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| Paper Title: | DISSERTATION REPORT ON INDIAN HABITAT – KHAN COOLIE COMMUNITY, SHIMLA |
| Authors Name: | Grahesh Bhandari |
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IJNRD_186099
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| Published Paper Id: | IJNRD2301251 |
| Published In: | Volume 8 Issue 1, January-2023 |
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| Abstract: | DISSERTATION REPORT ON INDIAN HABITAT – KHAN COOLIE COMMUNITY, SHIMLA Submitted in partial fulfilment of the Requirement for the award of degree of Bachelor of Architecture Submitted by GRAHESH BHANDARI Guided by Ar. Iqtedar Alam Ar. Mansi Bedi FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE & EKISTICS JAMIA MILLIA ISLAMIA NEW DELHI-110025 2018-2019 DECLARATION I, Grahesh Bhandari, hereby declare that the Dissertation entitled ‘Indian Habitat – Khan Coolie Community, Shimla submitted in the partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Architecture (4th Year) is my original research work and that the information taken from secondary sources is given due citations and references. Date – / /19 Grahesh Bhandari Roll Number - 20158337 Bachelor of Architecture (4th Year) Place – New Delhi 2018 - 19 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to express the deepest appreciation to my professors, Ar. Iqtedar Alam and Ar. Mansi Bedi, who have the attitude and the substance of a genius; they continually and convincingly conveyed a spirit of adventure in regard to research. Without their guidance and persistent help this dissertation would not have been possible. My acknowledgement may not redeem the debt I owe to my family for their direct/ indirect support during the entire course of this research. I have tried my best to present my research on ‘Indian Habitat – Khan Coolie Community, Shimla’ as clearly as possible using basic terms that I hope will be comprehended by the widest spectrum of researchers. CONTENTS TOPIC PAGE NO. CERTIFICATE I DECLARATION II ACKNOWLEDGEMENT III 1. INTRODUCTION 1-11 1.1 Shimla – The Summer Capital 1.2 History 1.3 Planning 1.4 Ecology 1.5 Economy & Development 1.5.1 Articles 1.6 Issues Identified 1.6.1 Over – Tourism 1.6.2 Unplanned Construction 1.6.3 Deforestation 1.6.4 Degrading Heritage 1.6.5 The Case of the Kashmiri Migrants 2. KASHMIRI KHANS – THE LOST COMMUNITY 12-18 2.1 About 2.2 History & Timeline 2.3 Present Habitat 2.3.1 The Culture 2.3.2 Micro-Economy & Livelihood 2.3.3 The Workplace 2.3.4 Connectivity 2.3.5 Architecture 2.3.6 Policies 3. CLUSTERS 19-27 3.1 Type 1 – Masjid 3.1.1 Jama Masjid 3.2 Type 2 – Dera 3.2.1 Lakkad Bazaar Dera 4. INFERENCE 29 5. ANNEXURE 31 – 32 6. BIBLIOGRAPHY 33 INTRODUCTION Starting with a brief introduction of the context, the city and the site under the aspects of history, spatial planning, ecology and economy; this dissertation aims at studying and creating awareness about the habitat of the Kashmiri Khan Community in Shimla. Their past and present living conditions, occupational hazards, deeply rooted history and culture. Because of rapid urbanisation, unplanned construction throughout the city and lack of a proper GIS system, there doesn’t exist a proper master plan for the Shimla District. The aim is to study and create a map of all the housing clusters of the Khan Community throughout the city. The creation of this plan is of utmost importance in the fields of urbanism and architecture. It gives value to an ancient dying community and can be considered heritage. SHIMLA - THE SUMMER CAPITAL The bustling Tourism Capital of Himachal Pradesh was initially designed to be the ‘Summer Capital’ of the British Empire in India. Shimla District lies between the longitude 77o-0″ and 78o-19″ east and latitude 30o-45″ and 31o-44″ north. It is bounded by Mandi and Kullu in the north, Kinnaur in the east, Uttaranchal in the south and Sirmaur in the west. Shimla was initially a small village, which turned into a town, which was later established as a city with the recognition of the Shimla District. The elevation of the district ranges from 300 to 6000 metres. Togology – wise, the district is coarse and rugged. (Shimla 2019) Present-day Shimla consists of 19 erstwhile hill states. It is a major centre for administration, education, tourism and heritage. Home to a number of Tudorbethan and Neo – Gothic structures as well as different temples, churches and mosques. Shimla is a land of diverse culture and architecture. Following is a map showing the activities, roadways, major amenities and accessibility of Shimla. HISTORY There are several controversies about the origin of the name ‘Shimla’. Some say that it originated from the word ‘Shyamalaya’ meaning The Blue House which was made of blue slate by a faqir on Jakhu. Other theories suggest that was derived from ‘Shamla’ which is another name for Goddess Kali. There was a Kali Temple on Jakhu Hill which was later shifted by the British to the now famous ‘Kali Bari Temple’. The history of Shimla begins at the time of the Anglo – Gurkha was in the 19th century before which it was a forest. The Gurkhas ruled over Shimla from 1808 to 1815 after which it was taken over by the British. In 1863, the Viceroy of India, John Lawrence, determined to change the Summer Capital of the country to Shimla. All the administration was shifted from Murree to Shimla, which was the former summer capital. Shimla was now the capital of Punjab. Present – day Shimla was realised in 1948 after Independence and the creation of Himachal Pradesh as a state with the combination of 28 princely states PLANNING Spatial planning in Shimla was done schematically in a manner that the main town was divided into three strata going from the lowest to the highest altitude. At the lowest rung is the Cart Road, which, in good old times, was the only motor able road in the town. Emanating from the Cart Road at different points were the Lower Bazaar Road and the Mall Road. Above the Mall Road lay a Ridge which the British built as the primary reservoir for the entire population. It may be noted that no vehicular traffic was allowed to go above the Cart Road. Hence, the movement of people, goods, supplies etc was all done on foot by human labour. The three levels (the Mall, Lower Bazaar, Cart Road) were connected with each other via unpaved roads which in today’s time have become well defined staircases. An interesting feature is that all drains of the town run along-side these stairs to be emptied in the valley far below. Between these three levels grew the economy, society and habitat of Shimla. Most houses and constructions, as they have been forever, grew along the contours of the hills. Built with the most common and easily available material, wood and slate, layered one above the other like in most hilly habitations. In all these three levels, the ground floor of the building sitting on the road it was situated on became the shop/ market place while the floors above served as residential quarters, akin to the present-day Mixed Land Use constructions. Government and administrative offices were spaced out and located away from the main habitat in independent complexes, most of which can be found on the Mall Road or the Ridge. Senior government officials and the Royalty of the time built their bungalows /palaces a few kilometres away to maintain their distance as well as prestige from the ordinary citizen of the town. These bungalows etc were connected to the Ridge and the Mall Road by unpaved roads for transport and communication. ECOLOGY Like any other hill-station, Shimla has a topology filed with steep terrain and rich soil. Variety of flora and fauna can be found in the region. In the year 2000, The Government of Himachal Pradesh has mentioned 17 green belts including – • Tutikandi Forest • Nabha Forest • Phagli-Lalpani Forest • Bemloe Forest • Himland Forest • Khalini • Chhota Shimla Forest • Chhota Shimla Forest (above Cart Road) • Kasumpti Forest • Charlie Villa Forest • Forest between Himfed Petrol Pump and Secretariat • Jakhu Forest (3 parts) • Bharari-Shankli Ruldu Bhatta Forest • Summer Hill Forest • Ellesium Hill The green belts are either located in the heart of the city where there is intense pressure from services, transport and infrastructure or in completely restricted areas. As per Shimla Development Plan, the green belts in Shimla Planning Area is spread over 414 hectares out of which 78 percent area is either under forests or open area. Out of the remaining, 2 percent area, 13 percent is built up and 9 percent is under roads and paths. About 42 percent of the total green area is under forest cover and 36 percent is open area occupied by shrubs, bushes and grasslands. Out of this 150 hectare open area, 124 hectare is under state government ownership and just 26 hectare is in private ownership. (Shekhar 2011) Following is a primary study of the major trees/ plants growing in Shimla – • Watershed Cedar – Above the Himachal State Library, on the Mall Road, grows this tree on the Ridge dividing the Indus and Ganga drainages. • Viceregal Spruce – A Himalayan Spruce Tree, grows in the gardens of the Viceregal Lodge. • Viceregal Juniperus – Junipers are the most widespread trees in the world. Can be found at the Institute of Advanced Studies. • Poplar – A very old Poplar can be found in the Institute of Advanced Studies. It is a tree native to Himachal Pradesh. • Chinnar – A large Chinnar tree can be found behind the ViceRegal Lodge, representing Queen Victoria and her once widespread empire. • Double Trunked Oak – A Double Trunked Oak tree grows near the Himachal Pradesh Government Buildings and provides shade to the people sitting beneath it. • Tulip Poplar – Eastern North America’s tallest flowering tree grows perennially at the Viceroy Regal Lodge. • Christ Church Juniper is located inside Shimla’s most iconic building, the Christ Church. The front entry was built for the Royalty and hence remains closed to the public. The general public entry is through the West Gate infront of which is built a paved courtyard with this juniper at its very centre. The tree is also visible on the front elevation of the structure. • Horse Chestnut Tree – A large tree right at the centre of the Ridge, below the statue of Mahatma Gandhi. It is known as the Aesculus as it straddles the point where Ganga and Indus divide into two. • Deodar Cedar – There is a sacred Deodar Cedar Grove below Mashobra. The largest tree in the grove consists of four linked trunks and is markedly massive in size. • Grand Oak /Ferns /Moss – The backyard of the Viceroy Regal Lodge consists of a massive Grand Oak tree covered with ferns and moss. Under this tree sat the British Rulers deciding the triumph of their extensive empire. ECONOMY & DEVELOPMENT Unlike popular opinion, Shimla’s economy is not just based on the Tourism Industry. Sure, it is a major chunk; however Shimla also adheres to all types of administration, institution as well as services. According to the 2011 census, Shimla was booming economically, while on the other hand, things like rapid unplanned construction and deforestation were strongly affecting the ecology of the site. There were several articles about the falling ecology as well as the proposed development in its place. ARTICLES “The effects of ‘Incredible Overkill’ are only too visible in Shimla and Ooty, where the courts have stepped in. But whether it is the Himalayas or the Western Ghats, the problem lies in the development model.”, says Poornima Joshi. ISSUES Too much tourism Major Issue with spatial planning Unplanned Construction Deforestation Lack of Initial Plan Only Retrofit Less value given to historical artefacts End with something about Habitat kashmiri khans – THE LOST community ABOUT - FOLK • The Khan Community is a Kashmir based migrant community, members of which migrate to Shimla for job opportunities. • This is a rather peculiar community as all the members belong to the same religion and sex. Yes, all the members of this community are men who leave their families behind to earn a living and subsequently reduce living expenses. • The creation of this community was based on the fact that men from Kashmir migrated to Shimla to work as daily wage workers as early as the time of the British Empire in India. • Due to the social unrest in Kashmir, Muslims in particular have a very hard time surviving in the state. The Khans work in farms during the summers and then work as Daily Wage Workers mainly involved in physical labour. • The Khan Community is one of the oldest communities of Shimla and is unfortunately one of the least recognised. The Khans have a deep connection with the creation of Shimla as the Summer Capital of the British Empire. • Ever since Shimla was the capital of Punjab, migrants have occupied jobs in various sectors. The Kashmiri farmers in particular took to physical labour. • The community is supported politically by the Waqf Board of Shimla. DETAILS Population 6600 Age 18 - 65 Number of Mosques 12 Number of Deras 16 Ratio (Married : Unmarried) 3:1 Population per Mosque 300 - 350 Population per Dera 150 - 200 Total Revenue Generated 1,20,000 per masjid per day Revenue Per Person 342.6 rupees (at full capacity) HISTORY & TIMELINE 1863 – Back in the day, Viceroy Regal willed that Shimla be turned into the summer capital. He started building administration and transport. The very first impressions of the Khan Community first emerged with the laying of the rail-roads. 1947 - During the time of Partition, a large population arrived at the Jami Masjid seeking refuge. They were whole-heartedly welcomed. 1965 – Jami Masjid is restored structurally. In the present scenario, there are around 6600 members in this community (since the population is mostly in transit) spread across Shimla all the way from Solan to Dhali. The community’s main livelihood is physical labour. Most members move back to Kashmir during the month of harvest. Shimla is home to many other migrant communities such as the Nepali, Survori and the Chinese. While the Nepali community also practice work for a daily wage, the Chinese work on traditional Chinese handicraft such as shoe making. The Kashmiri migrants have been daily wage workers since years. Their diligence and service is recognised by the locals of Shimla. They live in harmony with each other. Since 1947, because of the sense of community and fear of being a minority, the community follows a strict diet and all the food is cooked in kitchens within the clusters. The community is by far known to be the strongest community in the country, physically. The members carry unimaginable weights on foot through the three layers of Shimla. Known to be dedicated, humble and punctual, the Khans hold a reputation that is severely under-paid and unrecognised. PRESENT HABITAT The term ‘Coolie’ refers to a daily wage worker who earns his /her living by carrying large weights. The Khan ‘Coolie’ Community is entirely based on this system. The members of this community belong to a very low income group and hence can’t afford individual units to live in. They live together in very high density clusters with only about 2.5m2 per person. CULTURE The Kashmiri Khan Community is based on singular religious values. All the members follow Islam. While it’s an all male community, family members of the Khans such as wives and children sometimes visit them and can be found at the Masjids. The Khans are a very close knit community. They share their food, rest areas and well as eating areas. They eat together, pray together, cook for each other and have sharing washrooms with about 10 cubicles and washing areas. MICRO-ECONOMY & LIVELIHOOD The incomes of the community vary depending upon the jobs that each member gets in a day. The revised minimum wage for part – time labour in Himachal Pradesh is set at 28.6 rupees per hour. This means, in a day, if one member works for 12 hours, he earns 343.2 rupees. Subsequently, the 350 members earn a total of 120210 rupees per day. THE WORKPLACE. We once again talk about the layout of the Capital to explain the livelihood of the Community. CONNECTIVITY The unplanned construction of Shimla means that there is no marked GIS imagery available of the present state of the town. All we know for sure is that there are three main roads that divide and unite at the entry and exit points of Shimla. Cart Road being the base to these divisions, continues throughout. Shimla increases in altitude from North to South. Hence, the northern most point is the highest point (which is the Ridge, right in the middle of the mall) and the altitude falls gradually towards the south. (into the valley) The three roads divide the built mass into three dictrict-like partitions. Through the built run staircases that cut through the structures and provide pedestrian connection to all three zones. The overall height of Shimla can be traversed with this flight of 400 stairs that is built in the North South direction. The Khans traverse along these stairs for their daily commute. Most of the clusters open on these stairs. The drains also run along these stairs all the way down the slope of the mountain. The grey water is collected throughout and emptied at the bottom of the valley. ARCHITECTURE Being a close knit community, the Kashmiri Migrants share all kinds of services, resting space, prayer space, restrooms and eating outlets. Living in close proximity gives the members a sense of comfort and brotherhood. The Khans broadly live in two types of dense clusters. - Masjid - Dera These were basically places of culture that provided shelter to the refugees during the time of partition. It turned into a community because of the social unrest in Kashmir. Farmers move to the capital of Himachal Pradesh to work in the growing seasons. The following is the study of the first mosque where the Khan arrived in 1947, the Jama Masjid; and one of the deras, the Lakkad Bazaar Dera, which has a history of fires. POLICIES The Kashmiri Khan Community lies under the constituency of the Waqf Board though not legally recognised as residents of Shimla. The Khans have the status of ‘Migrant’ and are usually in transit with less to no belongings. Currently CLUSTERS MASJID (TYPE 1) Masjids are are the greater, more permanent cluster of the two. The Jama Masjid is one of the oldest Masjids in the city with a capacity of 350 refugees. The main building was restored in 1965 and a permanent place of rest was made by the Khans. The Waqf Board of Himachal Pradesh is the official government body that owns jurisdiction of all Masjids and Deras in the city. They protect the rights of the Khans and help them lead a comfortable life as an active part of the economy. JAMA MASJID – CASE STUDY DERA (TYPE 2) A Dera is type of permanent settlement with large sharing rooms and public toilets. Please note – Deras do not contain food outlets. They have small open kitchens beside the resting space. The inhabitants have to go to the Masjids for prayer and food. THE LAKKAD BAZAAR DERA - CASE STUDY This particular layout has several issues. The lack of a dedicated eating space has forced the people living in this cluster to make open kitchens. This is extremely risky as the building is reinforced with a wooden frame. The Lakkad Bazaar Dera has caught several fires in the past. There is no exhaust in the kitchen. Thermal heat isn’t an issue since the climate is cold. INFERENCE • Competition from other communities • Lost in history • Undervalued • Lack of any historical artefact • Resources • Burnt Up Houses • Lack of MCBs • Grey water goes out directly through drains ANNEXURE Conversation 1 – The following is a conversation that we had with one of the oldest members of the community presently residing at the Jami Masjid, Mohammad Yusuf, as well as one of the youngest members, Shahid, who had come to Shimla to work for the first time. Interviewer – How long have you been living here for? Yusuf - A little over 25 years. I keep visiting my home whenever I get enough money to travel. Interviewer – What about you Shahid? Shahid – I just arrived yesterday. It is my first time here. I’m 18 years old. My family sent me here to work. Interviewer - Can you please tell me something about your community? How many of you live here in Shimla? Yusuf – There are currently around 6000 – 7000 Kashmiri Khans living all across Shimla. We work as Coolies. We pick up heavy loads and carry them throughout Shimla. Be it construction material, a parcel or any other type of heavy loads. We are known to deliver punctually and safely. Nowadays we have to walk across the 400 stone steps across the Lower Bazaar, Upper Bazaar and the Mall. In earlier times, the Mall Road was completely pedestrian and these stairs didn’t exist. That was the time when we used to get a lot of jobs. However, now, because of increase in transportation and competition from the Nepalis and the Survoris, the job opportunities have drastically decreased and people have started moving back to Kashmir. Interviewer – Tell me something about your habitat? Yusuf – We live in two types of habitations – Deras and Masjids. This Masjid alone holds a capacity of 350 migrants. The biggest Dera is in Lakkad Bazaar with holds the capacity of 200 people. Just like the Jama Masjid there are several other Masjids that give refuge to the members of our community. Interviewer – Do you get any type of support from the government? Yusuf – The main support we receive is from the Waqf Board of Shimla. All the Masjids and Deras are registered under them. If there is any kind of riot, the Waqf Board helps us sustain our habitat. Apart from that, the money that we earn through physical labour goes into the maintainence of the structures as well as ration and supplies. Interviewer – How is life in Shimla? Yusuf – Life in Shimla is actually very comfortable as compared to Kashmir. Yes we have lesser area to live in, but we are safe from the social unrest that we have to face in Kashmir. The people know us and we have properly integrated into the culture of the town. Interviewer – Tell me about yourself; about your life. Yusuf – I came to Shimla first in 1986. I have son in Kashmir. I work here during the off season. I go back home at the time of harvest and take the earnings to my family. BIBLIOGRAPHY Shekhar, Shashi. “Urban Sprawl and other Spatial Planning Issues in Shimla.” Institute of Town Planners, India Journal, 2011. Shimla, © District Administration. DISTRICT SHIMLA - ABOUT SHIMLA. 19 March 2019. https://hpshimla.nic.in/history/. |
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| Cite Article: | "DISSERTATION REPORT ON INDIAN HABITAT – KHAN COOLIE COMMUNITY, SHIMLA", International Journal of Novel Research and Development (www.ijnrd.org), ISSN:2456-4184, Vol.8, Issue 1, page no.c354-c379, January-2023, Available :http://www.ijnrd.org/papers/IJNRD2301251.pdf |
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2456-4184 | IMPACT FACTOR: 8.76 Calculated By Google Scholar| ESTD YEAR: 2016 An International Scholarly Open Access Journal, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed Journal Impact Factor 8.76 Calculate by Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar | AI-Powered Research Tool, Multidisciplinary, Monthly, Multilanguage Journal Indexing in All Major Database & Metadata, Citation Generator |
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Published Paper ID:IJNRD2301251 Registration ID: 186099 Published In: Volume 8 Issue 1, January-2023 DOI (Digital Object Identifier): Page No: c354-c379 Country: NOIDA/ Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India Research Area: Other Publisher : IJ Publication Published Paper URL : https://www.ijnrd.org/viewpaperforall?paper=IJNRD2301251 Published Paper PDF: https://www.ijnrd.org/papers/IJNRD2301251 |
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