<b>Geetanjali Krishna:</b> Old houses for new

The old Bhimakali temple rose to the sky, a stately old wooden structure sitting on a stone plinth with a slate roof that glittered like black gold in the sunlight. Its wooden walls and floors were warm under my bare feet. I wandered through the temple, marvelling at how harmoniously its architecture blended with the climate and conditions of its environs in Sarahan, a tiny Himachali hamlet. "This construction technique is over 800 years old," one of the priests said when he saw me admiring the carvings on the walls. "Not only is it beautiful, it is also the most practical architecture for this region! The wood walls and floors add warmth, the tiny windows keep the building aired as well as insulated, and the high stone plinth ensures accessibility even when the area is covered in deep snow!"

My admiration, however, turned to bemusement as I walked out of the temple to explore the little village. Sarahan was clearly in the middle of a modest construction boom. But everywhere I looked, the new houses and buildings that were coming up, were being built in the "modern" way, with cement and steel instead of wood and stone. Why weren't people building traditional houses anymore?

Just opposite the temple I met Pratap Chand, sitting in his little handicraft shop and overseeing the construction of the upper floor of his house. Although his property commanded the best views possible of the ancient temple, he, too, had elected to go for modern over traditional architecture. When I expressed interest, he took me for a tour of his half-constructed house. "I've planned it in such a way that most rooms overlook the Bhimakali temple. Isn't it a beautiful building? Just looking at it makes me feel at peace," he said. Chand spoke nostalgically of his old family home that was built in a similar style.

"I can still feel the softness of those old wooden floors and ceilings... you can't imagine how welcoming they used to be when we walked in from the snow," he said. "As for those beautiful slate roofs... they'd absorb the warmth of the sun and keep the house so cosy." I asked why he had chosen modern over traditional architecture for his own home. "Today, it had become difficult for people like us to get so much wood. The government has imposed restrictions on felling trees and consequently, wood had become expensive. So, although cement floors remain cold and hard in winter, we build them as they cost comparatively less!"

He showed me other ways in which he had departed from tradition in the building of his home. "Traditionally, our homes were built on stone plinths to allow easy access during the snowy months. The lower floor, used for storing hay for the animals, added a layer of insulation against the cold earth below. But now, we find it's more profitable to have shops there instead," he said. Standing on his half-finished terrace overlooking the temple, he pointed out taller structures. "Traditionally-used materials made it difficult to have buildings more than two stories high. But bricks and mortar seem to almost incite people to build vertically," he said.

The old temple was a little askew, a result of the last big earthquake in Sarahan. "The temple only tilted, I know these new houses would probably collapse in case of a big quake! But what can we do but take our chances?" Chand said. All he could do, he said, was pray to Bhimakali to protect him and his modern house. "Whether traditional or modern, whatever we all have is because of her blessings anyway!" he said.