Kath-Kuni technique

• The age-old vernacular architecture of the hills — created out of local materials with simple, sustainable building techniques — has endured against the incessant rainfall the state has faced this season.
• Vernacular architecture is “spontaneous, uncultivated, anonymous, indigenous and popular”.
• It is a built environment that is based on local needs; defined by the availability of materials indigenous to the particular region; and it reflects local traditions and cultural practices.

ABOUT KATH-KUNI TECHNIQUE

• For bigger buildings like palaces or temple complexes, an ingenious structural system called kath-kuni — that had an alternate layering of wood and stone — was employed.
• This indigenous style of construction evolved in the western Himalayas.
• In the kath-kuni style, a mesh of interlocking horizontal deodar sleepers is created into which dressed or raw stones are packed without any mortar.
• Examples–
  • The iconic ancient structures like the Bhimakali temple complex in Sarahan are prime examples of the kath-kuni technique.
  • It was constructed by the rulers of the Bushahr dynasty.
  • Around 800 years old, the temple is dedicated to the great female power, Bhimakali, and has survived numerous earthquakes owing to its structural resilience.
  • Also, Raja Sidh Singh got the Naggar Castle built near Kullu about five centuries ago in the same kath-kuni technique. It withstood the massive earthquake in 1905. The resilience lies in the flexibility of dry masonry and alternate layers of wood beams without any cementing material.