Lessons from Vernacular Architecture of Rural Sikkim

Nestled in the Himalayan fragment of Northeast India, Sikkim shares its borders with Nepal, Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China and the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council of West Bengal. It takes pride in its exceptional cultural history and architectural heritage. The population of Sikkim initially belonged to the Lepcha community. Later, the Bhutias from Tibet and Nepalese from Nepal immigrated to the region to propagate Buddhism and Hinduism. These immigrants brought agricultural practices to the hilly terrains, eventually making it a norm. 

Sikkim’s geographical location at the Alpide-Himalayan global seismic belt makes it vulnerable to rampant seismic activity and landslide events. In 2011, an earthquake of M6.9 struck the region, disrupting livelihoods in rural and urban areas. Unlike the new concrete buildings born with the emergence of urban and tourism activities, Sikkim’s vernacular architecture exhibit indigenous methods of construction that have been practiced for decades. 

Traditional Nepali house called ‘Garh’ in remote Sikkim_©www.tourgenie.com

The Resilient Traditional Architecture of Sikkim

The remote areas of Sikkim, away from the touristy urbanised towns, host house typologies from the past that have stood the test of time. Villages Lingee and Payong showcase a vast, interconnected community of rural life bonded with standard housing and living patterns. The houses in these areas away from the city are the Ikra, Chitra, Wood, RCC, single-storey stone and mud plaster, and traditional Lepcha and Nepali homes. Strategic use and transitions of materials interacting with the environment, form the core of these houses.

Traditional House Types in Sikkim

The Ikra Structures

Ikra house, the typical bamboo house also known as Assam-type housing, is predominant in the traditional construction of Sikkim. Walls up to about 1m above the plinth, the structures are single-storey, made out of stone or brick masonry. The unique combination of materials of the walls goes with the masonry supporting it. These walls are bamboo woven with a wooden frame and plastered with mud or cement plaster. This practice is known as ‘Shee Khim.’ 

Traditional GI sheet roofs supported on wood or bamboo trusses connect laterally with the parallel walls. The bamboo superstructure stays attached to the masonry foundation walls using steel angles and flats with bolts and nails. As observed after the earthquake, the Ikra structures reported no significant damage. Structures with stone-masonry dressed in mud and lime-based mortar showed better resilience than those with undressed stone-masonry. With the clean aesthetic of cottages and modular nature, Ikra is a preferred housing type amongst villages in severe seismic zones.

Ikra typology of housing_©www.bvmengineering.ac.in

The Chitra Structures

Made at a low cost, used for cowsheds, and less commonly found in formal living spaces, the Chitra marks the simplest form of construction found in the remote hilly landscapes of Sikkim. Fabricated with a basic timber frame and an exterior of woven bamboo, the structures are easy to construct with local materials and at a low cost. The major setback of Chitra is that this typology isn’t sturdy and does not insulate well. These constructions aren’t seen anymore due to the implementation of harsh laws around the felling of trees for wood, a measure taken to protect the region’s fragile ecosystem and biodiversity. 

The Lepcha Houses

The Lepcha houses, built in a rectangular box type of construction, are elevated about 1.83 – 2.13m above ground level, showcasing a unique architectural style. The timber posts, which form the foundation of the house, are based on a flattened and round hard stone at the bottom, while the upper end consists of joineries connecting wooden beams. The space between the ground and the raised floor serves as a storage area for firewood and a shelter for domestic animals. Constructed with wood, bamboo, mud and thatch, the north-south side of this house is longer than the east-west side, adding to its distinctive design. 

The Lepcha house consists of three rooms: the living room and kitchen, a store room, a prayer room, and an attic. Cross-ventilation and kitchen smoke are strategically managed considering the ridge lines of the roof. Built with bamboo reeds, the roof is hung over bamboo while being supported with a wooden frame. Houses of this type nestle at the centre of the land, where the indigenous people grow their food and rear animals.

Traditional Lepcha House_©Tushar Ahire on www.flickr.com

Conclusion

The architecture of Sikkim has evolved primarily since the region’s urbanisation came into the picture. This hilly region’s traditional, vernacular building styles provided more resistance to seismic activities than the new erections that have mushroomed everywhere. The new structures, made with non-engineered reinforced concrete frames and filled with unreinforced masonry, performed poorly when hit with natural calamities. 

A significant takeaway from this study is the intelligent detail at the foundation under the Lepcha house. The timber posts on stone bases worked like an isolation system to keep the Lepcha houses from falling and being damaged during the earthquakes of 2006 and 2011. There’s a lot to be learned from these vernacular techniques, and it is the need of the hour to preserve these houses for future generations. The construction techniques leave much room for improvement rather than giving in to unregulated concrete construction solutions. With vital government initiatives to conserve indigenous houses and lands, it is possible to look forward to a future where the damage due to earthquakes is minimised to a great degree.

References

1. Kaushik, H.B., Da, K., Sahoo, D.R. and Gayatri Kharel (2006a). Performance of structures during the Sikkim earthquake of 14 February 2006. Current Science, 91(4), pp.449–455.

2. Rihal, S., Shah, V. and Mistry , A. (2024). Anti-Seismic Vernacular Heritage of Anatolia and beyond. In: M. VATAN , ed., Proceedings of the Inter-ISC’18 . [online] Inter-ISC’18. Turkey: ICOMOS ISCARSAH Turkey, pp.92–103. Available at: https://openarchive.icomos.org/id/eprint/2779/ [Accessed 10 Jun. 2024].

3. Song, B. (2013). Investigating the Paradigms of Sikkim’s Built Environment. [PDF] pp.11–15. Available at: https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/1542/ [Accessed 10 Jun. 2024].

These were some interesting facts about the heritage architecture of Sikkim homes. Stay tuned for more information on other significant topics in the AEC industry and follow Kaarwan for such detailed guides!

FAQs

Q1: What are the primary traditional house types found in Sikkim?

A1: The primary traditional house types in Sikkim are Ikra, Chitra, and Lepcha houses. Ikra houses are bamboo structures, Chitra are simple timber-frame constructions, and Lepcha houses are elevated wooden constructions with distinct architectural features.

Q2: How did the Ikra houses perform during the 2011 earthquake?

A2: Ikra houses reported no significant damage during the 2011 earthquake due to their construction methods, which include bamboo woven walls and stone-masonry foundations.

Q3: Why are Chitra houses no longer commonly found in Sikkim?

A3: Chitra houses are less common due to environmental regulations prohibiting tree felling for wood, which affects their construction. Additionally, they are not very sturdy or well-insulated.

Q4: What unique feature characterizes Lepcha houses in Sikkim?

A4: Lepcha houses are elevated about 1.83 – 2.13 meters above ground, with timber posts on stone bases, and feature a distinctive rectangular design with bamboo and thatch construction.

Q5: How do traditional Sikkimese architectural techniques compare to modern concrete buildings in terms of seismic resilience?

A5: Traditional Sikkimese architectural techniques, such as those used in Lepcha houses, offer better seismic resilience compared to modern concrete buildings, which often perform poorly during earthquakes.