Earthquake

Gujarat, Saurashtra and especially Kutch have been some of the prime earthquake-prone regions of the world. In 1819 earthquake, an 80 km long, 6 km wide and up to 6 m high geological formation came out of the ground and was termed Allah Bund! In my own life I have known of three or four big tremors and have experienced the big one of January 2001. Most remarkable was the silence and almost no activity in the first fifteen days, especially in Bhuj region. On the 17th of March the city was still littered with heaps of wreckage and paths were carved out of them, the stink was unbearable and the city was a ghost town. Small places around were barely coming back to life and rare visitors were told stories at the earthquake sites. Help had arrived but the socio-cultural milieu responded in a restrictive manner; “our pride better not be hurt while you help us” was felt all over. The social hierarchy was openly enforced and that was the ‘notion of equity’. Nevertheless the meetings and consensus building had been more participatory than at other times. Debris and its disposal was the single most crucial problem to be tackled. Even ponds were filled up in the process. Unlike in Ahmedabad, damage assessment was out of place as the damage was total and complete. Unlawfully built seven and ten storeyed buildings had tilted by meters.

Bhuj, Gujarat

Bhuj, Gujarat

Damaged jharokhas of old Dharbargadh, Bhuj after the earthquake of 2001. Parts of this palace, especially the music hall, was designed by Ramji Wallum who was given refuge by the king in around 1800’s. Below: Temple at Kera, (c.1300 A.D) witness to many earthquakes since 1811 and probably before, stands with its opened up shikhar (as a lesson of architecture, in construction) and was further damaged but luckily not so heavily this time.

Earthquake of 2001

Earthquake of 2001

1 The activity of salvaging the steel from reinforced concrete and other construction materials started barely a month after the earthquake of 2001. Clockwise: 2 The gate where vegetable market used to take place was badly damaged and quite a few people died as many were shopping when the earthquake took place. 3 The damage in the Praag Mahal, a building that was constructed in 1880 with the help of finest stone and construction techniques. 4,5 An opened up lintel of the main door of a house in Bachau during the earthquake. The images show the aesthetic value of doors and the earthquake proof detail of doorways in Bhuj area. Traditionally it was said that when an earthquake comes one should stand under the door lintel.
Bhuj, Gujarat

Bhuj, Gujarat

1 Devastated and flattened out city of Bhuj as seen on the 17th of March 2001. Clockwise: 2 The royal chhatris of the Bhuj princess was also destroyed in the 2001 earthquake. Notice the domes that flew out like cannon balls as they were made solid and not kept hollow.3 Bastian of the fort wall turned into a heap of rubble. 4 The ashram of Mekan Dada who used to go around with a donkey, a dog, a Mashak and a lantern. He located people in the event of disasters, dig them out from the rubble, gave them water and fetched them back on the donkey. The dog was used to sniff out the bodies. 5 Lady Willingdon Maternity Hospital that was badly hit during the earthquake.