Ingenious watchtowers
Archana Bomnalli, Jul 11 2017, 0:04 IST
Better vigil: A tree-top hut in Haliyal taluk. Photo by author.
One of the many challenges farmers face is the protection of their crop from wildlife. Thus, small huts on huge, sturdy trees are commonly seen in the rural areas. Every year, farmers make the huts on trees at mid-height, using bamboo and grass. These tree-top huts enable farmers to keep a vigil over the farm from a safe point. In other words, these huts are considered as watchtowers of farmlands.
A ladder is fixed to climb the tree and reach the hut in the night. In the cropping season, farmers sleep in these huts every night. They should always be alert to protect the crop from wild animals, and sometimes domestic animals too, that stray into the field. These days, huts are constructed on the platforms of electric pillars and cell towers as well. Earlier, these huts were seen in the fields that were on the fringes of the forests, while now they can be found in the fields inside the villages too, as animals straying into the villages has become a common phenomenon in recent times.
Different types of huts are constructed based on the availability of raw materials and the requirement of the farmers. The positioning depends on the location of the tree. If the trees are not found in the fields, people construct a high-rise platform using sturdy timber and build a hut upon that. These huts are also called as machans. While one can see many types of huts in rural areas, certain villages stand out with the variety. Uttara Kannada district has many interesting tree-top huts that attract travellers as well.
A ladder is fixed to climb the tree and reach the hut in the night. In the cropping season, farmers sleep in these huts every night. They should always be alert to protect the crop from wild animals, and sometimes domestic animals too, that stray into the field. These days, huts are constructed on the platforms of electric pillars and cell towers as well. Earlier, these huts were seen in the fields that were on the fringes of the forests, while now they can be found in the fields inside the villages too, as animals straying into the villages has become a common phenomenon in recent times.
Different types of huts are constructed based on the availability of raw materials and the requirement of the farmers. The positioning depends on the location of the tree. If the trees are not found in the fields, people construct a high-rise platform using sturdy timber and build a hut upon that. These huts are also called as machans. While one can see many types of huts in rural areas, certain villages stand out with the variety. Uttara Kannada district has many interesting tree-top huts that attract travellers as well.
