Vernacular Furniture of North-West India

Initiated in December 2015, the project aimed at identifying, mapping, documenting and studying vernacular furniture that has traditionally been, and continues to be an inherent part of the day-to-day life in an Indian household. The research was executed in three stages:
Phase I: Gujarat;
Phase II: Rajasthan;
Phase III: Punjab and Haryana.

Phase I: Gujarat

Gujarat is the most westerly of the Indian states and has an area of 196,024 km². The coastline stretches for over 16,000 km. The first phase of the project was conducted in Gujarat.

The team visited 73 different places in Gujarat and mapped vernacular furniture in various contexts.

Vernacular furniture and objects were identified in residential spaces. The image showcases a residence in Judavant village from Chhota Udepur district of Gujarat.

Vernacular furniture was also recorded in forts and palaces. Naulakha Palace is a part of Darbargardh Fort Complex at Gondal in Rajkot from Gujarat.

Various types of furniture were identified during the field visits. This is a damachiyo, a matteress bench recorded in the Hodka village of Kutch.

Intricately carved furniture were one of the findings like this majus. A majus is a cabinet used for storing clothes and personal belongings.

Phase II: Rajasthan

Rajasthan, with an area of 342,274 sq. km. is the second largest state in India. The state is bordered by Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh on the east, Punjab and Haryana on the north, and Gujarat to the south. It shares international borders with Pakistan on the west. The field work in Rajasthan was carried out between January 2017 and December 2017.

Overall, 95 different places were visited in the state of Rajasthan by the team in search of vernacular furniture.

Havelis and palaces were visited in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan. The image shows a cluster of havelis in Sardarshahr, Churu, Rajasthan.

Furniture were documented in many villages that were visited across Rajasthan. This image shows vernacular houses from Umred village in Bharatpur, Rajasthan

Museums and private collections were also visited during the research. This image shows a set of pidha (low chair) placed around a chowki (low surface) that were part of a collection.

In Rajasthan, various types of royal thrones are known as sinhaasan. Thrones in outdoor settings are called aasan.

Some vernacular furniture form an integral part of the architecture in Rajasthan. Paniyara, parendi and parinda are water pitcher storages built into the walls and are used to store water pots.

Phase III (a): Pubjab

Punjab is the northernmost state (50,362 sq. km.) lying in the plains of central India. It is bordered by Jammu and Kashmir in the north, Himachal Pradesh to the east and Haryana and Rajasthan to the south. Pakistan lies to the west of Punjab. Most of the area of Punjab is covered with plains which are fertile. This has helped in the formation of extensive farmlands. The Shivalik range starts from the northern parts of Punjab: Gurdaspur & Pathankot districts.

Due to rainfall deficiency in Punjab, many canals have been taken out from rivers Beas, Sutlej and Ravi. This efficient canal system has enabled Punjab for farming and is called as the granary of the country and nucleus of the Green Revolution. The fieldwork in Punjab was carried out between May 2018 and June 2019.

The team travelled to 150 different places in the state of Punjab in search of vernacular furniture in various contexts.

A residence in the middle of the fields in the Sakrali village of Patiala district of Punjab.

Vernacular furniture were also recorded in religious places. The image shows a gurdwara in Sakrali village of Patiala district of Punjab.

A vernacular residence in Khurshedpur village of Ludhiana district in Punjab.

Stories and narratives related to vernacular furniture were recorded. Sandook (cabinet) is one of the storage furniture gifted as a part of the bridal trousseau (daaj) to the bride by her family.

Manja is one of the most ubiquitous furniture in Punjabi households. It is a charpoy with turned or carved wooden legs fixed to a frame around which the surface is woven.

Phase III (b): Haryana

Haryana is one of the smallest states (44,212 sq.km) in India with diverse cultural heritage. The state of Haryana is landlocked and surrounded by Himachal Pradesh on North, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh on East, Punjab on North-West and Rajasthan on South and South-West. The field work in Haryana was carried out between May 2019 and December 2019.

Overall 111 different places were visited in the region of Haryana and various vernacular furniture were recorded different context.

The image shows an old haveli and a newly built residence in Barwa village of Bhiwani district, Haryana. Vernacular furniture were recorded in both old as well as new houses.

A view of the residence in the the Bhiwani village of Bhiwani District in Haryana.

Public buildings like chaupal also housed vernacular furniture like takhat. A takhat is a bench used as a seating furniture by men in chaupal.

To study various crafts and techniques used in making of the furniture was one of the key aspects of the project. This palang (bed) had incricately carved headboard and footboard with an image of deities encased in it.

Sahaj: Vernacular Furniture of Gujarat, co-authored by Mitraja Bais, Jay Thakkar, Samrudha Dixit and Ben Cartwright, is the result of the first-ever survey and accompanying research of vernacular furniture in Gujarat. It is the result of Phase I: Gujarat of the Vernacular Furniture of North-West India project.

Anaikya: Vernacular Furniture of Rajasthan, co-authored by Mansi S Rao, Ben Cartwright and Samrudha Dixit, is a result of Phase II: Rajasthan of the Vernacular furniture of North-West India project.

Catalogue of Vernacular Furniture: Gujarat, co-authored by Mitraja Bais, Jay Thakkar, Samrudha Dixit, Ben Cartwright and Mansi S Rao, features over 400 pieces of vernacular furniture and objects from Gujarat. These pieces have been shortlisted from nearly 1200 examples of furniture and objects recorded across the state.

Catalogue of Vernacular Furniture: Rajasthan, co-authored by Mansi S Rao, Samrudha Dixit and Ben Cartwright, features over 500 pieces of vernacular furniture and objects from Rajasthan. These pieces have been shortlisted from nearly 1519 examples of furniture and objects recorded across the state.

Catalogue of Vernacular Furniture: Punjab, co-authored by Rishav Jain, Mansi S Rao, Ben Cartwright and Abhishek Ruikar, features over 450 pieces of vernacular furniture and objects from Punjab. These pieces have been shortlisted from nearly 2782 examples of furniture and objects recorded across the state.

Catalogue of Vernacular Furniture: Haryana, co-authored by Mansi S Rao, Rishav Jain, Ben Cartwright and Radha Devpura, features over 470 pieces of vernacular furniture and objects from Haryana. These pieces have been shortlisted from nearly 2205 examples of furniture and objects recorded across the state.