RURAL HOUSE TYPES IN INDIA

PRESENTED BY JUTHIKA DEY

A ‘HOUSE’ is one of the three basic needs of mankind.

The architecture of Indian rural houses is mainly determined by:-
i) the commanding position occupied by the courtyard,
ii) the need to protect livestock and cattle, the harvest, the household
goods and the kitchen,
iii) the availability of local material for wall and roof.
THE FACTORS AFFECTING THE DISTRIBUTION OF
RURAL DWELLINGS
1. PHYSICAL FACTORS
A) CLIMATE This factor affects the distribution of rural housing. The
rainfall distribution in the district varies from west to east.
This is clearly observed in the construction of house roofs.
B) PHYSIOGRAPHY: The river basin area of the district has a large
number of rural settlements compared to hilly, hill foot and plateau areas
of the district. This shows the impact of physiography on the
distribution of rural dwellings.
C) WATER SUPPLY: For the establishment of any type of settlement
abundant supply of water is necessary.
2. SOCIO ECONOMIC FACTORS The economic diversity in the population
also affects the distribution. The economically poor, backward people
can afford poor huts generally built with thatch or burnt or unburnt
bricks, mud and thatch-roof or tin sheets. On the other hand, the rich
and middle class people have better residential buildings built of burnt
brick walls with cement .
HOUSE TYPES ACCORDING TO SIZE

• ONE ROOM
• TWO ROOM
• THREE ROOM
• FOUR ROOM
• FIVE OR MORE ROOM
HOUSE TYPES ACCORDING TO MATERIAL OF WALL

• BAMBOO,
• GRASS
• MUD
 • UNBURNT
• BRICKS
• WOOD
• BURNT
• BRICKS
• CEMENT
MATERIAL OF ROOF
• CEMENTS
• BRICKS
• ASBESTOS
• TILES
• GRASS

Based on their characteristic terrain, building resources , climate, our

country can be divided into the following regions :
1. Himalayan region,
2.Northern plains,
3.Central uplands,
4.Western arid plains,
5.Peninsular plateau,
6.Coastal regions, and
7.North-eastern region.

HIMALAYAN REGION
HIMACHAL PRADESH: Houses are divided into three or four rooms
depending on the size of family. Wood and stone are universally
employed in building materials in this state. Roofs are covered
with spilts slabs of wood.
PUNJAB & KASHMIR: In Punjab and parts of Kashmir, the villages
are raised on the high ground above surrounding countryside due
to convenience of water supply. The houses of Jats which are
generally long in shape, are built close together. They consists of
a covered gateway with side rooms or Paoli or Deorhi with opens
in the lane or street, within this entrance is an open square of
courtyard called Angan/ Sahan/ Bisala. The houses are generally
made of rough stones and mud. They are generally one storeyed.

NORTHERN PLAINS
WEST BENGAL: In West Bengal, a homested consists of four huts
arounding central courtyard. Sometimes, they are detached cattle sheds
outside the house. Two of huts forming living room, another is kitchen
and third is Baithankhana. The roofs are covered of thached and walls
consisted of bamboos.
BIHAR: In Bihar rural houses of the cultivators are, as rule, mud wall
huts, built of clay with mixture of broken pottery. There is no provision
of ventilation.
CENTRAL UPLANDS
MADHYAPRADESH: This state is inhabited by a number of tribes. The
Bhills is one such tribes. The houses of Bhils , made entirely of wood, is
built by himself. The roof is slanting and consists of thin rafters with
thatch of straw.
WESTERN ARID PLAINS
RAJASTHAN & HARYANA: As a general rule, the very light soil is not used
for the construction of mud roofs, roofs are made of thatch of Bajra, the
walls being made of mud. Such house is called Chappar or Kudi. Jhonpa
as the name indicates denotes the poor classes huts, a circular huts.
There is generally a smaller inner enclosure for the cattle called Behra.
GUJARAT: In Gujarat, the houses are mostly adjacent to each other.
Walls are made of burnt bricks, mud or timber. Tile is used for roofing.
In Gujarat, the huts are Scheduled casts are generally situated on the
outskirts of villages.
PENINSULAR PLATEAU
ANDHRAPRADESH: The houses are arranged in two continuous parallel
row. It is fashion to build the houses in a line, the roofs are thatched
with Chilam straw or Grass. The walls of the houses are frequently
decorated with neat devices in dots done in White Chunam (lime) with
the forefinger and thumber.
TAMILNADU: The villagers have settled in small hamlets of semi
permanent character. The Baadhaa of Nilgiri are not nomadic people.
They live in big huts, thatched with leaves. And their sides are covered
with logs of bamboo and mahua. But Kadars are nomadic people living in
a small communities.
COASTAL REGIONS
KERALA: The major portion of rural houses in Kerala is made of teak
wood. In Malabar coast several houses are more than 400 years old. They
are covered with palm leaves and teak wood. The houses are usually
divided into four parts, the Arappura ( main building), the Purippura (
gate house), the Takketu (southern portion) and the Vataketu ( northern
portion) which is the kitchen.
NORTH EASTERN REGION
PURVANCHAL: Assam and its adjoining north – eastern states constitute
Purvanchal. Except the Brahmaputra valley , the area is hilly with ups a
d downs. Shifting cultivation is practised in these states. The tribals
construct their houses facing the east or any other direction taking care
to see that they can get enough sun light. The Kiki houses are built about
i meter high above the ground surface on stilts. While Nagas build their
houses on raised or unraised ground. Most of the houses are rectangular
in shape.

HOUSE TYPES IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT