The Adi House: Manifestation of Traditional Wisdom ~~R.N
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ARUNACHAL A monthly english journal DECEMBER 2018 1 REVIEW The Adi House: Manifestation of Traditional Wisdom ~~R.N. Koley he Adis, the blanket name fulfillment of the basic needs away from it. Even, every Adi Tof some sub-groups are in- and the requirements of com- village depicts a definite pat- habited in Siang Valley the cen- munity members. Traditions tern in housing. Prospect of tral part of Arunachal Pradesh. and socio-cultural heritage are water, sunlight and drainage They are comprising around uniformly inherited by individu- facility of domestic waste to- one fourth of the tribal popula- als and society. wards lower slope at a village tion of this state. They are hav- The traditional house site are always wisely taken ing unique tradition and rich of the Adis are constructed in consideration with utmost cultural heritage of their own. with bamboos, woods, canes, importance. All these tradi- In Arunachal Pradesh every leaves etc. which are found tional mechanism reveal a ethnic community has own ar- abundant in their surround- foresight and scientific think- chitectural design of house as ings. Till today the construction ing as outcome of deep expe- part of their traditional wisdom is made always on community rience based on century old to cope with their ecology. Like- or collective basis to which all behavioral science. Security of wise the Adis have own tradi- the abled body villagers con- the houses is also major con- tional architect in constructing tribute their labour spontane- cern in early days. In a village their houses which are tested ously as part of century old tra- houses are camouflaged with over the time. For that matter dition. Community work is still profuse plantations surround- no much damage or casualties alive among the Adis. The size ing the houses to hide from di- were found during great earth- of an Adi house determines rect view of the strangers. Adis quake in 1950 because of their the size of the family. The days house architecture may be century old tradition. are fixed in accordance with compartmentalized into three Literally, tradition refers the decision of Kebang, the ru- (a) Dewelling house, (b) Gran- to any human practice, belief, ral self government institution, nery or Kumsung, (c) Dormi- institution or artefacts which so that community members tory or Moshup or Rasheng. are handed down from one make them available keeping The Adi dwelling house generation to the next. While aside other domestic works. is constructed on raised plat- the content of tradition is high- It is not the compulsion rather form in rectangular shape and ly variable, it typically refers to joyful and spontaneous activity varies in length with the dif- some elements of culture con- to the villagers. Though archi- ferent sub-groups of the Adis. sidered as part of the common tecture is almost identical, but Usually there are no partitions inheritance of a social group. style of house differs from area and into rooms or cubicles Tradition is an important in- to area. All these are designed within the house which is sim- gredient of socio-cultural heri- and modulated to cope with ple one large hall. The impor- tage. Socio- cultural heritage the ecological environment tant features within this hall is the summation of the cir- controlled by the conditions is fire place. The Adi house in cumstances that the individu- of their habitat on the basis villages has no window. There- als inherit from his parents and of past empirical knowledge. fore, there is pitch dark inside other elders of the society. It is That is why Adi houses always and no arrangements for let- very much conducive in the face the hill side with the back ting in light. The fire place is 2 DECEMBER 2018 A monthly english journal ARUNACHAL REVIEW PLAN OUTLAY OF AN ADI HOUSE ARCHITECTURE Source – P/59 Roy Sachin, Aspects of Padam Minyong Culture, reprinted – 1997,Directorate of Research, Govt. of A.P., Itanagar ablaze emitting smoke inside for drying meat, fish and fire items. Shelf is fitted scientifi- the room. The Adi house has woods or any other domestic cally in safe hight from fire. generally two doors – one in Terms used in Adi language to identify important parts of the front and another at the the house are mentioned hereunder: back which are seemed only EBANG/ ABANG Staircase of ladder inlet for light and air. Raised GURANG Inner portico platform is constructed on GULANG/ GOTEK Outer portico sold framework using bam- ATAK-PEU/ HODUNG The right corner of the main hall, ear- boos or wooden logs tied marked for the guests. with cane strips where mats ASI-PERTIK The place for storing drinking water in of thick bamboo splits to form front the Kodang. the floor. Walls on all sides are MERUM Fire place in the middle of the hall. RISING The place between fire place and wall, made with uneven wooden used for sitting of the male family mem- planks or matting or split bam- bers. boos. A wooden or bamboo KUNGE PUE The place in extreme right corner to ladder leading from the ground sleep for woman with children is fitted in front the front door. SUNGE- KENYUNG The place in extreme left corner beside Fire place is made of square the back door used to prepare rice bear shaped wooden tray coating by women folk with thick soil in order to keep KODANG Left of the middle portion of the hall aside any sort of possibility marked for storing food grains and of fire accidents. Above the feminine activities. fire place a three tiered and REGUM A separate platform on the left side of square shaped shelf made the Kodang, outside the hall used as of bamboo splits are fitted latrine and also to keep pigs. ARUNACHAL A monthly english journal DECEMBER 2018 3 REVIEW ATAK-EYAPDANG Front door. senior members of the family LAMGE-EAP/ KUM- Back door of the house for emergency who are commonly used to RU-EYAP exit. gossip in the light mood af- ter the end of day long hard The above table surely are constructed with wooden working in agriculture field. reflects the well-organized planks. Roofs are same as At that moment the parents patterns in Adi house archi- dwelling house. The poles are are naturally so casual that tecture. Every corner of the fitted with round wooden discs they do not remind the bother house is well defined which beneath the platform to pro- of the study of their children. symbolizes the well organized tect the approaching of rats. Moreover, the Adis are habitu- ethnic community. This is the The construction of ated early into bed and early century old socio – cultural an Adi house requires expert to rise. Students irrespective tradition followed by the Adis. craftsmanship, experience, of girls or boys are engaged to Even purpose of each corner traditional knowledge, scientif- assist their parents in different of the house is wise thought. ic notion to make frame work. activities of domestic chore The inner portico and outer An Adi house also depicts the in the day light, rest time of portico is earmarked for dry- social attitudes, social psy- school hours. In this juncture ing grains and weaving ac- chology, discipline, economic students of country side can- tivities of the women folk. The activities, behavioral knowl- not accommodate with regular mezzanine floor, below the edge for survival, socio-cultur- study and teaching of school. platform is used to shelter the al tradition. It is the manifes- This affects the result in final domestic cattle. The roof is tation of cultural heritage still examination of class. It also covered with leaves or grass alive in this progressive com- creates impact to increase or straw fitted with the support munity. number of drop out students. of bamboo or wooden rafter Keeping in view of the It should be checked through according to availability or the above, it is a modest effort to modulating some changes in surroundings. think about some problems in architecture of the house. For Construction of dormi- present perspective of the tra- that matter provision of sepa- tory is also done with com- ditional house pattern in the rate study room may be made munity works following same rural areas as an outcome of in the house. Because only architect like dwelling house. keen observations over three education can bring real de- But size is different. It is a decades. velopment of the study. long barrack like construction. (a) Adi house pat- (b) So far medical There is specialty in construct- tern contains mainly one single science is concerned pigsty ing granaries – a depiction of room for a family though ex- or latrine may be constructed vivid scientific notion. It has tensively large. Whole family in separate area which will be been constructed on poles consisting of parents, school helpful to keep aside some slight higher from the ground going children and guests use diseases and virus. level than the common resi- that one room using as bed- (c) The provision dential house. Granaries are room, dining room, drawing of window may be made in the constructed outside the village room and kitchen simultane- traditional house pattern for maintaining a considerable dis- ously. For school going chil- ventilation of smoke to save tance from houses to protect dren there is no separate study the dwellers from the carbon food items from fire accidents. room. In the evening i.e., the mono-oxide gas and also to Granaries are slight small study time the students have receive light on day time.