Expression of Socio - Cultural Aspects in Dwelling (Case of Kutchi Rabari Settlement, Kutch)

Abstract

A traditional dwelling reflects dwellers lifestyle and necessities and circumstances. The dwelling is a not formed by one or two factors it is a sum total of various socio-cultural factors as well as importance of its function, climate, materials etc play a major role. Culture is what a particular community follows and inhibits. Studying culture and its ex pression on spaces is important in order to understanding human behavioral patterns. It is their lifestyle and their beliefs which further are responsible to shape their dwelling as well while with the passage of time there is a change in these factors but there are certain factors which remain constant and are responsible to somehow be the basis of their beliefs regardless of the change. The reflection of these factors can be experienced in the dwelling while study is laid to understand the expression of socio-cultural factors on dwelling with all the constants carried forward with time by referring to a particular Kutchi Rabari settlement in Kutch. Amongst three types of Rabari community categori zation, these are the ones which are known as settled Rabaris. Two settlements are iden tified for the study purpose, Vandh village, Mandvi and Makhana village, Bhuj. Different typologies of dwelling are identified from these settlements for analysis. The purpose of study is to understand socio cultural factors and further to analyze the connection and reflection of them on these typologies of dwelling. The typologies include present as well as the dwellings existing over the years. The lifestyle of this community has remained intact over the years and popular all over the India. It plays a major role in shaping their dwelling. Further analysis is conducted by forming a matrix of various socio-cultural fac tors and attributes responsible in shaping the dwelling. The inferences by analyzing their house form using pictorial as well as hand drawn data.