Inside a bhunga

After portraits from Kutch, some glimpses into their home, the round huts known as bhunga. These huts built of mud are beautifully decorated on the outside and inside, and look like living museums. In fact, some villages have taken to making a model bhunga towards the entrance to their village, just as a showcase of their way of life. And in Hudko, I learnt that a few of the villagers had gone to a crafts festival in Leipzig, Germany and recreated a bhunga there.

And why not? Traditional bhungas, built with the knowledge passed down over centuries, are now considered engineering wonders, given that they keep the home cool in summers and warm in winters. They are also designed to protect against desert storms, earthquakes and anything else that nature might throw their way.

SO, ladies and gentlemen, the bhunga…

Notice how beautifully the walls have been embellished and how all their earthly possessions have been stacked to showcase them in the best possible way…

Bhungas are almost always clean white from outside and painted with bright and cheerful colours – although this one had rare aqua blues, they are usually in reds, oranges and shades of browns…