Age-old grinder in Himachal Pradesh goes out of style

Sabita Kaushal
22 May, 2015 . 1 min read
Waterwheels or 'gharats' have ground wheat since the 7th century, but are now dying a slow death. Our pictures capture this environmentally friendly technology, and those who still persist with it.
A 'gharat' in Himachal Pradesh that uses water power to grind grains
A 'gharat' in Himachal Pradesh that uses water power to grind grains

Traditional water mills or gharats as they are called in the hilly regions of Himachal Pradesh were once found in nearly every village. Today these mechanisms that use running water to grind wheat, rice and maize and also occassionally to extract oil, have been replaced by electricity run mills. That they are environmentally friendly and green, has been forgotten.  

A water stream is diverted into the gharat from a tributary of the Beas river. The fast flowing water is then made to fall from a height, which in the case of the gharat pictured was 7 feet. A greater height than this causes the stone chakkis to wear out faster.

A wooden mesh filter in between prevents plastic, sticks and stone debris from falling on the wooden turbine that the moving water churns, under the stone/ wood platform of the mill.

The wheat or maize is placed in the funnel and steadily falls on the stone wheels below. The upper stone wheel, like any regular 'chakki' rotates around a lever, that in turn moves due to the water turning the turbine blades attached to it. Nowadays most of the turbines are made of metal but earlier, these were handcrafted from local wood. An efficient sytem converts the kinetic energy of the running water into mechanical energy that grinds the wheat.

A wooden stake, near the stone wheels can be pulled out or pushed in further with the help of a wooden/ iron gear. It also helps adjust the height of the 2 wheels, which in turn changes the texture and size of the ground grain -- similar to the blades in our modern mixie, that define the size of the finished product. A funnel shaped contraption, mounted vertically above the stone wheel grinder controls the pouring of the desired quantity of grains.

Until a few years ago, most villages in Kangra and Palampur districts boasted 3 or 4 gharats, many on the same stream. Now, it is only the older generation who speaks about them; the younger lot do not even recall seeing any. Mohinder, who has been grinding grain in gharats for the last 40 years says, "It is difficult to make ends meet. No one has the time and patience for this atta even though it stays fresh for longer and is much tastier."

The water that grinds the grain, flows out of the gharat, and flows further down. It passes through a patch of vegetables that need watering, or flows by a place where clothes are washed before it rejoins the main water stream -- recycling and reuse in its truest sense.

The flour from gharats is perceived to be healthier as the grinding is both slow and gradual. Grinding takes nearly 1 1/2 hours for '1 mann' (40 kg) wheat whereas the same is done by electricity run flour mills in less than 15 minutes. That, and the lack of running water when rivers are channeled for hydropower that causes disruptions, leaves the gharats with fewer takers every year. Living proof of how energy can be harnessed without environmental degradation, these gharats need a new lease of life.

 

 

 

 

View more pictures of gharats.

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