Rooted to earth

Published on:

16 Mar 2009, 4:00 am

<p>A window shutter made from a bamboo mat<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Photoghraphs: Aparna Pallavi</em></p><br />

A window shutter made from a bamboo mat

Photoghraphs: Aparna Pallavi

<p>A bent piece of wood used as a truss for the roof<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Photoghraphs: Aparna Pallavi</em></p><br />

A bent piece of wood used as a truss for the roof

Photoghraphs: Aparna Pallavi

<p>The Futanes live here, within walls made entirely of mud blocks, plastered with mud and painted with lime, and on a floor made from lime-enriched mud<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Photoghraphs: Aparna Pallavi</em></p><br />

The Futanes live here, within walls made entirely of mud blocks, plastered with mud and painted with lime, and on a floor made from lime-enriched mud

Photoghraphs: Aparna Pallavi

<p><br /><br />Thatched roofs and roofs made from baked tiles allow for better ventilation<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Photoghraphs: Aparna Pallavi</em></p><br />

Thatched roofs and roofs made from baked tiles allow for better ventilation

Photoghraphs: Aparna Pallavi

<p>Indigenous ways of using local timber are slowly fading. Hanging together in a cluster is 'Tapar'-- wooden bells for cattle made of wood from the 'madsingi' tree<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Photoghraphs: Aparna Pallavi</em></p><br />

Indigenous ways of using local timber are slowly fading. Hanging together in a cluster is 'Tapar'-- wooden bells for cattle made of wood from the 'madsingi' tree

Photoghraphs: Aparna Pallavi

<p>Futane leans against the wall of his mud- house. The mud plaster is durable requiring repairs and cow-dung plastering once in four to five months<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Photoghraphs: Aparna Pallavi</em></p><br />

Futane leans against the wall of his mud- house. The mud plaster is durable requiring repairs and cow-dung plastering once in four to five months

Photoghraphs: Aparna Pallavi

<p>Futane explains his experiment of building a house with a foundation made of stones fixed in mortar made mud. He added the concrete lintel as protection against termites<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Photoghraphs: Aparna Pallavi</em></p><br />

Futane explains his experiment of building a house with a foundation made of stones fixed in mortar made mud. He added the concrete lintel as protection against termites

Photoghraphs: Aparna Pallavi

<p>A woman servant plasters the earthen floor of Futane's courtyard with cowdung. During construction, if sufficient quantities of lime are added to the mud floors, then cowdung plastering is required only once a fortnight<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Photoghraphs: Aparna Pallavi</em></p><br />

A woman servant plasters the earthen floor of Futane's courtyard with cowdung. During construction, if sufficient quantities of lime are added to the mud floors, then cowdung plastering is required only once a fortnight

Photoghraphs: Aparna Pallavi

<p>Chunkhadi, or lumps of lime occur naturally in the soil. These lumps when mixed with mud enhance the waterproofing and termite-resistance of the house built <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Photoghraphs: Aparna Pallavi</em></p><br />

Chunkhadi, or lumps of lime occur naturally in the soil. These lumps when mixed with mud enhance the waterproofing and termite-resistance of the house built

Photoghraphs: Aparna Pallavi