Cocooned in its rural ambiance, Pragpur is one of India's first villages to have been declared a heritage village. Cobbled streets, a Indo-European style large manor house and a carefully conserved village that has houses which have proudly weathered three centuries of changing history and climate, including the massive earthquake in 1905. Pragpur was declared a 'Heritage Village' in 1997 Three kilometers southeast of Pragpur, on a flanking low lying ridge that gently drops into Beas River is Garli Village. Dotted with many heritage buildings from a time when businessmen from the village, over a century ago, made a fortune in the timber trade and demonstrated their affluence by constructing houses suiting their tastes at their native place. Garli was declared a heritage village in 2002.. Connected by country roads, these heritage villages provide glimpses into a rural society whose craftsmanship, way of living and sense of design have all been overtaken by modernity

Getting thereThe nearest airport to Pragpur-Garli is Kangra airport at Gaggal (45 Kms) and the nearest broad gauge train stations are Amb (30 Kms) and Pathankot (111 Kms). From the narrow gauge train that runs on the Pathankot- Jogindernagar track, Pragpur can be reached from Guler station which is 34 Kms away, These heritage villages are in the vicinity of the famous Jwalamukhi temple (20 Km) and can be also reached by road from Dharamshala (63 Km), Kangra (45 Km), Shimla (190 Km), Pathankot (111 Km) and Chandigarh (183 Km).

INTRODUCTION

EMOTIONS OF PRAGPUR

MAP SHOWING LOCATION OF PRAGPUR

IN INDIA

PRAGPUR It was for the variety of architectural styles of the rural houses, the cobbled streets and the unique water distribution system at Pragpur that attracted attention of conservationists when they decided to give the village an heritage statusk

Bhandari Ram Kuthiala, a businessman from thevillage in 1918 had got the house constructed for his England educated son Jai Lal, who rose to become a knighted judge during the British Raj days. Other Kuthiala Sood business community members from the 19th century who travelled far and wide also did construct magnificent houses in the village incorporating those architectural features that they liked during their travels in India and abroad. Some of these houses are more than 300 years old. 'Judge Sahib ki kothi' rechristened as Judge's Court, a two storied brick red country manor house built in an Indo-European fusion architectural style is the most prominent building at Pragpur

HISTORY

Vijay Lal and his cousins were the immediate successors and hence inherited the entire property. However attracted to cities, newer generations moved on and many houses overtime had fallen in to disuse leaving it in the hands of the caretaker. However the caretaker fell prey to greed and tried the usurp the entire property. On realizing this Vijay Lal proposed to his siblings the renovation of the Kothi hoever his siblings refused citing no returns for the investment he was willing to make. So all of them decided to give their share of property to Vijay Lal. After this he envisioned the kothi and surrounding property to become a heritage residence which later went on to become a hotel.The other houses in the village belonged to his relatives and he managed to convince them to be a part of this vision as well. Thus the family houses have been put to use again.DEMOGRAPHYThe village has a population of 3000 with a rising number of youth.

AIM:- To study the heritage village of Pragpur-Garli.

OBJECTIVE:- The main objective is to pave a way for future study, research and detailed documentation of this heritage village.

The hallways are flanked by cusped arches

The architecture of the Kothi is an Indo-European fusion style.It consists of huge hallways and passages and all the rooms connected centrally. The Kothi being the most important building is surrounded by the other houses. The houses belong to Lal’s relatives and have been converted to heritage sites as well. Arches, jharokas, small doorways, jaali windows are some of the features of their styles of designing houses. Narrow lanes between houses entrap heat thus maintaining a comfortable temperature within the houses. The village consists of several small newly developed commercial shops. Stone masonary is prominent in most of the structures.

ARCHITECTURE:-

PLANNING:-The village lies around a tank which once upon a time was the primary source of water supply to the village. A museum has been proposed within the village where the history and artefacts from their family will be displayed.There is a drain which runs from the highest point to the lowest point along the street.The courtyards are larger in size as the shadows generated should not overlap each other and adequate sunlight should enter.There is a dead wall in order to block the cold breeze coming in.

Roads, houses And

features of Pragpur

PRAGPUR: HERITAGE WALK

1. The judges court 2. House 1 & Government museum3. House 24. Tank 5. House 36. House 47. market

(2)Government museum

(7) Village Market

(4) Village tank

Village houses House 1

1

23

5

4

6

7

Trail map showing visited

structures of Pragpur

The village consists of several open spaces and grounds between houses

THE RESIDENCY ‘The Residency’ is an accessory structure built after the proposal of converting the Haveli into a heritage hotel came through. It lies at the beginning of the residential complex and consists of a large living area, seating spaces and rooms on the ground and first floor.

‘The Hermitage’ is a cottage built besides the ‘caretaker’s house’.

This cottage consists of a welcoming portico and then a room above. It also consists of a seating space facing the gardens.

The cottage also has a fireplace facility along with its own water tank and services

The Hermitage was built as an accessory structure when The haveli was convertedInto a heritage hotel.

THE HAVELI

The large splendid Country Manor designed in the Indo-European tradition and built in 1918 for Justice Sir Jai Lal with it's annex. The buildings stand in a 12-acre orchard consisting of mango, lychee, plum, citrus and exotic trees like camphor, clove,etc.

The owning Kuthiala Sood family that runs it has been part of Heritage Village Pragpur since the time it was founded.

The Judge's Court's elegant accommodation comprises of 10 Double Rooms 3 of which are suites inclusive of the cottage in the ancestral courtyard.

The rooms go by such names as Kipling, Hardinge, Kangra, Dhauladhar, Hermitage etc. 

The Indo-Saracenic features consist of Pointed, cusped and scalloped arches, vaulted roofs, towers, harem windows, open halls, overhanging eaves,etc.

Exteriors of the haveli

The exterior of the haveli has been painted and renovated over timeThe hotel has been running successfully since the last 20 years.

This house belonged to one of Mr. Lal’s relatives and had also been developed as a heritage structure. It is the first stop of the heritage walk

The house consists of a living room with an attached dining room on the ground floor. The first floor consists of a bedroom and an attached children’s room and also consists of a narrower staircase leading to the attic and the terrace.

The Museum is situated in front of the first house of the Pragpur heritage walk. Proposed by the Government, it is located in the heritage court and would be a source of depication of history of the village.

Currently closed for general public, the museum is expected to open soon.

The house has some striking features on its façade such as pierced windows and jharokas on the top floor. The services have been circulated without hindering the front façade.

THE VILLAGE TANKThe tank once upon a time was the secondary supply of water. The primary and the most important was the water supply by pipe system.The tank is located at the centre of the vilage inorder to be accessible to everyone.

The tank is a result of the overflow of the pipes and let into this pit. There are biofilters present in the tank so as to maintain the continuous flow in water thus avoiding stagnancy. The services of the village are managaed by Neher Vikas Samiti and the pipes haven’t been changed since the time they are installed; they are still standing strong with very less maintainence.

THE MARKET

The village market is the well connected to the entire village thus being accessible easily. The market consists of general departmental stores, vegetable vendores, medical stores, stalls selling teas and snacks. The market also promotes local art that includes pottery and

knitting. The market is situated along the slop and can be accessed by narrow lanes of about 2.5-3 metre width. Thus only pedestrian and two vehicular entry is possible thus causing less traffic and congestion.

The houses are planned along with the market areas with commercial spaces down and their houses above.

The market and houses are spaced closer to each other with the sole purpose of trapping heat.

GARLI: HERITAGE WALK

Garli is full of ancestral properties and a beautiful house adorning every corner of the street. The houses are old and made up of local materials such as bricks and wood. The bricks are made by the Sood community themselves suiting their requirements. These are manufactured near the border of Punjab and can be easily transported to the sites here. Since they manufacture their own bricks, they are cut and crafted to perfection as per needed. The jaali work in the bricks such as that of the heritage hotel can be made using these bricks and gives a very classy and traditional touch.

1.House 12. House 23. House 3 Bhagwan Niwas4. Heritage hotel5. Pond6. House 47. All girls school

Trail map showing visited structures of Garli

12

3

54

6

7

House 1

House 3: Bhagwan Niwas House 2

Heritage hotel

House 4

House 1All girls school

HOUSE 1

HOUSE 3-BHAGWAN NIWAS

HOUSE 2

The first house consisted of two houses with a common courtyard. The houses were a combination of brickwork and wood

Bhagwan Niwas was the third house on the heritage walk and had a wooden portico entry. The walls were made in brick and plaster

The Jharokas which are a prominent feature form major part of the elevation.

HERITAGE HOTELThis hotel like the Judge’s court was a mansion that belonged to Mr. Lal and his relatives. They used to reside here and it was more like a second home. The architecture is again Indo- Saracenic type. However there is a lot of local architecture seen too such as use of materials such as bricks and stained glass used mostly everywhere. There are enclosed galleries and jharokas. Wooden covered verandahs, wooden staircases, stone foundations, jaali work, etc. A swimmimng pool was later added into the premises keeping in mind the idea of a hotel. The stained material used around the pool side is not glass but acrylic which manages to maintain the same stature of the space.

ALL GIRL’S SCHOOL An all girls’ school is located besides the village water body. The school caters to students from class 1 to class 10. The school consists of a central court which is encircled by the classrooms, staff room, administrative department, etc. Further in, the school consists of 2 playgrounds and it aims on expanding the premises by proposing more classrooms and another playground. The classrooms are wide with high ceilings and well ventilated.

The pond consists of 8 wells. It acts as a meeting space for the villagers at the katta next to it. It is always full of water through out the year

THE POND

DOORS AND WINDOWS

The doors are made of thick wood. The entrance of the door is low and this prevent entry of cold air into the structure. The windows are also placed lower with a sill slightly above the ground or floor.

The pierced windows and jharokhas are a major feature of the architecture in the heritage village.

BRICK JALI WORK

Brick jalis are  a perforated stone or latticed screen, usually with an ornamental pattern constructed through the use of calligraphy and geometry.

The jali helps in lowering the temperature by compressing the air through the holes and also provides a decorative feel to the wall.