Madia Hut – Maharashtra

This type of dwelling is found in the village of Hemal Kasa, of the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra. The Madia, a sub-division of the Gond tribe, live in the interior areas and practice shifting cultivation, supplemented by hunting and the collecting of jungle produce. The huts are made of bamboo matting, tied to a bamboo frame and plastered with mud. Inside, a sheet of bamboo matting divides the room into two compartments. A lean-to structure known as a marriage mandap is at the side of the hut. This would have been erected for the purpose of sheltering a wedding ritual. Within the bamboo fenced compound, is a goa,t shed and a pigpen.