Archives for February 2007
Gypsies in Kathmandu
With an incredible resilience Gypsies have travelled all over the world. In Nepal they are known as firantes. They have exquisite stone carving skills. They also work as magicians among other things. They are very versatile and adaptive nomads, no wonder you see from Greece to Kathmandu. Here is an example of a gypsie tent. Vault shaped and indeed made of bamboo.
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Bajra
Here is a dome the Nepali way. The most interesting part is the mortar, which includes burnt brick pigments, sand and lime in 1:1:8 ratio. This combination is called Bajra and it was very wide spread in the earlier times.
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Sukumbasi Livelihood
The majority of Sukumbasis (Internally Displaced People) who live along the Manohara river make their living by collecting sand for the construction companies. I think the ramifications of people taking so much sand out of the river has to be properly studied. Among many, one of the studies says, the depletion of sand is causing the water level of the river to go substantially down. How much these people need to be compensated, or the ways to find alternative ways of making living for them, also needs to be properly addressed.
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Internally Displaced People
We are doing a series on the Sukumbasis (Internally Displaced People), who are living on a below poverty level along Monohara River, the river which divides Kathmandu from Bhaktapur. In this shelter lives a young mom, who is in her thirties with her 4 year old son. She makes her living by collecting sand from the Monohara river for the construction companies,
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A glimpse into the homelessness
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Adobe Interior
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Smoked Bamboo Treatment
These traditional bamboo beams have overcome the test of time. They have been there for ever. In the traditional houses, people still use wood or dried cow dung for cooking. These traditional stoves produce lots of smoke, which then accumulate on the bamboo beams. These unintended accumulation of smoke on the beams act as a protection against termite and give them a beautiful texture as well.
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Bamboo Connection
Bamboo is a pretty versatile and a dynamic material, which works pretty well with most of the modern and traditional materials; whether it is mud, cement, steel or even plastic. Here is an example of a homeless shelter situated on the Bagmati riverbank in the eastern kathmandu.Stay informed by subscribing to our RSS Feed!
Adobe Interior
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Bamboo Connection
Here is a simple yet elegant bamboo connection as seen in Sukumbasi area. Bamboo strips are weaved together; the tension within hold them together. There is no need of nails or screws.
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