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The Kholi

Name: The Kholi
Address: The Kholi, village-Kalimati, P. O. Dhanyari(Badasi)Raipur, Dehra Dun, 248008, IN
Telephone: +917535052683

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Traditional uttarakhand house with wooden carvings called likhai on kholi and tibaris.

06/02/2023

Likhai is wood carving art of Uttarakhand.Wood carving was done in almost all regions of Uttarakhand but name Likhai comes from Kumaon region. Now wood carving is mostly done in Temples,hotels, resorts,government buildings and rearly by connoisseur who wants to show rich culture of wood carving at private residence.
The craft itself still perpetuated through hereditary artisans although very few.Inspiration for artisans is drawn from surroundings,flora and fauna,human figure,geometric designs,divine figures,hindu symbols etc.
Likhai is one of the most precious visual and material cultural assets of Uttarakhand.

06/02/2023

One of the KHOLI still in good condition and well maintained by owners.See the details of wood carving and expertise gone into Kholi making.Kholi is from Satgol( सतगोल ) village of Pauri Garhwal.

05/02/2023

The hill town of Almora is essentially cultural capital of Uttarakhand. Its old markets' Lala bazar, Khajanchi and Gangola mohallas have houses facade adorned with carved windows, which serve as visual treat for visitors and admirers. The carved windows are from Chand dynasty era when artisans enjoyed Royal patronage.
Mostly motifs on window panels and oriel windows are of flowers,animals,Gods and Goddesses lotus patterns, mesh, geometric designs, human figure,birds etc.Windows in Almora bazar served a greater purpose than those of contemporary windows. They are not just inlets for air and light, but are symbol of admiration and beauty. Sculpted with images of Gods and Goddesses who are expected to protect residents within from negative forces. Some windows are not even meant for looking through they just add element to the building.The windows were designed so that modest and reserved women can view the daily activities in the city without becoming involved. Such windows were sign of higher social and economic status of the owners.

01/02/2023

In Uttarakhand main entrance doorway is called KHOLI. It has intricate designs carved out on wood by master craftsmen. Preferred wood is Tun/Toon(Toona ciliata) also Devdaar or other wood may be used. A house with KHOLI and TIBARI is considered auspicious for owner. Lord Ganesha is carved on top centre part of the KHOLI with exception in case there are more god or goddesses to be carved then Ganesha is carved first on right side followed by other God and Goddess.
KHOLI was a status symbol also, more intricate design means wealthy owner.
Having Gods and Goddesses on doorway shows devotion to them and seeking their blessing for people living in house.

31/01/2023

In Uttarakhand house is constructed from readily available predominant materials like stone,wood,slate stone(Pathal/Patola) and mud. In vernacular construction Pathal ( Shale, Schischst or Slate stone available in slab form ) for roofing is used. As a result the local building artisans are skilled in building Pathal roof.
It is particularly suitable for roofing material as it has an extremely low water absorption index of less then 0.4%, making the material waterproof.

31/01/2023

A group of architectural students from Pune for a first hand experience of restoration of the ornate woodworking or likhai on the arched openings , popularly known as the tibaris. They interacted with the master carpenter who explained to them the essence and techniques of the fast fading likhai work.

30/01/2023

Tibaris after repair.

30/01/2023

Damaged tibaris(arched wooden openings) being repaired.

30/01/2023

I hail from Uttarakhand and my initial idea was to restore one of the grand old houses in my ancestral village. I wanted to expose and educate the current generation, especially the youth about the richness of mountain culture. I also intended to make locals aware of the traditional house’s intrinsic value and its capacity to generate revenues by leveraging cultural tourism, thereby providing a source of sustainable livelihood.

However due to logistical and other issues the process of acquiring an old house was taking time. So I decided to start with recreating a traditional house at a site near Dehradun. In my project I have mostly used locally-available building materials. I have also revived old woodworking techniques of likhai by reusing and restoring the tibaris ( carved arched openings) sourced from abandoned old mountain homes.

I believe my initiative can serve as a source of inspiration for many who want to revive old pahadi architecture and culture.

Address

The Kholi, Village-Kalimati, P. O. Dhanyari(Badasi)Raipur
Dehra Dun
248008

Telephone

+917535052683

Website

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