There’s something new and interesting just waiting to be discovered on every trip. The trip to Kutch was a revelation in so many ways that to dwell upon each would require several blog posts. But speaking of dwelling- one of the most fascinating aspects of Kutch is the ‘bhunga’
A bhunga is a unique, traditional mud hut that is typical of the Kutch region. It is circular and has a thatched, conical roof. Bhungas are made entirely of clay, cow dung and other materials like bamboo and timber.
Bhungas are considered to be architectural wonders because they are earthquake-resistant. In 1819 a massive earthquake devastated Bhuj and destroyed nearly 7000 houses. It is said that the ground shook so much that the spire of an old mosque 300 kms away from the epicenter, was toppled.
The local people then came up with this design which would help minimize damage to life and property. When in 2001, another earthquake struck Bhuj, the bhungas were able to withstand the shock. Not only are they capable of withstanding earthquakes, they also help in moderating the extreme weather conditions of that region. The inside of a bhunga is cool in summer and warm in winter.
Here are some pictures of the bhungas we stayed in during our visit to Kutch. Some are fancy and some are simple but they were all brightly and beautifully decorated.
These bhungas are at the resort in Bhuj and therefore quite fancy. They have air conditioning and all the trappings required by us city people when we go a-travelling.
This is the bhunga I stayed in. Even the washroom was circular!
Most resorts prefer to house their guests in tents/bhungas. On our last day when we checked into a hotel in Bhuj with a regular, generic hotel room- I didn’t like it at all!
The entrance to the bhunga. Note the lovely paintings and designs which were seen every where.
The interior of our bhunga- quite fancy, as you can see. I regret not having spent some more time in there.These are the bhungas at Hodka village where we stayed for two nights. They are smaller, more rustic and very simply done up. But they are the real deal! The wall and floor is plastered with clay and cow dung. There are two little windows for cross-ventilation and no air-conditioning, which we didn’t miss at all. We didn’t even use the fan.
Another view of the bhungas and the resort. Since Hodka village is very close to the Rann and 80 kms away from Bhuj, the facilities available are more basic. But all of us loved staying here.
The interior of our bhunga. That little couch is made of the same material as the walls. There were brightly coloured and gaily patterned rugs, spreads and covers placed everywhere.
The bed is a platform made of the same material, again. With a mattress placed on it.
That door opens into the washroom which is NOT circular! See the little mirror hanging on the wall? That was all we had to check our appearance! Another bhunga had a larger mirror placed on the floor, so only the lower half was visible (if standing).
The canopied ceiling of our bhunga. It looked like a large skirt with many coloured panels stitched together. Which was then draped onto the conical roof!
The ceiling of this bhunga had no skirt/canopy- just the bamboos tied together with strings.
There were colourful patterns everywhere-
-both inside and outside!
Here is Rana Bhai standing next to his bhunga- he and his family built it 40 years ago and it came through the earthquake of 2001, unscathed. This picture was taken in one of the villages we visited.
Wow, again, Deeps. Must ask you how you plan your trips and then the articles you write…This one on the Bhungas, comes out as we have just seen so much earthquake devastation in Turkey and Syria. Wonder if we know someone who knows how to build these. How long does it take to build one? What does one cost? Do you have any contacts?
Yes, I too was thinking the same- we were in Bhuj when news about the earthquake in Turkey and Syria was all over the media. I think you will find someone in Bhuj who can help with construction of Bhungas. There is an Earthquake Museum there, which we were unable to visit, unfortunately. There must be experts- it’s the capital of the Kutch region. Especially since most resorts in Bhuj and around have bhungas.
butterfliesonmymindblog 
Wow, again, Deeps. Must ask you how you plan your trips and then the articles you write…This one on the Bhungas, comes out as we have just seen so much earthquake devastation in Turkey and Syria. Wonder if we know someone who knows how to build these. How long does it take to build one? What does one cost? Do you have any contacts?
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Yes, I too was thinking the same- we were in Bhuj when news about the earthquake in Turkey and Syria was all over the media. I think you will find someone in Bhuj who can help with construction of Bhungas. There is an Earthquake Museum there, which we were unable to visit, unfortunately. There must be experts- it’s the capital of the Kutch region. Especially since most resorts in Bhuj and around have bhungas.
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