Under 30 series of its online exhibition by Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS) presented ‘Chokat’ situated in Himalayan Village, Open Air exhibition. Right from early stages of civilisation till now habitat is one of the basic necessities of human kind. It is unique and vivid manifestation of human imaginations, knowledge and skill which narrates his distinct ability of adaptation with time, space and ecology. Amazing house types collected from remote Himalayan states of India and reinstalled in ‘Himalayan village’ open air exhibition of Manav Sangrahalaya are example of the same.

 

There has been a tradition of houses varying in size and names in hilly region of Uttarakhand has been presented online with its basic information and photographs and videos. About this exhibition, Dr Praveen Kumar Mishra, Director, IGRMS said that in the beginning or at the very early stage there used to be single story houses called ‘Pundlu’. Later, perhaps due to expansion of family, duplex and triplex houses called ‘Haveli’ came in vogue.

 

Then construction of four and five storied house also began which are called ‘Chokat’ and ‘Panchpura’ respectively. About Chokat, Dr Rakesh Mohan Nayal, Assistant Curator told that a main characteristic of Chokat is community involvement in its construction. Chokat for deities and a common for inhabitants of the area are never built alone. Bringing wood from the forest and other process of construction is completed with mutual cooperation. Beauty and glory of Chokat symbolises harmony and brotherhood.