From Indigenous Living Heritage to World Heritage: Reimagining the Historical Deori Chang Ghar of Assam as Folk Environmental Art, Ecological Knowledge, Sustainable Architecture and Ethnic Cultural Identity within the Vision of Viksit Bharat @2047
Acceptance: 12/09/2026
Published: 17/10/2026
Abstract
The Deori community of Assam possesses a distinctive cultural heritage in which architecture, environment, livelihood, social organization, indigenous knowledge and ethnic identity are closely interconnected. Among its significant material expressions is the traditional raised house, commonly understood within the wider Chang Ghar tradition of Assam. The historical Deori house is not merely a physical shelter; it represents an adaptive cultural system shaped by riverine ecology, seasonal flooding, locally available materials, traditional craftsmanship and community-based knowledge. Its elevated platform, bamboo, cane, wood and thatch, functional use of the space below the dwelling, spatial organization, ventilation and relationship with agricultural and domestic activities reveal an accumulated body of ecological intelligence. Documentation on Deori housing further records the prevalence of platform-type Chang Ghar houses among surveyed Deori households in flood-prone areas, demonstrating the continued significance of this architectural tradition.The paper reinterprets the historical Deori Chang Ghar as folk environmental art and living cultural heritage, rather than treating it merely as vernacular housing. It examines how its material vocabulary, construction practices, environmental adaptation, spatial symbolism and community functions embody indigenous ecological knowledge and ethnic cultural identity. The paper further proposes a pathway from local living heritage towards World Heritage recognition, while emphasizing authenticity, community participation, intergenerational transmission and ethical documentation. In relation to Viksit Bharat @2047, the Deori Chang Ghar can be repositioned as a knowledge resource for culturally rooted development, sustainable settlement planning and the preservation of India's ethnic diversity. Its wider significance lies not in freezing the structure in the past, but in allowing its indigenous principles to inform contemporary sustainable futures.
Keynote: Deori Community, Chang Ghar, Indigenous Living Heritage, Folk Environmental Art, Ecological Knowledge, Sustainable Architecture, Ethnic Cultural Identity, World Heritage, Assam, Viksit Bharat @2047.
Author Name:
Dr. Guptajit Pathak
Pages:
249-266
DOI Number:
10.5281/zenodo.23523703
Country:
India
Orcid:
https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1092-1486
Full Article
Reference
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Writer Name
Dr. Guptajit Pathak
Pages
249-266
DOI Numbers
10.5281/zenodo.23523703
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