Author : Azuk Tamsangmoo Lepcha
Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association,
H.Q. Kalimpong, District Darjeeling,
West Bengal, India.
E-mail : azukval@gmail.com
1,485 Words
LEPCHA TRADITIONAL HOUSE
A Lepcha house is known as “KAA DEN-MO-LEE”. In literal translation ‘KAA’ means we ‘DEN’ where we spend our childhood learning the basics, ‘MO’ centre or main and ‘LEE’ means home.
The Lepchas worship nature by faith and believe in the greatest philosophy of the symbiotic relation with nature. A construction of a Lepcha house is first started with a ceremony called the “LEE GOOL NGAK”. In this ceremony the mud from the particular place where the construction is to be done, will be taken for examination to the nature worshiping priest called the “BOONGTHING” or “MUN”. This is followed by “LEE GUL THOM RUM FAAT”, a ritual in which the mother nature is asked for permission as well as protection from accidents during construction. The third ritual is called “ZUBU RUM FAAT” which gives responsibility to the head carpenter.
The main structure of the Lepcha house is made completely of wood and based on the principal of centre of gravity. The house is constructed square in shape and the size cannot be tampered with addition or subtraction of rooms after the completion. The base of the house has a huge centre pillar made of one solid tree, which is known as the “KAAOO DAMPHU”. The outer barks of the tree are peeled off and the wood is roughly dressed. Accordingly eight additional centre pillars are placed surrounding it in three rows with equal spacing in between. They are known as “KAADEN DAMPHU”. These nine pillars are each made from the entire tree length. There are other additional supporting pillars called “KAADOOM DAMPHU”. The four pillars supporting the cooking space are known as “THOP DAMPHU”. The front part of the house rests on alleviated land. All of the pillars are placed on top of a round stone called “KAADEN LONG”. This elevated pillar structure prevents the house from sliding when hit by natural calamities such as floods or land slides, as the flood soil passes away through the open spaces in between the huge pillars without damaging the house.These nine gigantic pillars of the whole tree size and length, erected on nine big flat boulders, show the most marvellous and devious art form of building a Lepcha house. Notches are made on all four sides of these nine huge tree size pillars, then they are raised and long cross beams, called “DOONG”, also made from an entire tree length, are inserted through these notches, thereby holding the pillars together and preventing them from falling down. In the joints of the notches, wooden pegs or wooden wedges are nailed so that the inserted wooden cross beams do not loosen or come out. These pieces of hard woods which are set in to join two wooden planks tightly are called “AYAOK ZO ZA”. Not a single iron nail is used by the Lepcha in building this gigantic house.
The flooring planks, beams, joist beams, cross beams, rafters, battens used in the house are all very thick and roughly smoothed and dressed with axe and knife. All the necessary woods required for the building are called “KINGGCHO”. The plate beam laid horizontally, to receive the ends of other timbers, is called “NAMREK”. The joist, the pieces of beams to which the boards of a floor are fastened, is known as “KALOK REL”. The rafter of the house is called “THOM TA” and “PURLIN”. The wood laid horizontally on the rafter of the roof to support the common rafters is called “THOM TA NAMREK”. The tie beams or the horizontal beams connecting the lower ends of two opposite principle rafters, forming the base of the roof truss are called “SOOLEN”. The ridge pole, or the ridge horizontal timber at the top of the roof, to which the upper ends of the rafters are fastened, is known as “PAHLONG NGAPO”, and the two standing wooden posts supporting the horizontal timber are called “TABU”. The plank and floor is called “AUNTOH”. The ridge or the outer horizontal line of the roof after thatching is called “LEECHYAAP”. The bamboos used for tying the upper portion of the thatched roof from being blown away by heavy wind and storm are called “SUKMUT KYAM”. The cane or bamboo thin strips for tying the bamboos with thatch grass reeds are called “THYEMPALI”. The cross stitch knot made while tying the roof is called “HIKTHONG JYOM DAM”. In between the wooden pillars and the joist beams a frame work of split bamboos are woven which are known as “DAAMSHYAOK”, this frame work is then plastered with rammed earth well mixed with cow dung and straw. Thus the structure of the gigantic house is raised up in this way and over it the roof is made of rough wooden battens, rafters, beams and bamboo poles and then thatched with thick layers of grass reeds called “NYAONG”. The roof is round and slanting in shape so that rain, snow and hailstones may
slide off easily. Further the thatched grass reeds absorb the direct heat from the sun. In this way the house is isolated, it is very warm in winter and cool and airy in summer.
The Lepcha house has 4 ample large rooms. The general Lepcha word for room is “BO”. The first room is the kitchen, sitting and dinning and is known as “KAY”. The hearth which is inside this room is called “THOP/ PURTAONG” and central in Lepcha family and social life. The hearth consists of five erected stones which are use to support the pots for cooking. It is known as “GYAPHU”. There are three tiers of shelves above the fire place. The first part is used to dry the meat and called “MEETHOP”. In the second section the dry vegetables are kept, it is called “PUNTHOP”. The third part “PAHLONGKUP” is used for drying fire wood and other miscellaneous. The hearth is the centre of all activities in a Lepcha house. It is here the old folks sit and narrate the traditional stories called the “LUNTEN SUNG” to the children. The second room is the bedroom and alter room, where the religious ceremonies are performed. It is called “DAYYONG”. The third room called “PHO” is the pantry. The wooden ladder which acts as a staircase towards the attic is called “TUNGGRAONG”. The attic room which is used for storage is called “PAHLONG”. The Lepcha house has a wide veranda in the front and the back called “AYO”. The windows called “RAAPSAY” are situated at the ground level they are wide and oblong, and shut or open very easily by sliding the wooden planks covering them sideways. The doors “TUNGVYENG” are made of very thick wooden planks roughly dressed with axe and bolted with wooden latches called “GUDIK”. To fasten the door a wooden bolt “TUROL” is slid into a wooden socket.
The portico is called “THYAMPONG”. The stone wall that supports the entrance is called “TSHUKBOO” and the stone ladder at the entrance of the house is called “DOOKYAO”. Every Lepcha house has a courtyard enclosed by bamboo fences which is called “PAANGSONG”. The space in front of the house is called “LEEPALEEK”.
After the construction of the Lepcha house a special ceremony called “LEE SYO” takes place where the Lepcha priest “MUN” or “BOONGTHING” gives thanks to the divine deities, spirits of the mud, trees and the deity that protects the house called the “LEE RUM”
At present due to the depletion of forest and landholdings and consequent paucity of timber, straw as well as the absence of old craftsmanship the art of building traditional lepcha houses has died and given way to modern houses in the Lepcha villages. There are only fourteen traditional Lepcha houses left in Kalimpong a Sub-division in Darjeeling District of West Bengal in India, and no new ones are being built. Being located in remote villages the houses are less known outside the community. Hence, the awareness and importance of traditional Lepcha architecture is yet to be explored. As the younger generation migrate to town and cities the older folks are unable to make timely repairs like, plastering the mud walls and changing the thatch reeds. Further the cost of maintenance due to material shortage is causing problems for the owners. With only a few existing “Kaa-den-mo-lee”, the Lepchas are trying to save them so that the traditional ways of art and living is restored for posterity.
