situated on the edge of the main highway
and constitutes of couple of houses, a school
and a small temple. The houses are articulated
on the periphery facing the valley.
Kumaon Villages:
● Sheri
Sheri is situated a couple of kilometres from
upper Gallagoan. Many houses are of row-house
type, articulated on stepped topography in
alternate fashion facing the valley. The house
belong to carpenter and exhibits rich wood
carving on the facade windows.

● Devdi Mafi
A small village situated one hour away from
Gallagaon. The car goes till a certain point and
then the access to the village is by foot. Majority
of the houses are constructed using
Koti-banal construction technique except one
house which had column and extended
balcony staircase. This particular house
exhibits colonial features, like fretwork ceiling, a
dedicated kitchen , living room with fire space.
Kumaon Villages:
● Sui region villages
Many small independent twin row-house
type structures form this hamlet. The
houses appear frugal in nature and they
are made up of local wood and stone.

● Devgadha
A passing by village exhibiting single storey
structure. Major of the structures were
embellished with various wall paintings.

● Galchada
Galchada was a very interesting village on
the way to Gallagaon from Lohaghat. The
entire village composed of rich vernacular
houses made in koti-banal construction
style.
Kumaon Villages:
● Bhanar
Bhanar has a series of row-house and
independent houses. One peculiar feature
was that many of the houses have figural
paintings on the facade exhibiting figures
of gods/ godesses.

● Barakot
Barakot is situated on top of the hill
surrounded by higher hills. Hence village
enjoys views on all 360 degree. The entire
settlement is planned in a linear manner
with street in centre and houses on its
side. Narrow pedestrian street flanking
houses with eclectic style, exhibitory arched
windows and doors and balconies supported
on stone columns.
Housing of Kumaon
● Kumaon used to be ruled by the Chands, a land owning
family whose leaders assumed the title of ‘Raja’ and
resided in Champawat.
● The remains of their fort there are still to be seen as is
the temple complex, Baleshwar.
● In the middle of the 16th century the Chands moved
their capital to Almora.
● The tradition regarding the transfer of the Chand
capital there also points to Almora as being then
covered with timber.
● The Deodar wood is most commonly used in making
houses. The reasons being:
1. It is the most abundantly available timber in the
north-western Himalayan ranges.
2. Most suitable building material.
3. It is considered sacred as the word translates to
God-wood and known to be blessed by Lord Shiva.
The traditional Koti-Banal Architecture
● The origin of these structures can be traced from about 900 years ago and are
considered to be earthquake-resistant given that Uttarakhand is a high-seismic region.
● Locally available building materials such as long thick wooden logs, stones and slates
were judiciously used in Koti-banal architecture.
● The height of these structures varies between 7 and 12 m above the base platform
which consists of dry stones.
● A massive solid platform at the base of the structure helps in keeping the centre of
gravity and centre of mass in close proximity and near the ground.
● Architectural principles of Koti-banal architecture include:
1. Simple rectangular plan,
2. Use of horizontal wooden beams,
3. Low roof height,
4. Shear walls,
5. Small openings,
6. Projected balcony on the upper stories,
7. Solid raised platform at the base.
The traditional Koti-Banal Architecture
● The tradition of bright blue facades depict the impact of the colonial rule in history of
Kumaon.
● The Granary was located outside the house, close to their farmlands as then it was easier
to store grains and access it.
● The ground floor was occupied by the cattle, as the hay kept the house warm.
● Nakkashi or wooden carving, which is an integral part of buildings in Uttarakhand.
Nakkashi is a method of ornamentation in architecture of the place and had carvings of
animals, birds, flowers and ancient deities.
Koti-banal Vernacular Houses in Kumaon
● Settlements are usually linear blocks or individual
units.
● They are homesteads with agriculture lands
surrounding the settlement.
● The lower storey is low-ceilinged basement and
houses the cattle.
● The walls are made of local stone and wood and
daubed with mud. The stones are rectangular and
built as dry-stone walls without any mortar.
● The roof is of large slate stones supported by wooden
beams.
● The staircase is tucked on the front facade. It is usually
of stone and has 5-6 steps leading to the upper floor.
● The entrance porch is either open or covered with
cantilever upper floor. The peculiar feature of all these
houses is that they have a paved porch/ floor in the
front of the house where many activities spill over
during the day.
 Categories of Koti-banal house
Row Houses
● People of the same caste or family come to live
together and form linear settlements. Each long unit
belongs to a family.
● Such clusters are planned similarly for the family, the
structural walls are shared and has a common room
and common forecourt.
● Settlements are oriented to get maximum sun.

Individual Houses
● The houses have two levels where lower is used for
storage and animal stable and upper floors are used
for living.
● Small part of the upper floor is used as a fore-court
and the rest is used for dwelling unit which consists of
living area and the kitchen.
● A direct staircase is placed right at the entrance to
connect to the semi-covered space in the upper floor.
Construction details
● House foundation is usually
two feet deep and made of
stone.
● The houses are plastered
inside with mud and cow
dung.
● The two-story walls, with
built-in niches on the
interior side are
constructed of stone rubble
and wooden members.
● Occasionally, buildings have
stone treads that project
out from the house.
Construction details
● The timber projections on the first floor of the
house under the roof eaves serve as an
informal space for meeting, storing wood and
activity area; and on ground floor as a shed
where animal fodder is stored.
● The roof is supported on a wooden framed
structure which rests on the wood-and-stone
wall.
● A room for the cattle, is made on the ground
floor, and the heat generated from bovine
body keeps the above floors of the bedrooms
warm.
● All the materials are locally sourced and the
construction by the owners of the house with
the help of their near relatives.
● In case of a row house, as the family members
increase a newer module is made next to the
old one.
 House 1: Single Storey Row House in
Gallagaon village
● This is one of the most prominent building in
Gallagaon. This row house has multiple owners
and is one of the very old house in the village.
● Gaushalas are located at the ground floor and
some of them are vacant.
● Wood-and-Stone walls are used for elements,
floor and roof construction. Mud lipan is
applied on wood to protect it from termite.
● Each module in this house is similar to the
other.
● The module is further divided into two parts,
front part is a passage and second part is a
room.
● The room also has divisions where one part
acts as kitchen and living and other part is
used for storage.
House 1: Single Storey Row House in Gallagaon village
Parts of a Single Storey Row House in Gallagaon village
 House 2: Two Storey Row House in
Sheri village
● House is built by family of carpenter and
displays high level of workmanship in
carving and details.
● More than 13 families are residing here. Lower
floor is gaushala, middle floor is living area,
storage and top floor is kitchen. Balcony on the
top floor is used as a common spillover area
and the front porch is used for many religious
functions.
● House has grown from one module to four and
access to the house is from both the sides.
● Walls thickness vary as we move up- reduces
by 6”.
● Slate roof is supported by wooden structure.
● The floor and rest of elements are made of
locally sourced wood. This house has survived
the forces of cloudburst and landslide.
House 2: Two Storey Row House in Sheri village
Development of house over a period of time:
House 2: Two Storey Row House in Sheri village
 House 3: Independent Single house with
balcony in Gallagaon village
● This independent house belonged to a single owner, who was also known for his gambling
skills in the village.
● The bottom layer is gaushala, the middle floor is bedroom and top floor is kitchen and
resting area.
● A cactus plant located on the ridge of the roof is a common practice observed in all
houses. Balcony is supported on stone column structure. Certain areas of the house were
not accessible to female researchers of our team.
House 3: Independent Single house with balcony in Gallagaon village
 Shifting Ideologies of the people
● The family structure has shifted from joint families to nuclear
families.
● The triple storey-houses which were mostly constructed in old
stone wood, have now been divided, and each family has been
allocated different floor, each having a seperate entrance the
top levels are difficult for old people to axis due to narrow
passage.
● The ground floor was generally occupied by cattle, as the dry
hay helped to keep the house warm, but with increase in
population the ground floor is now occupied by families.
● The lack of skills and materials required for making the local
building materials like roof tiles, timber beams etc., has
"We prefer the new
resulted in a shift from traditional wood-stone houses to
RCC construction
modern-day RCC structures. methods as there is a
● The urbanization trends have led to a modern approach of lot of restriction on
livelihood which caused a significant decrease in Koti-banal stone and wood”
wooden houses in the village. - Satish
 case study on

TRIBAL/REGIONAL
COMMUNITY

BHEELS Bhils or Bheels are an Indo-Aryan speaking ethnic group in

West India. They speak the Bhil languages which is a
subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages.
In 2013, Bhils were mentioned as the largest tribal group in
India. contributing to 1.1 percent of the total population
TRIBES...
According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India, a tribe is a collection of families bearing a common name,
speaking a common dialect, occupying or professing to occupy a common territory and is not usually
endogamous, though originally it might have been so.

As per the definition of Oxford Dictionary "A tribe is a group of people in a primitive or barbarous stage
of development acknowledging the authority of a chief and usually regarding themselves as having a
common ancestor”.

India is known as a Melting pot of tribes and races. After Africa India has the second largest
concentration of tribal population within the world. Approximately there are about 698 Scheduled
Tribes that constitute 8.5% of the India’s population as 2001 censes.

In India aboriginal tribes have lived for 1000 of years in forests and hilly areas without any
communication with various centers of civilization. Now, there is a need to integrate tribes in to main
stream of the society as a rightful member with respect.
 CHARATERISTICS OF TRIBES...

• They have a definite geographical and Social area.

• Lives on Hilly or Forest area.
• An integrated social organization on the basis of primarily on blood
relationships.
• Cultural homogeneity is the main characteristic of tribal community.
• They have a common Dialect with a shared folk-lore.
• Hierarchy among men and groups is absent.
• Instrument of social bonds among tribes is Kinship.
• Absence or Lack of strong, complex, formal organization.
• Communitarian basis of land holding.
• Segmentary character.
• Little value on additional accumulation on the use of capital and on market
trading
• Lack of distinction between forms as well as substance of religion
• A distinct psychological view towards enjoying life
INTRODUCTION

Bhils are popularly known as the bow men of

Rajasthan. They are the most widely distributed
tribal groups in India.
They forms the largest tribe of the whole South
Asia.
Bhils are mainly divided into two main groups the
central or pure bills and eastern or Rajput Bhils.
The central Bhils are found in the mountain
regions in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan while Rajput
Bhils are found in the north eastern parts of
Tripura.
Their major concentration being in the districts of Panchmahal and
Vadodara in Gujarat; Ahmadnagar; Aurangabad, Dhule, Jalgaon and
Nasik in Maharashtra; Dhar, Jhabua, Khargaon and Ratlam in Madhya
Pradesh; and Banswara, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Dungarpur, Kota and
Udaipur in Rajasthan..
There are numerous references on them in the Puranas. In the epic
Mahabharata, they are connected with Eklavya. Historically, they ruled
over the territories of Southern Rajasthan, through the rulers like
Dungariya (Dungarpur), Bansia (Banswara), Kotea (Kota), and Deawa
(Udaipur). They used to be considered as the most trustworthy soldiers
and watchmen. In the book Ain-i-Akbarl, the author Abul Fazal wrote
about Bhils that they are the most industrious and law-abiding people.
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
The Bhils are the mountain-dwellers. They live in the hilly
and mountainous areas of the Aravallis, Vindhyan and
Satpura ranges.
In fact. their main concentration is in the areas of isolation
and relative isolation.
The climate of their abode is monsoonic, recording the
highest mean maximum temperature (35'C) in the month
of June and the lowest mean minimum temperature 18'C
in the month of January.
Mid-June to September is the period of general rains
resulting from the monsoon of Arabian Sea.
About 30 per cent of their territory is forested, but the
forests are being shrinking at a faster pace. The denuded
hills, eroded soils and removal of forest cover are creating
many problems for the growing population of the Bhils.
 The dwellings of bhil tribe is made up of mud, weeds,
bamboo ,wood and clay tiles
A typical house consists of following spaces
1. aangan (front open space)
2. shaded meeting room (living)
3. Kitchen partitioned or semi partitioned
The livelyhood of these tribes fundamentally depends on
natural forest products and interdependancy in clan
ranging from medication to shelter, food to utilitiy, and so
on.
presently majority of the population practice agriculture
and animal husbandary that too limited to their basic
requirements.
there is enough technical alternatives derived from natural
and varnacular methods to achieve and satisfy daily
requirements.
ASPECTS

Religion practice among the Bhils differ from place to place. Most of them worship local deities like
Khandoba. Kanhoba. Bahiroba. and Sitalmata.
Some of the worship Tiger God called 'vaghdev They have no temples of their own.
They consult Badvas -the hereditary sorcerers on all the occasions. Bhils are highly superstitious
tribal people. They have Bhagat or Gurus who perform the religious rites.
They have village headsmen, who deals with their disputes.
Bhils strictly follow rules and regulations.
They marry only in their own classes. Their close relationships are tightly based on mutual love and
respect.
They have rich cultural history and gives much importance to dance and music. Ghoomar is the
most famous dance among the Bhils. Than Gair is the religious dance drama performed by the
men in the month of Sharavana (July and August).
The Bhils are organized into a number of patrilineal exogamous groups or clans.
Each clan is distinctively named and consists of the totality of related individuals from the same
ancestors. The clans among the Bhils are generally named after plants or animals to which the clan
members ascribe their origin.
The tribe is thus sub-divided into a number of clans, each clan based on a
common descent, and the members of each clan live for the most part in
separate pals or villages, and observe the rules of exogamy.
Each clan has its own totems. The totem may be a plant, tree or animal.
All clan members invoke their respective totemic gods and goddesses
during domestic difficulties or on the occasion of the performance of
ceremonies.
Marriage among the Bhils is not a sacrament. For a Bhll, both male and
female, getting married is a mark of adulthood and maturity.
As agriculturists, they require the assistance of helpers whom they get in
the form of wife and children. Young or old, a Bhil must have a wife and
he does obtain one either through an arranged marriage or through
elopement.
The exorbitant amount of brideprice compels the poorer Bhils to have
the elopement form of marriage.
Widow marriage is in vogue. The widow marries only after the mourning
period of the deceased husband is over. Traditionally, the Bhils practice
polygamy.
PROBLEMS

• Land Alienation
• Forests & Tribals and Displacement
• Indebtedness, Poverty and Unemployment
• Health, Nutrition and lack of Health care
services, Infrastructure and Medical staff
• Lack of Educational services, Infrastructure,
Human Resources
• Identity, Cultural Problems and diffusion
• Concept of Private Property
• In-Migration of other communities
• Language Problem because of unwritten
form.
• Problem of separatism
 TRIBAL STRUGGLES

Numerous uprisings of the tribals have taken place beginning with the one
in Bihar in 1772 followed by many revolts in Andhra Pradesh, Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, Assam, Mizoram, Arunachal-Pradesh and Nagaland. In the
19th century there were important tribes revolts involved in Mizos (1810), Kols
(1795 & 1831), Kacharis (1839), Santhals (1853), Daflas (1875), Mundas (1889),
Khasi and Garo (1829), Nagas (1844 & 1879), Muria Gonds (1886), and Konds
(1817).

After independence: The struggle of tribals may be classified into three

groups:

• Due to exploitation of the outsiders.

• Due to economic deprivations
• Due to separatist/isolated tendency
 SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
1. Equality before Law (Article 14)
2. The state has to make special provisions for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward
classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Tribes and others.
3. Equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office
under the state (Article 16).
4. For reservation in appointment, posts in favour of any backward class citizens which in the opinion of the
state is not adequately represented in the services under the state (Article 16[4]), in matter of promotion to
the scheduled tribe (Article 16 [4A]).
5. A National Commission for Scheduled Castes and scheduled Tribes to investigate, monitor and evaluate all
matters relating to the constitutional safeguards provide for the STs (Article 338).
6. Appointment of a commission to report on the administration of the Scheduled Areas and the Welfare of
the Scheduled Tribes in states (Article 339).
7. Appointed by the Govt. of India, the commission has to investigate the conditions of socially and
educationally backward classes and to make recommendations to remove their difficulties which they faced
during their work (Article 340).
 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
1. The state to promote with special care the
educational and economic interests of the weaker
sections of the people, scheduled tribes in particular
and protect them from social injustice and all forms of
exploitation (Article 46).

2. The claims of the members of the ST in the

appointments to services and posts in connection with
the affairs of the union or of a state to be taken into
consideration consistent with the maintenance of
efficiency of administration (Article 335).
CONCLUSION
The Bhils, as a tribal group in the Bhils territory have
covered a long journey from subsistence economy to a
competitive economy, from isolation to involvement in
the local mainstream and for lawlessness to a law-
abiding community.
Any group, tribal or non-tribal, needs some socio-
cultural identity. And, therefore, if we find any thing
particular about the Bhils, it is their mark of
identification. Without it they cannot survive as a
cultural group. At present, a social movement is going
on to bring them in the national stream. The Bhils are
being mobilized to live in compact villages. This will
help in overcoming many of their socio-economic and
cultural problems.