Tai-Ahom Vernacular Architecture

The Ahoms, who ruled Assam for about six hundred years, is a member of the Tai or Shan group of the great Mongoloid race. The Ahoms, under the leadership of Sukapha entered Assam in 1228 AD from the Maulung kingdom of Hukang valley of northern Thailand (present day Myanmar). “The word “Ahom” first appears to be a nickname originally applied to the Tai followers of King Sukapha by the local people” and the “word “Ahom” is derived from the word “Ao-hom”, which means “to unite”, to cause to unite, to consolidate (Ao= to take, to cause to; hom= to unite, to consolidate)” (Gohain:2015). They are now mostly follower of Hinduism. However, the priestly classes follow their old original culture called the “Phurlung’. The Mahan (Mohung), Deodhai (Changboon), and Bailung (Maplang) are the priestly clans of the Ahoms.

There are historical references that the Ahom Royal architecture was originally constructed on platform. Simultaneously, the general Ahom people, especially the priestly clans, also used to construct their architectures on platform. There used to have certain distinction between the house of the King and ordinary people. Thus, “Only king could build a house of brick and mortar. He alone could build a house with two round ends to it. The nobles built houses with one round end” (Barua:1978:24).

The Tais earlier used to live in hang-roung / hang-ren (chang-ghar) and some Ahom people and the King used to live in the platform house until the end of Ahom rule (Gogoi:1971:17). Similarly, as witnessed during 70s of last century by Barua (1978), the houses of the Ahom people in the village Moranjan of Sibsagar district, inhabited by the peoples of Mohan, Deodhai, Chetia, Bhuyan, and Changmai clans, were platform architectures though simultaneously earth-fast variety was present in the households.

She wrote:

Houses in the village do not show much variation as regards the design as well as materials used for construction. A minor departure from this general pattern is seem in the case of three households, where houses were built on bamboo platform supported by pillars made of brick.... As matter of fact, only one household, all the household, all the houses are of changghar. In the other households, two types of houses, one changghar and the other of the ordinary type are seen. The changghar is the traditional type of house for Deodhais. (Barua:1978:34-35)

The houses are made with two thatched roofs, rectangular in plan, mud plastered and the platform is constructed at the height of about 6 feet from the ground.

The stilt architecture was widely prevalent among the among the Ahom people until recently. It was informed that the villages around Nemuguri of Sibsagar such as Gohain gaon, Jabalating, Chetiagaon used to have the prevalence of stilt architecture, though gradually the same was given up. However, there are villages in Sibsagar districts such as Parijat, Karanga, etc, where stilt architecture are still in existence.

1) Built Environment and Architecture:

The Ahom homesteads are established within a well-managed and secured campus. Every campus is protected first with a ditch, dug across the boundary. Then there raise a low earthen embankment (dhap) around the campus, above which a bamboo fence (chhoon) is given. Ideally, a campus possesses a front kitchen garden area (bari) that follows the houses. The main residential house ideally faces south. The barn is constructed to the east of this house while the cowshed is constructed to the south. The back area of the house contains an orchard (kathani) that grows bamboo, wood trees, and betel nut tree. The extreme end of the campus was called marang, used for defecation in earlier days.

The south facing main house is constructed in north-south direction, which is ideally partitioned into three rooms. The first room is called juhal, the middle room is called xoa-chang, while the northernmost room is the randhani ghar or kitchen. The sidewall of the kitchen contains the altar, which contains the dam-khuta (fokham / fikham). This wall is slightly protrudes outside to the eaves of the house. There is however a very subtle difference between the house of the Mahan and house of other two priestly clans viz. Deodhai and Bailung. This speciality is seen in the position of the main entrance and the position of the altar space. In the houses of the Mahan clan, the main entrance is kept to the eastern half of the facade while the western wall of the kitchen contains the dam-khuta containing altar. Conversely, the other two clans do the opposite, i.e. they keep the main entrance in the western half of the facade, and the damkhuta remains in the eastern wall of the kitchen.

Another house called chora-ghar is constructed at right angle to the main house. This house also has its entrance to the southern side and contains 3 to 4 rooms. The roofs of the both houses are separate and the member called naora is placed in the juncture of the roofs . The naora is ideally made from trunk of the chao tree. Sometimes, the area below the naora is not kept open and used as a corridor, especially on the ground architecture.

Gradually, the Ahom has given up the tradition of the stilt architecture and adopted the ground variety (ti-ren-din). However, the basic lay out of the house remains same. The roofs are usually gabled shaped and made of natural materials such as thatch or takau leaves. The roof of the chora-ghar merged to the roof of the other house and the juncture of the roofs (valley flashing) is called singi-muri-joa. Below the juncture remains a corridor (dighali-bat) that leads to the rooms and ultimately to the kitchen. The kitchen has two rooms-the inner compartment contains the main fireplace and which is variously called pak-ghar / moijali / aakha-shal while the other chamber is the dining space called jui-shal, which also contains a fireplace for minor cooking. Sometimes, a room where guests are entertained is also called the chora-ghar, which may not be a separate structure on every instance.

On the other hand, the platform architecture that are still in prevalence or the ones that existed till recent past remains 2 to 7-8 feet high above the ground, ascended through a wooden ladder (khadai). The houses are constructed in the shape of letter “L”, “I”, or “E”. The floor is made of both wood plank or flattened bamboo and sometime the floor was also plastered with mud apart from the walls. The roofs were originally covered with thatch or takau leaves, though modern materials are coming up.

The house (hang-roung) of the Mahan clan is customarily constructed in the east-west direction while the kitchen is constructed to the east, in north-south direction. In the kitchen (roung-kin), the wall opposite to the fireplace is regarded as the sacred place of the house. In this portion of the house, the original corner post (chao-ai) and the protruded lateral post / pali khuta (chao-ngi) are regarded as the finam or fidam (dam-khuta) below which the Dam-fi worship and offerings are executed. There are three different kinds of ancestor worship. In the first worship (Chao-tung-dam / Damfi), three generations of ancestors are offered worship below the main post of chao-ai corner post of thus protruded area is called chao-ngi, below which the Ngi-tung-dam / Chang-changfi offering is given to 9 (5^th to 13^th ancestors) generations of ancestor. The third type of ancestor worship, known as Chao-fi / Khadaisin, where offerings are given to ancestors of 14^th onward generations, which takes place at the entrance of the house.

2) Technique of Bharal:

The Ahoms construct the granary (bharal) in comparable technique followed for the structure in the state. Thus, the barn construction starts with the planting of the roof bearing posts and platform bearing posts. After planting the platform posts, which bears the beams placed in breadth-wise direction. Then, lengthwise round bamboo called talgarh is added above the beam. The tal-garh are tied firmly using bamboo splinters (kami). Then the top member of gadhoi (bamboo split) is added and secured with jethi or kokila.

The construction of wall follows the construction of platform. Before attaching the wall, a round bamboo is first laid over the platform and secured with the platform. This bamboo, laid in all four directions at the base of the wall, is called berata. Then, round bamboos with fish-mouth cut ends (kan-kata) are attached between the berata and purlin or beam above. Then kamis are attached in these posts to weave the walls. The platform as well as to a certain height, the walls are plastered with mud. The Ahoms generally keep the shook of paddy in their barn. Sometimes, a door is kept on the platform to take out shook for threshing.

3) Beliefs and Rituals Associated with House:

There are many beliefs and rituals prevalent among the Ahom that are associated with the house. As mentioned above, in the kitchen of the residential house of the Ahom, the dam-khuta is regarded as the very sacred place. It is believed that the benevolent spirit resides in that place. So, the spirits are propitiated with different offerings. Thus, below the chao-ai post the Ahoms offer lao (rice-beer) and fowl to the souls of the deceased in Chau-tung-dam worship while a pig is offered below the chaongi post in the Ngi-tung dam worship. But the Kadaisin is the most elaborate one which is offered near the entrance of the house. This worship is offered so that the departed souls reach the ladder to the heaven. No items utilized or offered in this worship are taken back to home but offerings such as pig, fowl, lao can be taken to home but not consumed by the family members.

There are different folk beliefs associated with house. Thus, they never kill a quadruped inside the house. It is believed that if a vulture sits on a house, then it is ominous. But if it vomits, then it is a good sign. Similarly, a dog coming to home is bad, but if it vomits then it is regarded as good. If a dove sits on the roof of the house and coos, then it is believed that the ancestor is thirsty. In that case, they offer lao / nam-lao in a bowl below the finam.

4) Rituals associated with Barn:

There is prevalent the worship called Lakhimi Puja, among the Deodhais which is conducted on the occasion of house warming of barn as well as before storing new crop after harvesting. For the worship, they bring home 2 to 3 paddy sheafs wrapping with a new cloth on the concluding day of harvesting. While bringing the paddy to home, the person can neither talk or see backward. Then on some other evening, the worship is instituted inside the barn. First, they lay a plantain leaf in eastern direction and keep there a pitcher full of water. Subsequently on another plantain leaf, some lakimi phul (a variety of flower) kept and lit an earthen lamp. The area and different offerings are sanctified with the water of the pot. Behind this but in the same direction, four plantain leaves are laid again in another row. On these plantain leaves, they keep first a piece of torn betel leaf in same direction, over which put the flower, leaf, or bud of lakhimi phul. On left plantain leaf, there keeps a don (a bamboo implement) and offer rice powder (pithaguri), banana, and betel nut with betel leaves (tamol-pan) and lit another earthen lamp. To the right of this, there keep a dala (bamboo platter) and make similar offering in two places over the dala. Then on the other two plantain leaves also, similar oblations are offered. Next morning, the offerings are taken out, except the one made on the last plantain leaf. Then the offerings of the last plantain leaf are divided into two parts and one part is mixed well and offers it to the Duari (door-keeper / gurdian) through smearing it on the door of the barn. The other half is then taken out and distributes among three persons. Simultaneously, there hang a handful sheaf of ears of paddy in front of the door of the barn.