ommunity Conservation Lab

Aari Aari is a handheld wood saw used for cutting wood. Aara is the machine tool used for cutting wood into panels or beams. Andaaza Approximation used by experienced masons by assessing quality, texture, weight and sound. Balay Main beam support is known as balay. The beam is wider in width than the column beneath it. Barshay e Nating Female cap Bassu This is an architectural feature; a foot-long shade that extends from the roof in a building. Bhoosa straw and husk of various crops, such as wheat, barley, used in plaster preparation. Wheat is better because it’s longer. These days bhoosa requirements cannot be met locally, hence are brought from Punjab. Biyah charcha a spiked net used in between wood/sticks to scare mice away. Block Matti This is a combination used for making mud blocks. It consists of mitti and water. The ratio is usually Chikni Mitti 9: water 3 but water is usually added according to approximation. Bodour Jamdani weave pattern in which motifs are inlaid into the fabric by adding a denser thread to fine warp threads by hand. Biodiversity The variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem, encompassing different species, genes, and ecosystems. Biodiversity is essential for ecosystem resilience and adaptability. Chak The unit “chak” is used for measuring length (elbow to closed fist) 2 Jhaq = 1 gaz Charra Outer wool of a yak, goat or a sheep Charray Rug Chaung used for measuring cloth. One Chaung = distance between elbow and tips of fingers (open hand). Chikni mitti Found on higher ground in mountain valleys, this is a local soil which is light yellow in colour with a red tinge at times. It has fine grain and is used for plastering the top layer of roof and walls. This soil has the capacity to repel water. Community Conservation A conservation approach that involves local communities in protecting and managing natural resources to support both environmental and socio-economic well-being. Dagha-bhyaan A dog brush used for carding the wool. Dambu These are bamboo-like-sticks, which are placed on the top of wooden beams to support the dried leaves and mud layers of the roof. These were used in older vernacular houses. Daranti A reaping instrument consisting of a steel blade curved into the form of a hook, and having a handle fitted on a tang. Diyar Low Strength, Hardwood- abruptly collapses when excessive load is applied on the Diyar wood. Carving is usually done on Diyar wood Doulas Stone work is known as doulas in balti language. "Dou" as in stone and "las" as in work. Ecosystem Services The benefits humans derive from ecosystems, such as clean water, air purification, food, and recreational opportunities. These services are vital to human health and well-being. Ecological Restoration The process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed to restore its original ecological integrity and resilience. Endemic Species Species that are native to a specific geographic area and are not naturally found anywhere else. Protecting endemic species is crucial for preserving unique biodiversity. Floor plaster 1:8:2 Cement: Matti: Sand Gaara This is a mud mixture made with khaalis mitti and used for joining mud blocks together. It is prepared by adding 1:8 of cement and khaalis mitti. No bhoosa is added. Gaath The area in a wood trunk where the main branches sprout, this Gaath is penetrated deep into the trunk of the tree and is also visible when the wood is sawed or cut into columns and beams. Galmara A finishing trowel which allows you to smooth out and flatten the plaster more after applying it to the wall. Locally known as Phanti. Gulraikh The top plaster layer is known as Gulraikh which is a fine mixture of chikni mitti, khalis mitti mixed with water. Gunia Used to measure the right angle between two walls. Hasha Ribs weave Hathora A tool with a heavy metal head mounted at right angles at the end of a handle, used for jobs such as breaking things and driving in nails. Locally known as Martor. Hathori Hathori, also known as a hammer, is a tool with a heavy metal head mounted at right angles at the end of a handle, used for driving in nails in wood. Jamarashand Mukhdaar (block type tool) Kail Moderate strength, Softwood- have little elasticity when excessive load is applied it causes the kail wood to sag. Carving is difficult on kail wood as it is soft. Karpordo Balti word indicating white stone. Kashmiri Jor (Chabi Jor) This is a traditional Kashmiri style joinery mechanism in which a wooden nail or key is inserted into the grooved space in the other wooden structure which acts as a lock between the two structures. These interlocking pieces are crafted in a way that they act as a puzzle and they only fit in each other in a specific order. Keera A microbe also known as termite is usually found in wood with moisture content. Wood can host termites due to several reasons such as off-season cutting, improper drying, excessive exposure to moisture and direct exposure to sunlight and entrapped water. For example, if the bark of the tree is not removed after cutting then it will increase the chances of termites in Wood. Khadkash It is a tool used to mark out lines on wood for cutting and other purposes. Khadkash, also known as a marking gauge, is used to scribe a line parallel to a reference edge or surface of wood. Khalis mitti This soil type is black or red in colour depending on the area it is found in. It is grainy and is passed through a sieve before being used as top layer in plasters. Khatamband Khatamband is a specialty in the art of woodwork done on ceilings of rooms. The ceiling is adorned with thin panels of pinewood, cut into geometrical designs and fitted together to form intricate patterns. Strongly influenced from Iran, these patterns mostly have persian names. Kursi Distance from foundation to plinth level. A Single storey building= 3' kursi; Double storey building= 2' kursi; (higher the building, the less distance between foundation and plinth level (kursi), but wider; foundation for higher stories to retain stability of the structure. Latak Is a depression caused in a mud roof due to a sagging beam. Mitti Dry mud soil found in the locality. Mouj e Darya This is a decorative pattern found in wooden beams. The wood is carved in the shape of river waves. Na-pordo Balti word indicating black stone. Nating Male Cap Paichkas It's an urdu word paich (screw) kas (tighten). Known as a screwdriver in english; is a tool that is used for turning screws. It consists of a metal rod with a flat or cross-shaped end that fits into the top of the screw. Pan chakki Water mill found in vernacular settlements and used for grinding barley and wheat. Parri Stone slab is locally known as parri. Pashmina Inner wool of a yak or a goat Phang 15-inch spindle for spinning wool into yarn, used by males. Phung Gochey Whorl or a latto like instrument attached at the end of a spindle to perform spiral movements while wrapping yarn. Pinjirakari Pinjira, a latticework on wood, has remained a novelty of architectural decorations in Kashmir and Baltistan. It is done on the fences, doors, railings, ventilators, room partitions, screens and windows partitions. All the existing buildings in wood have such work in different geometric designs. Plaster damage check Locally, you can check plaster damage by knocking on the plaster. The sounds tell if the plaster is holding onto the wall or not. If it has left the wall, the sound is hollow. You can also tell by the cracks. If the crack is thin, it is probably a crack within the plaster but if the crack is big and thick, it is a crack in the wall. Plaster integrity check Locally, the integrity and characteristics of plaster can be identified by checking its sound. If you knock it, you can tell if it is khaalis mitti or mixed. Khaalis mitti has a lighter sound and the more you mix cement, the heavier the sound is. Plaster repair To repair plastered wall, you remove the part that you can tell has left the wall and then reapply the plaster there. The new plaster can hold onto the old plaster easily and you won't be able to tell due to levelling and finishing. For the roof, cement isn't used in the plaster, only mud so it is easy to mould them together. Purik Shuttle Qar-e-rouh Tassels of shawl Qar Shawl Raiteeli mitti Found near river bed in large quantities, this soil is grey-blackish in colour and is a combination of sand and silt. The grain size is slightly bigger and this soil type is used in mortars as well as mud blocks. Randa Randa (also known as wood planer) has a flat bottom and a sharp blade in it and is used to smooth, flatten and shape wooden surfaces. Roof Matti Roof mitti is the combination used in layering a mud roof. It is made with chikni mitti, mitti and water. Ratio being Chikni matti 3: Matti 9: Water 3. Roof seepage It has small cracks but that isn't an issue because they don't allow water seepage. It is the parts that are sagging that allow water to get trapped within causing water seepage below and thus the damage. Rym Spinning Sakhdar (Raiti in urdu) A steel hand tool used for sharpening iron tools such as a wood saw and chisels. Also known as a triangular scraper. Sanobar High strength, when excessive load is applied on the Sanobar wood beam or columns it will cause beam sagging and it will not collapse suddenly. Carving is not done on Sanobar. A Sanobar tree is similar in structure to onion, it has several layers of bark on it and it peels off the same way as an onion. Sarsa Is a balti word for a wood filer that has small sharp teeth on some or all of its surfaces, used for smoothing wood or metal. Satoon Upright pillar supporting the horizontal members (balay) of the roof. Siayah A thorny plant from mountains used for carding wool in older days. Soil wash A layer of mixture (2 strained mitti + 1 chikni mitti + ½ kilo glue + 1 choona) applied on top of exterior plaster for adding color to the plaster. It also acts as a sealant for the plaster. Sol (Also known as saal in urdu) a weight connected with a string to measure the vertical level of the wall. Also known as Plumb Bob Spun Warp (Bana) Stone Foundation In older vernacular construction, big boulders were used in the foundations and ground floor because it was difficult to cut the stone. Boulders were rolled to the site or wooden levers were used to transport them. Now boulders and be blasted to prepare smaller sizes. Sumang Jor These are also called kangi jor and they also involve no nails or screws, these are comb like structures which fit in each other forming an intricate interlocking mechanism. These are used for making box-like structures Surkh Gaara This mud mixture is made with half sand and half chikni matti added with water. Taghari A Tasla (unit) is an aluminium bowl with the ability to carry 7-10 kgs of mud, sand or gravel. The sizes may vary and can carry up to 15 kgs of mud. Takhta Jor This type of joinery does not involve any nails or screws but it relies on tenon and dovetail joints. In these joinery techniques the wooden structures are interlocked and have specific shapes which makes the joints sturdy. Takhtay Wooden planks used for covering the ceiling are known as takhtay. Taramira oil A type of oil used as a protective coating on wood. Tarashna The activity of 'Carving' is called 'tarashna' and used when referring to preparing stone for construction. Teesha It is a balti word for a chisel that you can also chop with. Also known as a woodworking straight adze. Thafthan Weaver Thakhshah Loom (khaddi) Thattar These decorations appear on the horizontal squared beams used in the construction of the walls, on arcaded verandas, the often-corbelled cornices both outside and inside. Additionally, they can also be found on the door wings and the mihrab. In general, the carved decoration consists of several continuous ornamental bands side by side. One finds stylised arabesque and acanthus-like scrolls, entwined floral, often lily-like configurations standing opposite each other. We also find rows of four-petalled rosettes, circular motifs, swastikas or bud-like configurations. Thou Used for measuring stone in Balti. 1 thou= 1 balish White wash A layer of mixture (1 strained mitti + 2 chikni mitti + ½ kilo glue + 2 choona) applied on top of interior plasters. Wood carving Wooden carvings adorn structural and non-structural elements alike. Yandri Spinning wheel (charkha) Yew Weft (bana) Yuphang A 10-inch spindle for spinning wool into yarn, used by females. Za giri A small attachment to a spinning wheel Zoru Zoru is a balti word for a tool that has a long metal blade with a sharp edge at the end, used for hand carving and shaping wood. Also known as satri (satriyan for plural) in urdu