There are two kinds of stones- river bed stone and quary stones. Quary stones can be chiseled into any shape and sizes. It is a living tradition and there still are multi-story houses that are earthquake resistant which are built using this technique.

In the Pokhara region, stones are stacked up like this without (or very less) mortar. It has, however, thick mud plaster from the inside. Pokhara is one of the wettest cities in the world. A thick thachted roof, depening on the pitch, thickness and workmanship can last anywhere from 5-20 years. Foundation is made with river rocks. River rocks placed without mortar is an effective way to resist earthquake, because of the gap inbetween the rocks causes the earthquake shock to dissapate.