Handmade in India

Nokpante,a dormitory for young men and boys,plays an important role in Garo culture,where these bachelors are given education in arts,cultivation and life
skills by their elders.
GARO BAMBOO HOUSE
Production Clusters
West Garo Hills
district:
Rongram region
Sadolpara village
Sasatgre village
Products
Nokachik-Garo house
Nokpante -
bachelor`s dormitory
Borang-watchtower
Jam nok-granary
Tools
Dao-bill hook knife
Saw
Hammer
Chisel
GARO HOUSES CALLED nokachik are long bamboo structures built
on wooden posts varyings from 10 to 45 metres in length and dd3 to 7
metres in width.Built in the dry season,locally grown bamboo and
cane,timber of rubber trees and dried palm leaves are used in their
construction.The house has several rooms,
arranged in a long row between the open porch at the
valley end and the balim,verandah,at ground level
where sometimes a cow is tied on one side.The living
room called dongrama has an ongare,fireplace,in the
centre that has a plinth and a smoking shelf above to
preserve baskets and food items.A toilet is attached to
the living room.Besides these,it has a
bedroom,kitchen,and aleng,porch,used for pounding
rice.Each man builds his own house,assisted by the
villages and women,the main construction work done
by youngsters under the supervi-sion of the elders to
ensure that the values and traditional knowledge is
passed on to them.The main feature of the houses is in
the extensive use of bamboo in the structure and
building of the internal dividers,a shelf and the
framework of matrix of bamboo poles for the
walls.The walls and floor of the house are made of
wide mats woven from flattened bamboo
boards,structurally stabilised to support the mats.The
chief`s house,bachelor`s dormitory,granary and a treetop
watchtower are other structures built by the Garo.
1. Back view of the nokpante,bachelor`s dormitory,showing a variety of ways in which bamboo is used in house construction.
2. Interior of a Garo house showing the third room which serves as the kitchen.
3. The plinth of the fireplace is constructed very carefully,as the entire house is made from inflammable materials.Above the fire is a shelf for storing
baskets,rice beer and items that need to be preserved.
4. View of the house interior showing flattened bamboo boards used for weaving wall panels,and whole bamboo lashed to the walls for strengthening
them.