Pajaghar Typology (a): Thatching of Roof

After attaching and fastening the chals properly, it is ready for thatching job. Usually, new thatch is used in the thatching of a roof. However, previously used old thatch known as buruli is also applied along with the new thatch in thatching of a roof and the buruli is laid first over which new thatch is applied. For thatching the roof, apart from the thatch, other material required are bamboo splinter or kami or chaowni kami and seuni- tamal. The kamis are used in the longitudinal direction for tying of the thatch layers.

The process of lying down the thatch is known as the seuwni or chaowni. The thatch are laid and tied in a particular sequence and method. A layer of thatch laid over the roof and tied with kami is called becha. Firstly, the thatch in about four to five inch thickness is laid on the three sides of a roof except ridge side and tied using kami. However, this first thatch is laid in a particular fashion i.e. in the opposite direction where the bottom side of the thatch is kept towards the outside in a way so that about half cubit length of the thatch bottom protrudes beyond the roof frame. These layers of thatch are known as madli. They are thus known as the panpochar or panipotar madali and the mudhar madali. In some areas, they are called daba-parali or baochali, while the similar first layer towards panipota sides is known as the kar. This particular system of tying is known as madaliowa. After affixing those layers, becha are laid at certain interval, one after other starting from the side of panipocha and progresses to the ridge. These subsequent longitudinal layer or becha is laid in a way so that it covers the previous layer to certain extend or at least beyond the kami of the previous becha. In thatching (seuwni / chaowni), the particular knot used is known as the napakia or topagathi. In order to make the knot tight enough, the kami is beaten repeatedly with a bamboo or wooden gar (cudgel) while simultaneously pulling the strand-ends wrapped round the kami and rua of the roof frame. Similarly, during the process of thatching, some technical aspects are minutely noticed. For instance, the kamis over the becha are fastened with the rua from one end to the other and not from both sides towards the centre. If the kami is not tied from one direction, the thatch in certain point may remain loose. Again, since the thatching is carried out by number of persons, there remains the possibility of bending of the roof frame. Hence, to prevent such bending of the roof frame during the thatching, props are applied from the below the roof. Such props are known as the kharchana or theka, which are removed once the thatching is over.

The roofs are thatched from the sloping side towards the mudha. The bottom side of the thatch of the penultimate bechas of two roofs touch each other at a certain point. This becha is known as the hahuwa-becha and the kami attached here is known as the hahuwa kami. Finally, the ridge is covered with thatch in particular fashion where thatch is laid over the mudha in the alternate direction i.e. lying fore part (blade) followed by the bottom part (sheath) of the thatch. Simultaneously, towards the breadth wise side or towards the kar, a bundle of thatch is laid in a way so that the fore part of the thatch remains to the outside laterally and which aligns the earlier kar. Then a kami, known as mora kami, is fastened obliquely over this layer and tied with the hahuwa kami. The above-mentioned last layer of the thatch, laid in alignment to the previously laid kar, is known as moramela. After this, the layer over the mudhach is tied with the help of two kamis which are known as mudhar kami. The particular knot used in binding the mudhach is the randhani gathi. Since these two kamis are exposed to rain, to prevent the rotting away these kamis, a garila of thatch is laid over them.