Back Home1.3 Bamboo

Bamboo has a long place in India’s traditional homes and in the knowledge of local artisans. This chapter introduces its selection, harvesting, treatment and use in natural building.

Explore different bamboo types, ways to procure them, and treatment and preservation methods. Learn why choices depend on the species, local climate, intended use and skills available in your region.

The lessons include traditional examples, practical uses and references, helping you understand bamboo as a building material rather than treating every species and application alike.

What you'll learn

• Knowing bamboo: Bamboo as a grass, ancient texts, traditional uses and different bamboo types.
• Sourcing and harvesting: Harvesting practices in India, procuring bamboo and buying from the market.
• Treatment and preservation: Why treatment matters, water immersion, smoking, light-fire treatment, boric acid and borax treatment, and cow-urine immersion.
• Choosing and using: Selecting a suitable treatment, different applications, Jagrat, references and further learning.

This course is perfect for anyone who wants to learn about bamboo. We'll cover everything from choosing the suitable species to harvesting, and you'll learn about different methods of treatments, types of oils and using different sizes of bamboo in construction. You'll come away from this course with a wealth of knowledge about bamboo.