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Ghandruk Old Settlements: A History of Tourism and Disaster Resilience
Yenny Rahmayati1*, Aljohara Alsuliman2, Sama Alharti3, Dimah Alharkan4
1,2,3,4Sustainable Architecture Lab, Prince Sultan University, Riyadh, 11586, Saudi Arabia
*Corresponding email: [email protected]
Received: January 16, 2023 Approved: January 25, 2023
Abstract
Located in South Asia, specifically in the southern part of the Himalayan Mountain ranges about 65 to 8.848 meters above sea level, Nepal has a wide range of cultural traditions, religions, ethnicities, and languages. The country is bordered by India on the west and China on the north. Ghandruk is one of the old historical mountain settlements in Nepal, situated on the slope of a mountain. It is also on one of the busiest tourist routes to Annapurna Base Camp and Poonhill, offering a popular tourist attraction, a hiking stopover, and a cultural representation of Gurung culture. Throughout its history, it has been subjected to numerous violent earthquakes, especially in the past century. This paper examines how the Ghandruk settlements survived as old historical settlements and from the earthquake disaster, utilizing an architectural mixed- method research approach. The architectural typo-morphology analysis was employed as the main methodology to assess the physical changes of the settlement, supported by an ethnographic overview, particularly for socio, cultural, economic, and historical analysis. This study enriches the literature about the old historical settlements as well as can be a reference for practice, especially for tourism and disaster management purposes.
Keywords: ghandruk, old historical settlement, tourism, architectural typology, nepal, earthquake, disaster
Abstrak
Terletak di Asia Selatan, tepatnya di bagian selatan pegunungan Himalaya dengan ketinggian sekitar 65 hingga 8.848 meter di atas permukaan laut, Nepal memiliki beragam tradisi budaya, agama, etnis, dan bahasa. Negara ini berbatasan dengan India di sebelah barat dan Cina di sebelah utara. Ghandruk adalah salah satu pemukiman gunung tua bersejarah di Nepal, yang terletak di lereng gunung. Daerah ini juga berada di salah satu rute wisata tersibuk ke Kamp Annapurna dan Poonhill, menawarkan objek wisata populer, persinggahan pendakian, dan representasi budaya budaya Gurung. Sepanjang sejarahnya, ia telah mengalami banyak gempa bumi dahsyat, terutama di abad yang lalu. Tulisan ini mengkaji bagaimana permukiman Ghandruk bertahan sebagai permukiman sejarah kuno dan dari bencana gempa, dengan menggunakan pendekatan penelitian arsitektural metode campuran. Analisis tipo-morfologi arsitektur digunakan sebagai metodologi utama untuk menilai perubahan fisik permukiman, didukung oleh tinjauan etnografi, khususnya untuk analisis sosial, budaya, ekonomi, dan sejarah. Kajian ini memperkaya literatur tentang permukiman kuno bersejarah sekaligus dapat menjadi acuan praktik, khususnya untuk keperluan pariwisata dan penanggulangan bencana.
Kata Kunci: ghandruk, pemukiman tua bersejarah, pariwisata, tipologi arsitektur, nepal, gempa bumi, bencana
1. Introduction
Ghandruk is one of the old historical mountain settlements, situated on the slope of the Himalayan Mountain ranges in Nepal, South Asia (Figure 1). Bordered by India on the west and China on the north, Nepal is rich with cultures, traditions, ethnic groups, religions, and dialects where there are 123 languages spoken. The country relied on tourism as one of the major incomes of the country due to its natural mountainous adventure and cultural heritage potential [1l]. Trekking tourism was introduced to international tourists around the 1950s [1]. Despite its cultural, historical, and tourism values, Nepal has been subjected to numerous violent earthquakes, especially in the past century. It was also listed in the 20th disaster-prone countries, particularly the earthquake disaster and this becomes a challenge for its tourism sector [2]. April 2015 earthquake was the last biggest earthquake that affected the country’s tourism in 14 districts particularly [2]. It caused huge losses worth Rs 44 billion for the country’s income due to the malfunction of the tourism support facilities including transportation (roads, airports, bridges), and
hospitality sectors (hotels, lodges, homestays, cafes, and restaurants) [2]. Ghandruk has been recognized as one of the busiest tourist routes to Annapurna Base Camp and Poonhill, offering a popular tourist attraction, a hiking stopover at the northwest of Pokhara, Annapurna Region. It is among the 5 districts protected under the Annapura Conservation Area (ACA), well-known for its trekking adventure tourism which contributes to the economic growth of the country [3]. Despite of history of earthquakes disaster, however, Ghandruk keeps surviving and maintained the physical and non-physical characteristics of the settlement until the present times.
2. Methodology
Using architectural research methodology, this paper examines how the Ghandruk survived as an old historical settlement and from the earthquake disaster. As a unique discipline, architecture is considered an interdisciplinary study between social and engineering science. Therefore, a mixed-method approach was utilized for this study. The architectural typo-morphology approach was employed as the main methodology to examine the state of architectural characters and physical changes of the settlement [4]. It was done by assessing the form, building types, layout, and settlement arrangement and its relations from a single structure (building and housing) to a settlement scale within the specific timeline [4][5].
Meanwhile, the transformation of the settlement layers caused by disasters was identified through the historical approach [6]. It was assessed mainly through historical maps [4][5][6] focusing on 2014 to 2020 as the main timeframe. This period was chosen from right before the big Nepal earthquake of 2015 until around 5 years after the disaster. Furthermore, the ethnographic overview including social, cultural, and economic was also examined [7][4] through the literature studies to support the physical analysis. It is done by engaging the setting and experience of the people and society over the generations, focusing on culture and daily experience through documentation and archive [5]. Some diagrams were developed by the authors to conclude the analysis.
Figure 1. Ghandruk location, 2015, Source [3] Figures 2. Ghandruk traditional costumes, 2023, Source [8]
3. Ethnography Overview
3.1. History, Culture, and Customs
The word Ghandruk is derived from the term ‘ghana’ and ‘rukh’ which means compact tree or meaning "uphill settlement" or "nearby uphill.’ [9]. Ghandruk's ancestors came from Mongolia to Tibet, Mustang, Lamjung, and Kobang, and then settled down in Ghandruk. The people of Ghandruk are concerned with preserving their traditional attire, instruments, settlement form, and society. The majority of the inhabitants are still wearing their traditional costumes (Figure 2).
3.2. Economy and Livelihood
Agriculture, animal husbandry, and tourism are the main source of livelihood. Meanwhile, small cottages or guesthouses and local merchandise businesses also support the economy from the tourism sector due to the increasing number of international tourists and local travelers from time to time [9]. Tourists are an important source of income for the locals, especially on hiking treks. The tourist industry employs people, including porters working on hiking routes. Mainly involved in transportation services for tourist
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luggage, or working as tour guides. Many residents run small tourism businesses such as small shops or booths, and lodges or homestays in addition to working as porters and guides. Mostly nowadays, many residents travel to Arab countries in search of work to generate an income source that would allow them to support and protect their families in their villages from marginalization. The settlement was divided based on socioeconomic status. The upper settlement is largely populated by Gurungs ethnic the higher caste and other castes. Meanwhile, the lower settlements were inhabited by Kami tole, Dolit, and Sorki tole ethnics.
Both settlements appear to have social bias, however, the low-income residents were assisted by an active social group to help them earn revenue through skill development training and assisting the underprivileged with their needs, called the Mui Aama group or known as Samuha [9].
3.3. Religion and Beliefs
In terms of religion, the villagers practice northern Buddhism and perform life rituals with “Lama”
as the institutional priest, ‘Jhankri’ as the faith healer, and ‘Dhami’ as the shaman. Villagers frequently interact and seek guidance from Brahmin-Chhetris (high Hindu Nepalese castes). The people practice both Hinduism and Buddhism as the majority religions, worshipping Hindu gods and goddesses [9]. Pre- Buddhist religions, Buddhist, Hindu, as well as a blend of all three, are widely practiced in Ghandruk.
3.4. Family and Caste System Hierarchy
Ghandruk has a diverse population, but the Gurung ethnic group is the most popular, it also includes the Magars, Damais, Kamis, Brahmins, Sarkis, Newars, Chhetris, and Rais (Figure 3). The Gurungs are a vibrant, joyful, and flirtatious group of people. The Gurung society is divided into "Sor Jaat" and "Char Jaat", two groups of four and twelve clans, respectively, by a caste hierarchy. They are endogamous clans, yet they are strictly exogamous clans [9]. In the past, they have preferred cross-cousin marriages. If one wants to avoid cross-cousin marriage, a small amount of compensation may be required among some Gurungs. The marriage of parallel cousins is, however, severely banned. Arranged weddings are seen as outdated by the younger generation. They prefer love marriages in which they have the freedom to pick their partners. intercommunity marriages are sometimes the outcome of their own choices.
Figure 3. Ethnic groups of Ghandruk, Source: Developed by authors
Figure 4. Rodi club location in Ghandruk, Source: Developed by authors
3.5. Social Characteristics, and Traditions
The social characteristics and traditions of the community in Ghandruk are well maintained and preserved until the present time, even though the settlement was flocked with tourists who bring different cultures and habits. Thanks to the Annapurna Conservation Area Project or ACAP which was launched in 1986. Located in Nepal’s Western Development Region, ACAP aims to protect the environment and promote tourism via community engagement. It plays an important role in preserving society's characteristics and traditions by encouraging local people to engage in skill-based training and workshops as a means of generating revenue and sustaining their lifestyles. The Ghandruk community also has a famous tradition called “Rodi”. It is a club of similar-aged boys and girls who perform dancing and singing.
This institution provides them with several possibilities to get to know and understand one another as well as to improve their communication skills.
The Rodi has a highly flirty atmosphere. The entire event is supervised and guided by senior staff.
The Gurung people have a fascinating dancing culture. On one or more times, they conduct Sorcthi, Ghado, Ghatu, and other rituals. The dance season usually begins on Shri Panchami day (sometime in January or
February on the 5th day of the bright lunar fortnight) and ends on Chandi Purnima day (someday in May or April). The Rodi club is located near the settlement's center (Figure 4) where all the adolescents can gather and enjoy their time and interact with their friends after their school day [9].
3.6. Education
Schools did not exist in the past due to a lack of infrastructure and settlement development in Ghandruk [10]. Only a few schools were available far away from the settlement. Most parents did not send their children to school as they have to pass through the natural condition with the high terrains back and forth every day which will be challenging for school-aged children. As a result, many people in Ghandruk were illiterate [10]. In addition, cause of the 2015 big earthquake, 8.000 schools across the country were destroyed. This leads the country to improve its educational systems and facilities throughout the country including in Ghandruk, as they believe that education defines the society's development. They are also building the schools to be more resistant to earthquakes by using earthquake-proof materials such as stone and reinforcement [9].
4. Settlement Analysis 4.1. Settlement Arrangement
The Gurung settlement of Ghandruk was characterized as a compact arrangement, which is evident in their housing layout (Figure 5). This is how they withstand cold weather The settlement is a unique combination of homestays and traditional hotels with amenities. The local school is separated from the settlement by the valley that passes across Ghandruk. In the past, the Gurung settlement had an oval-shaped building made of straw and wood [9]. They changed the shape to rectangular because it is more resistant to earthquakes according to the local building code. Every building has a huge plot of land for farming, and residents used to rely solely on agriculture and civil services. Gurung settlement occupied an old historic quarter, and connect to the Annapurna trek. It shows the traditional and culturally significant features of the model settlement, well-known across the world for its characteristics and layout. The settlement statistics can be seen in Figure 6. Gurung settlement is located on a hilltop, the highest elevation is 2000.
This condition naturally created a defense system and keep the settlement safe from enemies. Furthermore, the use of stone fences around the houses is also a source of protection (Figure 7).
Figure 5. Gurung Settlement of Ghandruk, 2018, Source [11]
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Figure 6. Settlement statistic, Source: Developed by authors
Figure 7. Settlement analysis (zoning, solid-void, roads, terrain, and defense), Source: Developed by authors
4.2. Disaster History
Despite its natural beauty and potential for tourism, Nepal is also a country that lies on dangerous fault lines which makes it prone to earthquakes. History recorded numerous major earthquakes in the past.
The latest big earthquake called Gorkha occurred on April 2015. The earthquake killed about 9 thousand lives and more than 21 thousand people were recorded injured. Many homes collapsed and even streets were damaged by the magnitude of 7.8 earthquakes. Nepal is at the top list country with seismic culture along with other neighboring countries including Tibet, India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Kasmir, and Afghanistan [12]. Hence Nepalese had to adapt to this situation by making their buildings seismic resistant. Fortunately, the 2015 earthquake did not very much affect Ghandruk [2]. Only less than 1% of the streets and 3% of the guest houses were damaged. But some landslides blocked rivers and that becomes the only major impact on the settlement. However, this does not mean Ghandruk will be safe from future earthquakes. Seismic resistance buildings are still necessary for the Ghandruk settlements. The transformation of the Ghandruk settlement from a year before the earthquake until 2020 can be seen in Figure 8.
Figure 8. Timeline maps of Grandruk settlement in the past decade, Source [13]
5. Architectural Analysis
5.1. Building Typology/Housing Types
The houses in Ghandruk are rectangular, and two stories high (Figure 9). The inside has a simple layout with only a kitchen and a bedroom. The space arrangement in Ghandruk houses appears to be vertical. From the ground floor to the upper stories, the home is organized from more public to private. The bottom level is typically utilized as an entrance space, storage, or a place for animals, while the first floor serves as the primary living, food storage, cooking, and prayer zone, with the second story serving as a distinct sleeping area (Figure 10). Courtyards are located on the front side of the house and were found to be in excellent condition [14].
Figure 9. Ghandruk house section, Source: Developed by
authors
Figure 10. Space arrangement vertically,
Source: Developed by authors
Figure 11. Gurung House, 2014, Source [9]
There is an open garden area for outdoor activities and washing, as well as a small room for a toilet located far from the house's entrance [14]. The main door and upper floor windows of most of the houses face to the east and the main door height was shortened. A parapet may be seen in any home, they use the parapet for a variety of purposes, including relaxing, socializing, and chatting [9] (Figure 11). Most houses have lightning rods that look like a Trishul (trident) on them to protect them from thunder. To provide appropriate thermal mass for a comfortable temperature in the house, wall thicknesses may vary between 40cm and 50cm. In this regard, the height of each level reaches a maximum of 200cm to maintain warm air within the home or to make heating the house simpler [14].
5.2. Architectural Form Analysis 5.3. Traditional Gurung House
The rectangular Gurung houses are very private in which only the dining room and the outside seating area at the front of the house, the Pidhi, are for public use. As shown in the diagram below (Figure 12), the Ground floor includes a multipurpose living space, kitchen, bedrooms, and storage. A flight of stairs leads to the upper floor which is usually used for extra bedrooms and storage [9]. The kitchen was located on the
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ground floor far away from the main entrance for hygienic purposes of the food. Hence, the sequence of the public to private zones was applied and becomes the main characteristic of house typology [9].
Figure 12. House plans, Source: Developed by authors
Nepal’s government which restricts the usage of wood as construction building materials has affected the local building construction technique that was proven as earthquake resistant. Most of the buildings made of stones and mud mortar which are considered recent construction were demolished during the April 2015 earthquake. On the other hand, both traditional and contemporary buildings that incorporated earthquake-resistant features survived [15]. Corrugated metal sheet roofs have recently been their primary roofing alternative, particularly in the aftermath of the earthquake. However, in the summer, it doubles the heat inside, and in the monsoon season, it generates a lot of undesirable noise due to the heavy rains.
5.4. Old and Recent Conditions
In the past, houses in Ghandruk settlements had an oval-shaped layout made of straw and wood (Figure 13). The platform is provided for a vessel containing water known as a jurato. A second sleeping room is connected to the verandah. Every home has a "jato", a moveable or fixed grinder, and a dhiki in the verandah. The front half of the pidhi is used as a living or gathering space as well as a sleeping area for visitors. Within one enclosed space, there is a large verandah, a kitchen, a store, and a sleeping zone. The kitchen has a fireplace called "agenu" in the center of the room, at a lower level than the kitchen. The sleeping zone is located near the agenu. One part of the room is dedicated to the storage of homemade alcohol. Stone, mud, wood, and thatched with fine slates are the main materials used. Both interior and exterior walls are plastered with clay. The upper walls are often lime-coated except for a band at window height. Every year during the Dashain festival, the walls will be repainted.
Figure 13. Oval-shaped house, Source: Developed by authors
Figure 14. Rectangular-shaped house, Source:
Developed by authors
The recent houses in Ghandruk have a simple rectangular layout with only a kitchen and a bedroom (Figure 14) and different materials were used in recent dwellings. The most common material is slate which is used for the roof mixed with some local materials such as stone, rock, mud, and wood.
6. SWOT Analysis
Ghandruk houses typology is a clear representation of its local culture and it is the most secure place for the family. However, it has some flaws in the structure that make it extremely prone to the earthquake's impact, thereby resulting in catastrophic outcomes. The flaws appear as a result of the building's lack of quality structure or horizontal or vertical reinforcements. Local buildings in Nepalese traditional architecture have highly unique structural properties since they were created entirely with local resources.
Some studies have shown that the natural materials available in this environment could be more than adequate to construct robust and stiff structures capable of withstanding a large earthquake. In addition, the
Gurungs are also very proud of their culture and history, this becomes the main reason the practices and traditions including their architectural characteristics are still maintained [16]. Meanwhile, its location on one of the highest elevations in the world puts on many compromises such as transportation, whether it is the transportation of people, luggage, or even materials and necessary needs, hence it creates challenges in their daily life. This condition also pushes them to wisely adapted to the extreme cold weather [16].
However, despite all challenges, Ghandruk is surviving as an old historical settlement and also for continuous and potential earthquake disasters in the future. The summary of the SWOT analysis can be seen in the diagram below (Figure 15).
Figure 15. SWOT analysis diagram, Source: Developed by authors
7. Conclusion
Ghandruk is an old historical mountain settlement in the Himalayas of Nepal. It is known for its rich indigenous cultural identity and is popular for its mountain trekking tourism among hiking enthusiasts from all over the world. Ghandruk's culture includes a variety of songs and dances, as well as traditional clothing and birth, marriage, and funeral ceremonies. The Gurung people of Ghandruk have a specific language different than the Nepalese language. Moreover, the dialects spoken by the people are not spoken in other parts of Nepal, making Ghandruk's culture and identity even more distinctive. They are also very proud of their culture and customs, and they still practice them. Moreover, the compact settlement pattern creates a socially connected community that strengthens its identity as an indigenous community.
Living 2000 meters above the ground seems very challenging but not for Ghandruk people. They have been living and dealing in tough and harsh conditions due to the topography challenges. They are able to live harmoniously with nature and keep maintain their culture and traditions at the same time. Yes, they treat their natural conditions as an asset for tourism. However, Ghandruk settlements are also prone to earthquake disasters that might occur in the future. Therefore, they have to improve the construction technique and materials to build better earthquake-resistant houses to reduce the impacts of the disaster.
Supported by better disaster mitigation planning, Ghandruk will be survived as an old historical settlement that represents the community of the Himalayan Mountain ranges as well as strengthens its resilience to the earthquake disaster. This study enriches the literature about the old historical settlements in Asia particularly as well as can be a reference for tourism and disaster management practices.
8. Acknowledgment
This research was carried out as part of the Theory of Housing Design Course (ARCH 341), Semester 1, 2021-2022 under the supervision of Yenny Rahmayati as the Course Instructor and Coordinator. The authors would like to thank Sustainable Architecture Lab (SA Lab) and Prince Sultan University for the support of this study.
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